Covenant with the Lord Iosh. chap. 24. v. 25 26. but because we have no Book extant either of the Covenant of Moses or Ioshua it must necessarily be granted that the Book perished unless we will be as mad as the Chaldee Paraphrast Ionatan and wrest the Scripture as we please for he being prest with this difficulty chose rather to corrupt the Scripture then confess his Ignorance for those words in the 26. v. of the 24. chap. of Iosh. Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the the Law of God c. he render'd thus in his Chaldee Translation And Ioshua wrote these words and kept them with the Book of the Law of God there is no medling with Men who will see nothing but what they list is not this denying what is Scripture and forging new at our pleasure We then conclude that this Book of the Law of God was not the Pentateuk but quite another which the Author of the Pentateuk hath orderly interwoven with his work as appears by what hath been and shall be further said where the forecited place in Deutronomy saith that Moses wrote a Book of the Law the Historian adds that he delivered it to the Priests and commanded them at certain set times to read it before all the People which implyes that the Book must be much less then the Pentateuk seeing at one meeting it might be read all over and understood by the People nor can we here forbear to observe that of all the Books Written by Moses this only of the second Covenant and his Song which he afterwards Writ for all the People to Learn he commanded to be Religiously kept because the first Covenant obliged only those that were present and the second not only all present but their posterity also Deut. chap. 29. v. 14 15. He therefore commanded this Book of the second Covenant to be carefully and Religiously preserved to future Ages and also his Song because future Ages were chiefly concern'd in it Seeing then it is not evident that Moses ever writ any Books beside the Book of the Law and his Song which he commanded to be kept and that many things in the Pentateuk could not be Written by him I conclude that no Man can upon any good ground but must altogether against reason make Moses the Author of the Pentateuk but some body may perhaps here ask whether Moses besides these Books did not write the Laws when they were first revealed to him that is whether in the space of forty Years he did not set down in Writing any of those Laws which he prescribed beside those few contain'd in the Book of the first Covenant to this I answer that tho' I should grant it to be very agreeable to reason that Moses should commit to Writing those Laws which he Communicated to the People at the same time and place when and where they were publisht yet I deny that it is lawful upon this Ground to affirm he did for I have already shewn we ought in like Cases to determin nothing but what is manifestly proved either by Scripture it self or by consequences drawn from the Principles of it and not because a thing seems Consonant to Reason for Reason it self doth not oblige us to be possitive It may be the Senate of Seventy Elders communicated to the People Moses's Edicts in writing which were afterwards collected by him that writ the Pentateuk and were orderly inserted into the History of Moses's Life and so much for the five Books of Moses It is now time to examin the rest the Book of Ioshuah for like Reasons could not be written by Ioshua it must be some other Person that gives so good a Character of him in several places of that Book Iosh. Chap. 6. v. 27. The Lord was with Ioshua and his Fame was noised throughout all the Country that he omitted nothing but did all that Moses commanded Chap. 8. v. 35. Chap. 11. v. 15. That he waxed Old called all the People together and at last dyed Moreover some things are related which happen'd after his Death namely that the People continued to worship God as long as the Old men lived who knew Ioshua In the 16. Chap. v. 10. It is said that Ephraim and Manasseh did not drive out the Cananites that dwelt in Gezur but the Cananites dwell among the Ephramites to this day and serve under Tribute Which is the same Expression we find in the first chap. of Iudges v. 21. But the Iebuzites dwell with the Children of Benjamin in Ierusalem unto this day Which manner of speaking implies the Writer relates what was long ago past as appears Iosh. Chap. 15. Verse the last the Iebuzites dwell with the Children of Iudah unto this day The same Expression is likewise used in the History of Kaleb beginning at the 13 th Verse of the said Chapter The building of an Altar beyond Iordan by the two Tribes and a half mention'd in the 22. Iosh. v. 10. In all Probability happen'd after Ioshuah's Death because in all that story there is not so much as one word said of him but the People only deliberated to make War sent Embassadors received and approved the Answer which was returned Lastly it appears by the 14 th Verse of the 10 th Chap. That the Book of Ioshua was written many Ages after his Death for the Text saith and there was no day like that before or after it that the Lord hearkened to the Voice of a Man If then Ioshua writ any Book it must be that of Iasher mentioned in the same story v. the 13 th As for the Book of Iudges I believe no Man in his right Wits will think it written by the Iudges themselves for the end of the History in the 2 d. Chap. clearly shews it was all written by one single Person who tells us in many places that in those days there was no King in Israel which is an argument it was written in a Time when the People had Kings Concerning the Books of Samuel there needs no deliberation seeing the History is carried on so far beyond his death but however let this be observed that this Book must be written many Ages after him for the Hestorian in the 1 st Book of Sam. Chap. 9. v. 9. saith in a parenthesis Before time in Israel when a Man went to inquire of God thus he spake come let us go to the Seer for he that is now called a Prophet was before time called a Seer The two Books of the Kings as appears by the Books themselves were collected out of what was written of the Reign of Solomon see the 1 st Book of Kings chap. 11. v. 5. And out of the Chronicles both of the Kings of Iudah and Israel chap. 14. v. 19 29. The rest of the Acts of Ieroboam how he warred and how he reigned behold they are written in the Books of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah We therefore conclude that all the Books which
those that lived in his days and therefore 't is likely this was the Book of the Law of God which he set forth and expounded and I likewise believe it the first of all those Books he wrote because it contains the Laws of his Country which the People extreamly wanted and also because this Book is with no Antecedent Connexion joyned to another but without any kind of reference begins thus These be the Words of Moses And after he finished this Book and taught the People the Laws I believe he applyed himself to compose the whole History of the Iewish Nation from the Creation of the World to the first Destruction of the City Ierusalem inserting this Book of Deutronomy in its proper Place and perhaps to the first five Books gave the Name of Moses because his Life is the Principal Subject of them for the same reason he called the Sixth Book by the Name of Ioshuah the Seventh Iudges the Eighth Ruth the Ninth and perhaps the Tenth Samuel the Eleventh and Twelfth Kings but whether Esdras perfected them as he desired with his own Hand inquire in the next Chapter CHAP. IX Whether Esdras perfected the Books which we suppose he wrote and whether the Marginal Notes which are found in the Hebrew Copies be divers readings HOW much the inquiry made in the former Chapter concerning the Pen-Man of the Books therein mentioned may conduce to the perfect understanding of them will be easily guess'd by those Places only which we have quoted to make good our Opinion in this Point which places would otherwise have seemed very obscure but beside the Writer there are other things observable in the Books themselves which Common Superstition will not suffer the vulgar to discern The cheifest of them is that Esdras whom I will suppose to be the Writer of the foresaid Books till some body shew me another more likely to pen them did not with his own Hand perfect the Relations which the Books contain but did only collect the Histories out of several writers and sometimes only copying them out left them to Posterity neither examin'd nor put into any Order but what should hinder him from compleatly finishing his Work unless it were untimely death I cannot conjecture we have indeed no Antient intire Iewish Histories but out of a few fragments left us it is evident that Esdras as I have already said gather'd his stories from several Writers and left them very confused and imperfect The History of Ezekiah as it is found written from the Relation of Isaiah the Prophet in the Second Book of Kings chap. 18. v. 17. is recorded in the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah and the story in the Chronicles see Book the 2 d. Chap. 32. v. 32. We find related almost in the same words very few excepted as it is in the forenamed Chapter of the Book of Kings from whence nothing else can be concluded but that there were divers readings of Isaiah's Relation unless some will also here dream of Misteries Moreover the last Chapter of this Book of the Kings is contained in the last Chapter of the Prophet Ieremy and we find likewise the 7 th Chap. of the Second Book of Samuel in the 17 th Chap. of the first Book of Chronicles but the words in divers places so much changed that it may be easily known the two Chapters were taken out of two different Copies of the History written by the Prophet Nathan Lastly The Genealogy of the Kings of Edom which we have Gen. Chap. 36. from v. 31 th Is set down in the same words in the 1 st Chap. of the 1 st Book of Chron. Beginning at the 43 th Verse Now tho' it be evident that the Author of the Book of Chronicles took the things which he related out of other Historians yet he had them not out of the Twelve Books which we believe were written by Esdras and without doubt had we the Original Histories it would so appear but because we have them not let us examin the Histories as they now are observing their Order and Connexion their various Repetitions and their disagreement in Calculation of Time that we may judge of other things Consider first the History of Iudah and Thamar Gen. Chap. 38. The Historian begins his Narration in these words And it came to pass at that time that Iudah went down from his Brethren Which time must necessarily have reference to some other time of which he had immediately spoken before but to that time spoken of in the preceding Chapter of Genesis it could have no Relation for from the time that Ioseph was carried into Egypt until Iacob the Patriarch went down thither with all his Family there passed but twenty two Years for Ioseph when he was Sold by his Brethren was but Seventeen Years Old and when he was sent for out of Prison by Pharaoh but Thirty to which if the Seven Years of Plenty and Two of Famin be added they make up in all no more than Two and Twenty in which space of time no Man can conceive so many things should happen namely that Iudah should successively have three Sons of which the Eldest should at a fit Age marry Thamar and he dying the Second Brother should take her to Wife who also dyed and that sometime after this happen'd Iudah himself should ignorantly lye with his own Daughter in-Law Thamar and have two Children by her at one Birth whereof one likewise should within the aforesaid time of two and twenty Years become a Father Seeing then all these things cannot be referr'd to the time spoken of in Genesis but must necessarily relate to some other time spoken of in some other Book Esdras must therefore only Copy out this Story and unexamin'd add it to others but not only this Chapter but likewise the whole Story of Ioseph and Iacob must necessarily be taken out of several Historians so little congruity is there in it for the 48 th Chap. of Gen. tells us that when Ioseph brought his Father Iacob to Pharaoh Iacob was an hundred and thirty Years Old from which deduct twenty two which he passed in Mourning for the loss of Ioseph and seventeen which was Ioseph's Age when he was Sold with seven which he served for Rachel it will appear that he was fourscour and four Years Old when he Marryed Leah and that on the other side Dinah was scarce seven Years Old when she was Ravisht by Sechem and Simeon and Levi not fully eleven and twelve Years of Age when they Assaulted the City of Sechem and put all the People of it to the Sword. There is no need of particularizing all things of this kind in the Pentateuk if this only be consider'd that in the five Books all the Precepts and Historical Relations are promiscuously set down without any order without any regard had to time and that one and the same History is often and sometimes diversly repeated it must be granted that all these things were
just or unjust pious or impious And then I conclude that that Right is best maintained and the Government most safe where every Man hath free liberty to think and speak what he thinks These are the things Philosophical Reader which I offer to thy examination believing they will be acceptable to thee for the Excellency and Utility of the Subject as well of the whole Book as of every single Chapter to which many things might be added but to this Preface I do not intend the Dimensions of a Volum the chief things in it are sufficiently known to Philosophers to others I care not to commend this Treatise because I have not the least hope they will like it I know how fast those Prejudices stick which the mind of Man hath embraced under the form of Religion I known also 't is as impossible to root out Superstition as Fear out of the Minds of the common People whose constancy is but contumacy and are never to be govern'd by Reason but always rashly praise or dispraise The Vulgar therefore and all of like Affections with them I do not invite to read these things I had rather they should contemn the Book then be troublesome by making perverse Constructions of it as they use to do of all other things not profiting themselves but hindring others who would reason more like Phylosophers did they not think Reason ought to be but a Hand-maid to Divinity To Men of that Opinion I think this Work extreamly useful but because many have neither mind or leisure to read these things I am forced here as well as in the end of the Treatise to declare I have written nothing which I do not willingly submit to the Examination and Judgment of the chief Rulers of my Country For if they shall think any thing I say repugnant to the Laws or public Peace of it I willingly unsay and recant it I know my self a Man Subject to Mistake but I have taken the greatest Care I could not to Err and particularly that whatever I write may in all things be consonant to the Laws of my Country and agreeable to Piety and good Manners A TABLE Of the several CHAPTERS CHAP. I. OF Prophesy CHAP. II. Of Prophets CHAP. III. Of the calling of the Jews and whether the Gift of Prophesy were peculiar only to the Jews CHAP. IV. Of the Divine Law. CHAP. V. The reason why Ceremonies were instituted of the belief of Scripture-Histories why and to whom it is necessary CHAP. VI. Of Miracles CHAP. VII Of the Interpretation of Scripture CHAP. VIII Sheweth that the Pentatenk the Books of Joshua Judges Ruth Samuel and the Kings were not Written by the Persons whose Names they bear and then inquires whether those Books were Written by several Persons or by one only and by whom CHAP. IX Whether Hesdras did perfectly finish those Books and whether the Marginal Notes found in the Hebrew Copies were but diverse readings CHAP. X. The rest of the Books of the Old Testament are examined in the same manner as the forementioned CHAP. XI Whether the Apostles Writ their Epistles as Apostles and Prophets or only as Doctors and Teachers and what is the Office of an Apostle CHAP. XII Of the true Original Hand Writing or Text of Scripture why Scripture is called Holy and why the Word of God Lastly that the Scripture so far as it contains the Word of God is derived to us pure and uncorrupted CHAP. XIII What is Faith who are the faithful what are the Fundamentals of Faith Faith distinguisht from Philosophy CHAP. XIV Divinity no Hand-maid to Reason nor Reason to Divinity upon what ground we believe the Authority of Sacred Scripture CHAP. XV. How Commonwealths came to be founded of every Mans Natural and Civil Right of the Right of Supreme Powers CHAP. XVI No Man can transfer or part with all his particular Right to the Supreme Power nor is it necessary that he should Of the Commonwealth of the Jews what it was while Moses lived and what after his Death before they chose Kings and of the Excellency of it lastly what were the Causes why so Divine a Commonwealth perished and could not subsist without Seditions CHAP. XVII Certain Political Maxims Collected out of the Commonwealth and Histories of the Jews CHAP. XVIII That Religion and all things relating to it are subject to no other Power but that of the Supreme Magistrate that the external Form of Public Religious Worship ought to be accommodated to the Peace of the Common-wealth if we would rightly obey God. CHAP. XIX That in a free Commonwealth it is lawful for every Man to think as he pleaseth and to speak what he thinks CHAP. VIII Sheweth that the Pentateuk the Books of Joshua Judges Ruth Samuel and the Kings were not Written by the Persons whose Names they bear and then inquires whether those Books were Written by several Persons or by one only and by whom CHAP. IX Whether Hesdras did perfectly finish those Books and whether the Marginal Notes found in the Hebrew Copies were but diverse readings CHAP. X. The rest of the Books of the Old Testament are examined in the same manner as the forementioned CHAP. XI Whether the Apostles Writ their Epistles as Apostles and Prophets or only as Doctors and Teachers and what is the Office of an Apostle CHAP. XII Of the true Original Hand Writing or Text of Scripture why Scripture is called Holy and why the Word of God Lastly that the Scripture so far as it contains the Word of God is derived to us pure and uncorrupted CHAP. XIII Shews that Scripture teacheth nothing but what is very plain intending nothing but Mens Obedience neither doth it teach or declare any other thing of the divine Nature then what a Man may in a right Course of Life in some degree imitate CHAP. XIV What is Faith who are the faithful what are the Fundamentals of Faith Faith distinguisht from Philosophy CHAP. XV. Divinity no Hand-maid to Reason nor Reason to Divinity upon what ground we believe the Authority of Sacred Scripture CHAP. XVI How Commonwealths came to be founded of every Mans Natural and Civil Right of the Right of Supreme Powers CHAP. XVII No Man can transfer or part with all his particular Right to the Supreme Power nor is it necessary that he should Of the Commonwealth of the Jews what it was while Moses lived and what after his Death before they chose Kings and of the Excellency of it lastly what were the Causes why so Divine a Commonwealth perished and could not subsist without Seditions CHAP. XVIII Certain Political Maxims Collected out of the Commonwealth and Histories of the Jews CHAP. XIX That Religion and all things relating to it are subject to no other Power but that of the Supreme Magistrate that the external Form of Public Religious Worship ought to be accommodated to the Peace of the Common-wealth if we would rightly obey God. CHAP. XX. That in a free Commonwealth it
to take up the fancy of such Men to a Man sad and melancholly were revealed Wars Plagues and Evils to come if a Prophet were kind merciful chollerique or severe accordingly were his Revelations The fancy of the Prophet was also sometimes the cause that Revelations differed in Stiles for if the Prophet were of an elegant and exalted fancy the mind of God was made known to him in an eloquent lofty Stile if the Prophets fancy were obscure and confused so was in like manner his Revelation when Revelations were made to a Country rustick the signs represented were Oxen Cows c. to a Souldier Captains and Armies to a Courtier Palaces and regal Thrones Lastly Prophesy varied according to the Opinions wherewith the Prophets were affected Math. chap. 11. to the Magi addicted to Astrology the Nativity of Christ was revealed by a Star appearing in the East to the Dreamers or Prophets of Nebuchadnezzar was revealed the destruction of Ierusalem by inspecting the entrails of Beasts that King also understood it from Oracles and the Shooting of Arrows into the Air. To Prophets who believed Men had free Will and Acted according to their will and choise God revealed himself as indifferent and ignorant of Mens future Actions all which Particulars we will singly prove by Places of Scripture First it appears by the 2 d Book of Kings chap. 3. v. 15. that Elisha before he Prophesy'd to Iehoram desired a Minstrel to Play before him and that till he was pleased with the Music of the Instrument he could not because he was Angry with the King foretel what should happen they who are Angry with any Person are apt and inclined to imagin Evil rather then good but they are mistaken who say God is never revealed to Angry and Melancholly Persons for to Moses who was incensed against Pharaoh without the help of any Musical Instrument God revealed that miserable Plague of the death of their first born Exod. chap. 11. God was revealed to Angry Cain to angry and impatient Ezechiel was revealed the misery and obstinacy of the Iews Ezek. chap. 3. v. 14. Ieremy sad and weary of his Life Prophesy'd the Captivity of the Iews so that Iosiah would not consult him but sent to a Woman Hilkiah the Prophetess to whose milder disposition the mercy of God was more likely to be revealed 2 d Book of the Chron. chap. 24. v. 22. Michiah never Prophesy'd any good to Ahab as did some other Prophets in the 1 st Book of the Kings chap. 20. v. 13. but all his Life time Prophesy'd Evil as plainly appears in the 1 st Book of the Kings chap. 22. v. 8. and more plainly in the 2 d. Book of Chron. chap. 18. v. 7. the Prophets therefore in respect of the different temperament of their Body inclined to some Revelations more then to others The Stile also of Prophesy differed according to the Eloquence of every Prophet the Prophesies of Ezekiel and Amos are Written in a lower and less Elegant Stile then those of Isaiah and Nahum and if any who understand the Hebrew Tongue desire to inquire narrowly into these things let them compare some Chapters one with another of diverse Prophets upon the same Subject and they shall find a great deal of difference in the Stile compare the first Chapter of the Courtier Isaiah from the 11 th vers to the 20 th with the 5 th chap. of the Herdsman Amos from the 21 th to the 24 th verse compare the Order and Reasons of the Prophesy of Ieremy which he wrote chap. the 49 th at Edom with the Order and Reasons of Obadiah compare the 40 th chap. of Isai. v. 19 20. and his 44 th chap. from verse the 8 th with the 8 th chap. 6 th verse and the 13 th chap. 2 d. verse of the Prophet Hosea if all things be considered it is very Evident that God had no peculiar Stile of speaking but according to the Learning and Capacity of the Prophet it was either Elegant Concise Sharp Rude Prolix or Obscure Prophetical Representations and Hierogliphicks were various tho' they signify'd the same thing for the Glory of God leaving the Temple was otherwise represented to Isaiah then it was to Ezekiel the Rabbines would have both representations to be the same and that Ezekiel being a Country Man extraordinarily admired his own and therefore described it with all its Circumstances but unless the Rabbines were assured by Faithful Tradition the thing was so indeed we are not bound to believe them for Isaiah saw Seraphims with six Wings and Ezekiel Beasts with four Isaiah saw God clothed and sitting upon a Throne Ezekiel saw him like Fire both of them without doubt saw God as each was wont to imagin Representations also varyed not only in their manner and form but in their clearness and perspicuity for the Representations made to Zachary were so obscure that they could not be understood by the Prophet himself without Explication as appears by the Story and those of Daniel tho' explain'd were not understood by him which happened not in Respect of the difficulty of the thing revealed for it concerned Human Affairs which exceed not the bounds of Human Capacity but only as they are future but because Daniel was not so well able to Prophesy waking as in his sleep which appears by his being so terrify'd in the beginning of the Revelation that he was scarce able to stand and therefore through weakness of imagination and want of strength things were so obscurely Represented to him that he could not understand them tho' they were Expounded and here it is to be observed that the Wonders which Daniel heard were only imaginary and therefore being at that time so much troubled it is no wonder that he could not understand by words which he so confusedly and obscurely imagin'd but they that say God would not clearly reveal the matter to Daniel seem not to have read the words of the Angel who said expresly Dan. chap. 10. v. 14. Now am I come to make thee understand what shall befal thy People in the latter days c. those things therefore remain'd obscure because at that time there was no Man found who so much excell'd in the strength and Power of imagination as to have a clearer Revelation made to him Lastly the Prophets to whom it was revealed that God would take away Eliah perswaded Elisha that he was only to be Translated to some other place where he might be found by them which Evidently proves that they did not rightly understand Gods Revelation there is no need of being larger upon these Particulars for nothing is more manifest in Scripture then that God did bestow upon some Prophets a much greater Portion of the Gift of Prophesy then he did upon others but that Prophesy and Representations differ'd according to the Opinions which the Prophets maintain'd and that Prophets were prejudiced with different yea contrary Opinions I mean concerning things meerly Speculative but as
fitted and proportion'd to Mens understanding and capacity as I have proved mine to be the difficulties that are in it have proceeded from Mens sloth and negligence not from the nature of the Method CHAP. VIII Sheweth that the Pentateuk Books of Joshua Judges Ruth Samuel and the Kings were not Written by the Persons whose Names they bear and then inquires whether the Writers of all these Books were diverse Persons or but one and who IN the former Chapter we have spoken of the Foundations and Principles of the Knowledge of the Scriptures and we have shewn them to be nothing else but a true History of the Scripture which History tho' very necessary the Antients neglected to compose or at least if they Writ or left any by Tradition it perished by the injury of time and consequently a great part of the Fundamentals and Principles of Scripture-knowledge was lost which loss however had been more tollerable if Men of succeeding Ages had kept themselves within their true bounds and had faithfully delivered to their Successors those few Principles which they received or found out and had not out of their own Brains forged new whereby the History of Scripture is not only imperfect but remains full of Errors and the Foundations of Scripture Knowledge are not only so few that a perfect History cannot be built on them but they are also very faulty and defective To rectify this and remove the common prejudices in Divinity is my purpose but I fear I go about it too late for things are now almost come to that heigth Men in this point will endure no correction but obstinately defend whatever they have embraced under the form of Religion Reason prevailing with very few so universally have these prejudices spread themselves in the Minds of Men. I will nevertheless endeavour and try what I can do because the business is not absolutely desperate that I may in order shew what these prejudices are I will begin with those which concern the Penmen of those Books that are accounted sacred and first concerning the Writer of the five Books of Moses commonly called the Pentateuk Men have generally believed that they were Written by Moses himself and the Pharisees so stifly defended this Opinion that they counted him a Heretic that thought otherwise and for this Reason Aben Ezra a Person of an ingenuous disposition and no mean Learning being the first I read of who took notice of this mistake durst not plainly declare his thoughts but only hinted his Opinion in obscure Words which I will not scruple to explain and give you their naked meaning Aben Ezra's Words in his comment upon Deutronomy are these Beyond Iordan Now thou mayest understand the Mistery of twelve and Moses also wrote the Law and the Cananite was then in the Land in the Mount of the Lord shall it be seen behold his Bedsted was a Bedsted of Iron then shalt thou know the Truth by these few Words he shews and plainly declares that it was not Moses but some other Person that lived long after him who wrote the Pentateuk and that Moses wrote some other Book to make this appear his first Observation is that the Preface of Deutronomy which begins thus These be the words of Moses which he spake unto all Israel beyond Jordan could not be Written by Moses who never passed Iordan His second Observation is that the Book which Moses wrote was fairly Copyed out in the compass of one Altar as appears Deut. chap. 27. v. 5 8. Iosh. chap. 8. v. 31 32. which Altar the Rabbins declare was made only of twelve Stones from whence it follows that the Book which Moses Writ was a Volume much less then the Pentateuk and this I think Aben Ezra meant by the mistery of twelve unless perhaps he understood those twelve Curses which are in the forementioned 27 th Chapter of Deutronomy which he might believe were not Written in the Book of the Law and therefore beside the Writing of the Law commanded the Levites to repeat those Curses that they might by Oath bind the People to observe the Written Laws or else perhaps he meant the last Chapter of Deutronomy that speaks of Moses's Death which Chapter consists only of twelve Verses but these and other things which are spoken only by guess need not a more curious Examination The third Observation is that 't is said Deut. chap. 31. v. 9. Moses wrote this Law and delivered it c. which could not be the words of Moses but of some other Person declaring what Moses did and what he wrote His fourth Observation is that place Gen. chap. 12. v. 6. where it is said speaking of Abraham passing through Canaan that the Cananite was then in the Land which words must be Written after Moses's Death when the Cananites were driven out and did not possess the Land and this must likewise be the meaning of Aben Ezra's commenting upon this place in these words And the Cananite was then in the Land it seems that Canaan Nephew to Noah took that Land from some others who possessed it if not then there is a great mistery in the thing whosoever understands it let him be silent that is if Canaan invaded those Countries then the meaning of those Words the Cananite was then in the Land must be that there was a time past when the Land was inhabited by another Nation but if Canaan were the first who lived in that Country as appears by the 10 th Chap. of Gen. he was then the words must imply that in the time of the Person who wrote the Book of Genesis the Cananites were not in the Land so that Moses could not be the Writer of it because in his time the Cananites were still in the Possession of that Country and this is that Mistery he would not have made public His Fifth Observation is that which is in the 22 th chap. Gen. v. 14 where speaking of Mount Moriah the Text saith it is said to this day in the Mountain of the Lord shall it be seen now it was not called the Mountain of the Lord till after it was dedicated to the Building of the Temple and this choice of the Mountain was not made in the time of Moses who did not speak of any place chosen by God but only foretels that God would in time to come chuse a place which should bear Gods Name His sixth Observation is what is said Deut. chap. 3. speaking of Og King of Basan these words are interposed v. 11 th for only Og King of Basan remained of the remnant of the Gyants behold his Bedsted was a Bedsted of Iron is it not in Rabbah of the Children of Ammon Nine Cubits was the length thereof which Parenthesis clearly shews that the Writer of these Books lived long after Moses for this manner of speaking argues that the Person related what past long ago and to obtain credit shewed some Antient Reliques Without question this Bedsted was first
found in the time of David who Conquered this City as is declared in the 30 th Verse of the 12 Chap. of the second Book of Samuel and not only here but a little after the Historian to Moses words adds these in the 14 th Verse Jair the Son of Manasseh took all the Country of Argob unto the coasts of Jeshuri and Maachathi and called them after his own name Bashan Haveth Jair unto this day these Words I say were added by the Historian to explain Moses's Words in the 13 th Verse and the rest of Gilead and all Bashan being the Kingdom of Og gave I unto the half Tribe of Manasseh all the Region of Argob with all Bashan which is called the Land of the Gyants and therefore the Historian was forced to explain what those places were which were antiently so called and also to give a reason why in his time they were called by the name of Iair who was of the Tribe of Iudah and not of Manasseh as appears by the 2 d Chap. of the 1 st Book of the Chron. v. 21 22. We have now explained Aben Ezra's meaning and also those places in the Pentateuk quoted by him to make good his Opinion but indeed he hath not taken notice of all nor of the principal places for there are more of greater moment which I will now mention First the Writer of these Books doth not only speak of Moses in the third Person but also testifies many things of him namely God spake with Moses God spake with him face to face Moses was the meekest of all Men Numb chap. 12. v. 3. Now the Man Moses was very Meek above all Men upon the Face of the Earth Moses was wroth with the Officers of the Host Numb chap. 31. v. 14. Moses the Man of God Deut. chap. 33. v. 1. Moses the Servant of the Lord dyed Deut. chap. 34. v. 5. And there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses v. 10. but in Deutronomy where the Law which Moses wrote and declared to the People is set down Moses speaketh and tells them what he did in the first Person Deut. chap. 2. v. 1 17. The Lord spake unto me and I prayed unto the Lord but then again after the Historian had repeated Moses's words he goes on and again speaks in the third Person declaring how Moses delivered to the People in Writing that Law which he had published Lastly the Historian relates how Moses warned and admonished the People and ended his Life all which namely the manner of speaking the Testimony and Character given of Moses with the context of the whole History fully satisfy that the Books were not Written by Moses but by some other Person Secondly it is to be observed that this History doth not only relate how Moses dyed was buryed and that the Iews Mourned thirty Days for him but making likewise a Comparison between him and all the other Prophets that lived after him saith he excelled them all Deut. chap. 24. v. 10. and there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face Which as it is a Testimony that Moses could not give of himself so could no other Man who immediately followed him but it must necessarily be one who lived many Ages after him because he speaketh of the time past saying there arose not a Prophet since and of his Burial he saith no Man knoweth of his Sepulchre unto this day Thirdly it is to be Noted that the History calls some places by Names which they had not in Moses's time but by others given them long after Gen. chap. 14. v. 14. it is said Abraham pursued his Enemies unto Dan which name was never given to that City till long after the Death of Ioshua as appears by Iudg. chap. 18. v. 29. and they called the Name of the City Dan after the Name of Dan their Father who was Born unto Israel how be it the Name of the City was Laish at the first Fifthly it is to be observed that the Histories are continued for a longer time then Moses lived for Exod. chap. 16. v. 35. it is said the Children of Israel did eat Manna forty Years until they came to the Borders of the Land of Canaan namely till the time mentioned Iosh. chap. 5. v. 12. In the Book of Gen. 36. v. 31. These are the Kings that Reigned in the Land of Edom before there reigned any King over the Children of Israel the Historian without doubt there declareth what Kings the Edomites had before David Conquer'd them and set Governours over them as appears in the 2 d Book of Sam. chap. 6. v. 11 14. by all this it is as clear as day that the Pentateuk was not Written by Moses but by some other who lived many Ages after him But let us consider the Books which Moses wrote and are mention'd in the Pentateuk First it appears Exod. chap. 17. v. 14. God commanded Moses to write the War against Amalek but in what Book it doth not appear Numb chap. 21. v. 10. there is a Book mentioned called the Wars of the Lord wherein without question Moses gave a full Relation of the War against Amalek and also of all those Encampings or pitching their Tents which the Author of the Pentateuk saith Numb chap. 33. v. 2. were described by Moses it likewise appears Exod. 24. v. 4 7. that Moses wrote another Book called the Book of the Covenant which he read to the People when they first made a Covenant with the Lord but this Book or Epistle contained very few things the Laws only or Commands of God recited in Exod. from the 22 Verse of the 20. chap. to chap. 24. which no body will deny who without partiality and with any sound Judgment reads that Chapter it is there declared that as soon as Moses understood the Peoples readiness to enter into a Covenant with the Lord he wrote the Oracles and Laws of God in a Book and early in the Morning certain Ceremonies being performed he read to all the Congregation the Condition of the Covenant which being read and understood by all the People they with a general Consent obliged themselves to all that God Commanded so that considering the shortness of the time in which it was Written and the manner of making the Covenant the Book could contain no more then the few things I have mentioned Lastly it appears that Moses in the fortieth Year after their going out of Egypt explained all those Laws which he had prescribed as may be seen Deut. chap. 1. v. 5. and again obliged the People to the observance of them Deut. chap. 29. v. 14. and then wrote a Book which contained those Laws so explain'd and the New Covenant Chap. 31. v. 9. which was called the Book of the Law of God to which Ioshua made an Addition by registring that agreement whereby the People in his time obliged themselves and entered a third time into
we have named were written long after the Matters of Fact happen'd which they relate If we consider the Connexion and Subject of these Books we shall quickly find that they were all written by one and the same Historian who designed to write the Antiquities of the Iews from their first Original to the first destruction of Ierusalem for the Books are by connexion so linked together that they seem to be but the single Narration of one Historian for as soon as he hath done with the Life of Moses he begins the next Book with these words Now after the Death of Moses the Servant of the Lord it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Ioshuah And ending the story of Ioshuah with his Death he doth with the very same Transition and Conjunction begin the Book of Iudges in these words Now after the Death of Ioshuah it came to pass that the Children of Israel asked the Lord And to this Book of Iudges as an Appendix he joyneth the Book of Ruth in these words Now it came to pass in the days when the Iudges ruled that there was a Famin in the Land. To which Book of Ruth he doth in the same manner joyn the first Book of Samuel that ended with his wonted Transition he goes on to the Second Book and to this the History of David not being fully endded he joyns the first Book of Kings then going on with David's History addeth with his usual Connexion the Second Book The context and Order of the Histories likewise declare the Historian to be but one Person who propounded to himself one certain end for he begins with the Original of the Iewish Nation then in order shews upon what occasion and at what time Moses prescribed Laws and Prophesyed many things to them afterward he relates how they invaded the Land of Promise according to Moses's predictions Deut. Chap. 7. And when they had possest it how they would forsake God's Laws Deut. Chap. 31. v. 16. And what evils should thereupon follow verse 17. Next he declares how they would chuse Kings Deut. Chap. 17. v. 14. Whose Affairs should succeed well or ill according to the care they took in observing the Laws Deut. Chap. 28. v. 36 68. And Lastly concludes with the ruin of their Government as Moses foretold Of things which served litle to the Establishment of the Law he said nothing or else refers the Reader to other Authors so that all these Books conspire in this one thing namely the publishing the Prophesies and Edicts of Moses and making them good by what after happen'd The simplicity and plainness of the Subject of all the Books the connexion of them and their being written many Ages after the things done is argument enough to perswade any Man that they were all written by one Historian but who he was I cannot evidently prove I have some Reasons and those of some weight to think it was Esdras seeing the Historian whom we now know to be one Person carries on the History as far as Iehoiachim's deliverance out of Prison and moreover adds that he sate at the King's Table all his Life which must be either the Table of King Iehoiachim or of the Son of Nebuchadnezzar for the Sense is very dubious It follows that it could not be any one before Esdras the Scripture saith of Esdras without mentioning any other Person Ezra Chap. 7. v. 10. That he had prepared his Heart to seek the Law of the Lord to do it and Verse 6 th That he was a ready Scribe in the Law of Moses So that I cannot conjecture any body but Esdras should write those Books in the Testimony given of him we find that he did not only seek the Law of God but that he likewise explain'd it Nehem. Chap. 8. v. 8. Where it is said that they read in the Book of the Law of God distinctly and gave the Sense thereof and caused them to understand the Reading Now because in the Book of Deutronomy not only the Book of the Law of Moses at least a great part of it is contained but also many things are inserted for the better explication thereof I conjecture The Book of Deutronomy to be that Book of the Law of God written set forth and expounded by Esdras which they then read and that many things are put in by Way of Parenthesis more clearly to explain it We gave you several instances when I unfolded Aben-Ezras meaning there are more of the like kind as appears Deut. Chap. 2. v. 12. The Horites also dwelt in Seir before time but the Children of Esau succeeded them when they had destroyed them from before them and dwelt in their stead as Israel did unto the Land of his Possession which the Lord gave unto them This explains the 3 d. and 4 th Verses of the same Chapter namely that Mount Seir which was the Inheritance of the Sons of Esau was not found by them uninhabited but that they invaded the Horites who first dwelt there and having subdued destroyed them as the Children of Israel did the Cananites after the Death of Moses likewise in the 10 th Chapter it is evident that the 6 7 8 and 9. verses are interposed by Way of Parenthesis with the Words of Moses for the 8 th Verse which begins in these words at that time the Lord separated the Tribe of Levi must necessarily have reference to the 5 th Verse which speaks of Moses coming down from the Mount and putting the Tables into the Ark and not to the death of Aron mentioned in the 6 th Verse Of which Esdras spake here for no other Reason but because Moses in the story of the Golden Calf which the People worshipt said in the 9 th Chap. v. 20. That he prayed for Aron The Historian goes on and declares that God at that time of which Moses speaks chose for himself the Tribe of Levi that he might shew the Cause of their Election and also why the Levites had no Part or Inheritance with their Brethren this done in the words of Moses he follows the thred of the History If we consider the Preface of the Book and all the Places which speak of Moses in the Third Person and many other things which cannot now be known which he added or exprest in other words that they might be the better understood by those that lived in his time without doubt had we the very Book of the Law which Moses wrote we should find that all the Commandments very much differ not only in words but in Order Matter and Sense Compare the Decalogue of this Book with that in Exodus where it is expresly set down we shall find this to vary from that for the Fourth Commandment in Deutronomy is not only commanded in another Form but is enlarged and the Reason of it likewise differs much from that in Exodus so that this as in other Places was done by Esdras because he explained the Law of God to
collected from divers Writers and were never examin'd or put into any order There is no less disagreement in computation of time between the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Judah and the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel for in the 2 d Book of Kings chap. 1 st v. 17. it is said Jehoram the Son of Ahab King of Israel began to Reign in the Second Year of the Reign of Jehoram the Son of Iehosaphat King of Judah but in the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah see the 2 d Book of Kings chap. 8. v. 16. it is said that Jehoram the Son of Iehosaphat King of Judah began to Reign in the fifth Year of Jehoram the Son of Ahab King of Israel he that will compare the Histories of the Books of Chronicles with those in the Book of Kings shall find many of the like differences which I will not here particularly mention nor trouble you with the shifts some Authors have used to reconcile them the Rabbines perfectly doat and some Commentators that I have read imposing upon us their own dreams and inventions plainly corrupt the very Language it self for example in the 2 d Book of the Chronicles c. 22. v. 2. it is said Ahaziah waâ— Forty and two Years Old when he began to Reign Some would have these Years to commence not from Ahaziah's Nativity but from the Reign of Omri if they can prove this to be the meaning of the Author of the Book of Chronicles I may in plain Terms say of him that he knew not how to speak Sense Commentators are full of the like conceits wherein were there any Truth a Man might pofitively aver that the Ancient Hebrews did not understand their own Language but were ignorant of all order in History and that there is no rule or any reason to be observed in expounding Scripture but every Man may phancy and forge what he pleases If any think I speak too generally and without ground I intreat that Man to shew me any such certain order in these Histories as Chronologers may without any gross mistakes follow and that while he is endeavoring to explain and reconcile the Histories he will so strictly observe the Pharses and Manners of speaking the disposing and contexture of the Narrations that another according to his explications may in Writing imitate them which if he can do I will throw away my Pen and take him for an Oracle I have been endeavoring but could never do any thing like it I have Written nothing which I did not often and long meditate and tho' from my Childhood I have been Seasoned with the common and general opinions concerning Scripture yet I could not possibly avoid confessing the things I have mentioned but I will no longer detain the Reader concerning this particular nor will I further provoke him to undertake that which I think is not feasible I only made the proposal the better to explain my own meaning and I now proceed to consider those things which concern the Fate or Fortune of the Books for we are to observe that they have not been so carefully kept by posterity as that no faults have crept into them the Ancient Scribes have taken notice of many dubious readings and many maimed Texts and yet not of all but whether the faults which have crept into those Books be of so great importance as to give the Reader much trouble I will not dispute I believe they are not considerable to those that Read the Scripture with any Freedom of judgment and I can positively affirm that I never observed any Error or variety of Readings concerning mere precepts or instructions which could render them doubtful or obscure but many will not allow of any faults at all in any thing throughout the whole Scripture but peremptorily maintain that God by a singular and special Providence hath kept the Bible free from all corruptions or adulteration and that the various Readings of it comprehend profound misteries and will have great Secrets lye hid even in Asterisms Spaces Points and Accents but whether this opinion proceed from folly and the dotage of Devotion or from their arrogance and malice allowing none but themselves to know Gods Secrets I cannot tell of this I am sure I never read any thing which came from such Men that seem'd mysterious but rather savor'd of Schoool-boy conceits I have met with some trifling Cabbalists whose Freaks and Folly a Man cannot chuse but admire That faults have crept into the Scripture no ingenuous Person can deny who reads that Text I have already mention'd concerning Saul in the 13 th chap. v. 1 st of the 1 st Book of Samuel and also that in the 2 d verse of the 6 th chap. of the 2 d Book of Sam. where it is said that David arose and went with all the People that were with him from Judah to bring from thence the Ark of God. Who doth not see that the name of the place to which they went to fetch the Ark is lest our viz. Kiriathjearim nor can any Man deny but that the Text in the 37 th verse of the 13 th chap. of the 2 d Book of Sam. is defective But Absolon fled and went to Talmai the Son of Ammihud and mourn'd for his Son every day It should have been and David mourned for his Son every day and therefore in our English Translation the Word David is put in but is not in the Latin. There are other such faults which do not at present occur to my memory That the marginal Notes found every where in the Hebrew Copies were dubious readings no Man will doubt who considers that many of them proceeded from the great likness which some of the Hebrew Letters have one to another namely from the similitude which is between the Letter Kaf and Bet the Letter Iod and Van the Letter Dalet and Res for example in the 2 d Book of Sam. chap. 5. v. 24. it is said in the Latin Translation in co tempore quo audies the margent hath it Cum audies and Iudges chap. 21. v. 22. the Latin Text is quando earum patres vel fratres in multitudine hoc est saepe ad nos venerint into the margent is put ad litigandum many different readings likewise come from the use of those Letters whose sound or pronunciation is in reading scarcely perceived and one is sometimes taken for another for example Levit. chap. 25. v. 29. it is Written in the Text that if a House were sold which was in a City that had a Wall the margent says that had not a Wall. But tho' these things are evident yet we will make answer to some arguments of the Pharises who endeavor to perswade the World that marginal Notes were by those that Copied out the Books of Scripture purposely placed there to signify some great mystery they ground their first argument which I think very slight upon the common use of reading the Scripture
them he saith here we know not what to answer more then we did namely that it was the Custom of the Talmudists to contradict the Masorites and therefore we have not sufficient Ground to conclude that of one Place there were never more then two readings yet I easily grant yea I believe that there are not now to be found more then two Readings of one place and that for two Reasons First because that from whence the variety of Readings proceeded could not occasion more then two for we have shew'd that the difference of Readings arose from the Similitude which was between some Letters and still the doubt was no more but this which of two Letters was to be written whether Bet or Kaf Jod or Vau Dalet or Res. Of which there was frequent use and therefore it often happen'd that the Sense was tollerable with either beside it was doubtful sometimes whether a Syllable was long or short whose quantity was to be determin'd by those Letters whose pronunciation was scarcely to be perceived and Lastly all marginal Notes were not dubious Readings for as we have already said many of them were put in for decency and modesty's sake and sometimes to explain Obsolete and Antiquated words The Second Reason why I perswade my self that more then two Readings cannot be found of one Place is because I believe the Antient Scribes met with very few Originals perhaps not above two or three In the Treatise of the Scribes chap. 6 th There is mention made but of three which they pretend were found in the Time of Esdras and boast that the Notes were put in by him however it were tho' they had three Original Copies we may with reason imagine that two of them might still agree in the same Place together but every body may justly wonder that only in three copies there should be found three divers Readings of one Place How it came to pass that after Esdras there should be so great a scarcity of copies can be no great wonder to any Man who will but read the first chapter of the first Book of Machabees or the Seventh Chapter of the Twelveth Book of Iosephus's Antiquities yea 't is a Miracle that after so great and continual a Persecution they should be able if we consider the story to keep those few they had We see then the Reasons why we no where meet with more then two dubious Readings so that it can be no argument at all to conclude that because there are no where more then two therefore the Bible in those noted places was not written right purposely to signify some Mistery The Second Objection which saith some things are so manifestly false written that no body can deny it and therefore those Errors ought to have been corrected rather in the Text then noted in the margent is of no great weight nor am I obliged to know what was the Reason they did not do it perhaps it was beeause they were so honest as to leave the Bible to posterity just as they found it in the few Originals they met with and thought fit to note the disagreement between the Original Copies rather as divers then dubious Readings nor have I called them dubious upon any other account but because I cannot tell which of the two ought to be preferr'd Lastly The Scribes beside these dubious readings by leaving a void space in the middle of Paragraphs have noted many defective places the precise number of which spaces the Masorites have observed to be twenty eight I know not whether they believe there is likewise some mistery in that number the Pharisees are very religious observers of this space there is an Example of one of them Gen. Chap. 4. v. 8. In the Latin Translation 't is thus written dixit Cain Habeli Fratri suo contigit dum erant in Campo ut Cain So that where we expected to hear what it was Cain said to his Brother there is only a void Space of which spaces the Scribes have left Twenty eight in many of which nothing would seem to be wanting if there had not been such a void space left CHAP. X. The rest of the Books of the Old Testament in like manner examined OF the two Books of Chronicles there is not much to be said worth a man's knowing nor any thing that is certain more than that they were written long after Esdras and perhaps after Iudas Maccabeus rebuilt the Temple for in the 9 th chap. of the first Book of Chron. the Historian tells us what Families in the time of Esdras first inhabited Ierusalem and in the 17 th verse of that Chapter speaks of the Porters whereof two are likewise named in the 19 th verse of the 11 th chapter of Nehemiah which is a plain proof that these Books were written after the City was rebuilt Concerning the Writer the Authority Doctrine and usefulness of the Books I can say nothing but I very much wonder they should be esteem'd Sacred and Canonical by those men who think the Book of Wisdom Tobit and others Apocriphal It is not my purpose to magnify their Authority seeing they are generally receiv'd for Canonical as they are I leave them The Psalms were collected and divided into five Books in the time of the Second Temple for the 88 th Psalm was by the testimony of Philo Iudaeus published when King Iehoiachim was kept a Prisoner at Babylon and the 89 th Psalm when he was set at liberty I believe Philo would not have said it had it not been the received Opinion of his time or had he not heard it from very credible persons I believe the Proverbs of Solomon were collected much about the same time or at least in the days of King Iosiah because it is said Prov. chap. 25. v. 1. These are the Pooverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah King of Judah copied out But I cannot here forbear to take notice of the great boldness of the Rabbins who would have excluded this Book and that of Ecclesiastes out of the Sacred Canon which had been certainly done had they not met with some places which commend Moses Law 't is pity such things so sacred and excellent should lie at the mercy of such men we thank them for communicating them to us but 't is a great doubt whether they have been faithfully deliver'd to posterity which I will not here strictly examin but proceed to the Books of the Prophets Having seriously consider'd them I plainly perceive That the Prophesies contain'd in them were collected out of other Books they are not set down in the order wherein they were deliver'd nor written by the Prophets themselves neither are all recorded but such as here and there could be found out so that these Books are but meer fragments of the Prophets Isaiah began to prophesy in the time of Vzziah King of Iudah as the Writer of the Book of Isaiah himself testifies in the 1 st chap. and 1
st verse and Isaiah did not Prophesy only in that King's Reign but also wrote a History of all that King did as appears in the 2 d Book of Chron. chap. 26. v. 22. The rest of the Acts of Uzziah first and last did Isaiah the Prophet the Son of Amos write which Book 't is pity we have not those things which we have as hath been already said were copied out of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah and Israel The Rabbins likewise declare That Isaiah also prophesy'd in the time of Manasseh by whom he was put to death and tho' in that they seem fabulous yet they did not believe all his Prophesies were extant The Prophesies of Ieremy which are Historically related were pick'd up and collected out of divers Chronologers for they are not only confusedly put together without any regard had to time but the same History is also repeated in divers manners for the 21 th chap. contains the Prophesy wherein Ieremy foretold King Zedekiah who sent to consult him That the City of Ierusalem should be destroy'd and for which Prophesy he was apprehended Then after an abrupt breaking off from this History the 22 th chap. sets forth Ieremy's Declamation and Prophesy against King Iehoiachim who reigned before Zedekiah declaring Iehoiachim's Captivity After this the 25 th chap. declares those things which were before reveal'd to the Prophet in the fourth year of King Iehoiachim and without observing any order of time goes on to heap together many Prophesies till at length the 38 th chapter as if the fifteen intermediate chapters had been but a Parenthesis returns again to that spoken of in the 21 th chap. for the conjunction Then wherewith the 38 th chapter begins relates to the 8,9 and 10 verses of the 21 th chap. and the relation given in this 38 th chap. of Ieremy's last apprehension and being long kept in a Dungeon is very different from that we have of it in the 37 th chap. So that it clearly appears all these things were taken out of divers Historians and no other excuse can be made for them The rest of Ieremy's Prophesies contain'd in other Chapters where he speaks in his own person seem to be copied out of the Book which Baruch writ from Ieremy's own Mouth which Book as appears by the 2 d. verse of the 36 th chap. contain'd only those things which were reveal'd to the Prophet from the time of Iosiah unto the fourth year of Iehoiachim from which year the Book begins out of which Book also all those things seem to be copy'd which are related from the 2 d verse of the 45 th chap. to the 49 th verse of the 51 th chap. That the Book of Ezekiel is likewise but a fragment is manisest by the first verses thereof for who doth not take notice that the Conjunction Now wherewith the Book begins relates to somewhat that had been already said and joins that to what he had further to say not only the Conjunction but the whole Contexture of what he spoke implies and supposeth other things which had been before written for the Writer himself saith by way of Parenthesis in the 3 d verse of the 1 st chap. The word of the Lord came often to Ezekiel the Priest the Son of Buzi in the land of the Chaldeans as if he should say That the words of Ezekiel which hitherto he had copied out related to other things which were revealed to him before the present thirtieth year Iosephus in his 10 th Book of Antiquities chap. 9. declares Ezekiel prophesy'd that Zedechiah would not see Babylon which Prophesy doth not appear in the Book we have of Ezekiel but the 17 th chap. foretels the contrary that he was to be carry'd Captive thither Whether Hoseah wrote any thing more than is in the Book which bears his name I am not certain but I much wonder that we should have nothing more of his seeing by the persons testimony who wrote the Book called Hosea that Prophet Prophesy'd no less than eighty four years as appears by the 1 st verse of the 1 st chap. where the several Kings are named in whose times he lived in general we know that the writers of the Books which we call the Prophets did neither collect the Prophesies of all that were Prophets nor all the Prophesies of those Prophets whose names we have for we have not any of the Prophesies of those Prophets who prophesy'd in the time of Manasseh of which Prophets mention is made tho' not by name in the 2 d Book of Chron. chap. 33. v. 10 18 19. nor have we all the Prophesies of the twelve Prophets We have none of Ionah's Prophesies but those that concerned the Ninevites tho' he also prophesy'd to Israel as appears by the 25 th verse of the 14 th chap. of the 2 d. Book of Kings Of the Book of Iob and of Iob himself there hath been among Writers much dispute some think Moses wrote the Book of Iob and that the whole story is nothing but a Parable which is likewise a Tradition of the Rabbins in their Talmud and favour'd by Maimonides in his Book still'd More Nebuchim Others believe the History to be real and true and that Iob lived in the time of Iacob and married his Daughter Dinah but Aben Ezra as I have already said in his Commentaries on the Book of Iob saith It was translated out of some other Language into the Hebrew which I could wish he had more clearly prov'd for then we might conclude the Gentiles also had Books which were Sacred I leave the thing still doubtful and conjecture that Iob was some Gentile of great constancy of Mind who at first was very prosperous afterward very unfortunate and in the end very happy for in Ezechiel chap. 14 v. 14. he is named with Noah and Daniel for a righteous man. The various Fortune and constant Mind of Iob gave many an occasion of disputing God's Providence and to the Author of the Book of composing a Dialogue whereof the Subject and Stile seem to be a Man 's rather at ease meditating in his Study than sick on a Dunghill and I might with Aben Ezra believe the Book to be translated out of another Language because it seems to affect the Heathen Poesy the Father of the Gods being in the first Chapter brought in twice calling a Council and Momus who is called Satan answering God with great liberty but these are meer frivolous conjectures The Book of Daniel without doubt from the 8 th Chapter thereof contains the Writings of Daniel but from whence the first seven Chapters were copy'd I know not we may suspect that seeing all of them but the first were written in the Chaldee Language they were taken out of that Nation 's Chronologies of which could we be certain it were a clear proof that the Scripture is to be accounted Sacred only in respect of the things contain'd in it and not in respect of
Neguniah the Son of Hiskiah the Book of Ezechiel had been absconded because there are expressions in it repugnant to the words of the Law By all which it is manifest that the learned in the Law held a Council to determin what Books should be receiv'd for Sacred and what should be rejected so that whoever will be sure of the Authority of all must search into the Council and know upon what ground and reason every Book was receiv'd I should now examin the Books of the New Testament but I hear it hath been already done by Men learned in the Sciences and skilful in Tongues I am not Grecian good enough to undertake it beside we want Original Copies of those Books which were written in Hebrew and therefore I will not ingage my self in the business but only observe some things which make to my main purpose and that shall be the work of my next Chapter CHAP. XI Enquires whether the Apostles wrote their Epistles as Apostles and Prophets or only as Teachers and sheweth what is the Office of an Apostle WHoever reads the New Testament must be convinc'd that the Apostles were Prophets but because the Prophets as I have shew'd in the end of the first Chapter did but seldom and not always speak by Revelation it may very well be a Question Whether the Apostles like Moses Ieremy and others did by express Command and Revelation write their Epislles as Prophets or else only as private Men and Teachers especially because in the 1 st Epist. to the Corinthians chap. 14. v. 6. Paul in express terms declares there are two sorts of speaking the one by Revelation the other by Knowledge I say therefore it may be doubted whether the Apostles in their Writings did Prophesie or instruct Their Stile if we mark it is very far different from that us'd in Prophesie it was alway the custom of the Prophets to declare That they spake by the Command of God still beginning with expressions like these So faith the Lord The Lord of Hosts saith The Word and Decree of the Lord which they did use not only in their publick Speeches but also in their Letters or Writings which contain'd Revelations as appears in the Letter written by Elijah the Prophet to King Iehoram 2 d Book of Chron. chap 21. v 12. and there came a Writing to him from Elijah the Prophet saying Thus saith the Lord God but in the Apostles Writings we meet with no such expressions but the clean contrary 1 st Epist Corinth chap. 7. v. 40. Paul says he speaks after his own Judgment Yea in many places we find expressions which argue a doubtful and uncertain mind as in the Epist. to the Rom. chap. 3. v. 28. Therefore we conclude And Rom. chap. 8 v. 18. for I reckon and many of the like kind Beside these there are other manners of speaking which do not at all savor of Prophetical Authority as in the 1 st Epist. Corinth chap. 7. v. 6. But I speak this by permission not of commandment and in the 25. verse of the same chap. I give my Iudgment as a Man who hath obtain'd mercy of the Lord to be faithful and it is to be observ'd That when Paul in this Chapter speaks as if he did not know whether he had or had not a command from the Lord for what he said it is not to be understood of a Command from God by Revelation but only that he preach'd that Doctrine which Christ the Lord taught his Disciples in the Mount. Moreover if we observe in what manner the Apostles deliver the Doctrine of the Gospel in their Writings we shall find it much different from the Prophets way of instructing for the Apostles are always found reasoning insomuch that they seem rather to dispute than Prophesie Prophesies contain nothing but positive Opinions and Decrees therefore God is always introduced not arguing with Reason but peremptorily commanding by the Power and Soveraignty of his Nature and Essence Prophetieal Authority allows of no rational disputing for whoever will by reasoning confirm his Opinions doth in so doing submit them to the Arbitrary Judgment of another as doth Paul reasoning in his 1 st Epist to the Corinth chap. 10. v. 15. I speak as to wise men judge ye what I say And lastly because the Prophets did not understand the things that were reveal'd to them by Reason and Natural Knowledge as we have shewed in the first Chapter tho' some things in the Pentateuch seem to be concluded and confirmed by Inference and Illation yet if we consider them they cannot be taken for peremptory and decisive Arguments For example when Moses said to the Israelites Deut. chap. 21. v. 27. Behold while I am yet alive with you this day ye have been rebellious against the Lord and how much more after my death We are not here to think that this was an Argument used to convince the Israelites by Reason that they would certainly after Moses death depart from the worship of God because the Argument had been false as may be prov'd by Scripture for the people persevered constantly in it during the life of Ioshua and the Elders and afterwards also in the life time of Samuel David and Solomon these words therefore of Moses were but a moral manner of speaking which he Rhetorically us'd the more strongly to imagin and foretel that peoples future defection the reason why I do not say that Moses to make his Prediction true spake these words of himself and not by Revelation as a Prophet is because in the 21 verse of the same Chapter God reveals to Moses in other words what the people would do so that there was no need of reasoning to make Moses surer of this Prediction and Decree but it was only necessary to give him a livelier representation thereof in his imagination as I have shewed in the first Chapter which could be done no better way than by imagining that the peoples present rebellious Humor which he had so often try'd would be the very same for the future so that we are not to think Moses's Arguments which we meet with in the Petanteuch to be drawn from the Repositories of Reason but to be taken only for manners of speaking whereby he did more lively imagin and more effectually express God's Decrees I will not deny but that the Prophets might reason and argue by Revelation but that which I maintain is That the Prophets by how much more rational the Arguments were which they used so much more natural did their Knowledge appear which they had of things revealed and that the Prophets knowledge was supernatural chiefly appear'd in their speaking Dogmatically Imperiously and Sententiously so that Moses the chief Prophet never made use of any Logical Argument and I therefore conclude Paul's long Deductions and Reasonings which we find in his Epistle to the Romans were never written by Supernatural Revelation and the manner of speaking and arguing in the Writings of the Apostles doth
is lawful for every Man to think as he pleaseth and to speak what he thinks CHAP. I. Concerning Prophesy PRophesy or Revelation is the true Knowledge of any thing revealed to Men by God and he is a Prophet who declares and expounds those things which God hath revealed to Persons that cannot have any certain knowledge of those Revelations but must therefore only by mere Faith receive and embrace them A Prophet was by the Iews called Nabi that is an Orator or Interpreter as appears in the 7 th chap. of Exodus v. 1 st And the Lord said unto Moses see I have made thee a God to Pharaoh and Aron thy Brother shall be thy Prophet as if he should have said Aron by Interpreting to Pharaoh what thou say'st shall Act the Part of a Prophet and thou the Part of God. We will speak of Prophets in the next Chapter but in this only of Prophesy It follows from the definition which hath been given of it that Natural knowledge may be called Prophesy for those things which we know by the light of nature depend only upon the knowledge of God and his Eternal decrees but because this knowledge is natural to all Mankind being founded upon Principles common to all Men 't is of no value with the vulgar who always affecting things rare and out of their Road despise the Gifts of Nature and therefore whereever mention is made of Prophetical knowledge they totally exclude Natural which may with as much right be called Divine as the other whatever it be seeing the Nature of God of which we participate and the decrees of God dictate it unto us neither doth Natural knowledge differ from that which Men call Divine but only because Divine knowledge exceedeth the Limits of Natural and because the Laws of Humane Nature considered in themselves cannot be the cause of Divine knowledge but Natural knowledge in respect of the certainty which it includes and in respect of the Fountain from whence it proceeds namely from God himself doth in no wise give place to Prophetical knowledge unless some will think or rather dream that the Prophets had Humane Bodies but not Humane Souls and therefore their perceptions and knowledge were of a quite different Nature from ours But though natural knowledge be Divine yet they that possess and propagate it cannot be called Prophtes because the things which they teach may with equal certainty and in as high a degree be Apprehended and Embraced by others as well as by themselves and that too not by Faith only Since therefore our Mind for no other reason but only because it containeth in it self the Nature of God as its Object and also participating thereof is able to Form certain Notions which explicate the Nature of things and teach us the use of Life we may with reason conclude that the Nature of Man's mind being what 't is conceived to be is the prime Cause of Divine Revelation for all those things which we clearly and distinctly understand the Idea of God as we have already shewn and Nature dictate to us not in words but in a much more excellent manner and such as best suites with the Nature of the Mind as every one finds by his own experience who hath but tasted what certain knowledge is but because my cheif purpose is to speak of those things which belong only to the Scripture that little I have said of Natural knowledge shall suffice and I now proceed to other causes and means by which God reveals to Men those things which do exceed and also those which do not exceed the bounds of Natural knowledge for nothing hinders but that those things which we know by the Light of Nature God may by other ways communicate to Men of which now I will more fully Treat But whatsoever is said upon this Subject ought to be fetcht only from Scripture for we can say no more of things that pass our understanding then that which the Prophets have deliver'd to us either by word or writing and because we have not any Prophets that I know in these our days all that we have to do is diligently to peruse the Sacred Volums which the Prophets have left us but still with this caution that we determin nothing positively of things of this Nature nor attribute any thing to the Prophets themselves which they have not plainly spoken and taught But it is in the first place to be observed that the Iews never used to make mention of mediate and particular Causes nor ever regarded them but for the promoting of Religion Piety and Devotion had always recourse to God for Example if they got Money by the Trade of Merchandizing they said God gave it if they earnestly desired to do any thing they said God disposed their Hearts to it if they seriously thought on any thing they said it was declared to them by God so that every thing which the Scripture saith God declared to any one is not to be taken for Prophesy and Supernatural knowledge but that only which the Scripture expresly declares or from the Circumstances of the narration plainly appears to be Prophesy and Revelation If then we run through all the Sacred Volums we shall find that all those things which God revealed to the Prophets were revealed to them either by words or by Figures and Signs or else by both together and that the words and Signs were either real and true without the imagination of the hearing and seeing Prophet or but imaginary that is the fancy and imagination of the Prophet even when he was awake was so disposed that he verily thought he heard words or saw and beheld some thing or sign God in a true and real voice revealed those Laws to Moses which he prescribed to the Iews as appears by the 25 th chap. of Exod. v. 22. where he saith And there will I meet with thee and I will commune with thee from above the mercy Seat from between thee two Cherubims which plainly shews that God made use of some real voice seeing Moses where-ever he pleased found God ready to speak to him and that only this voice by which the Law was Published was a true and real voice I will presently shew One would think that the voice by which God called Samuel was real because in the first Book of Sam. the 3 d. chap. and last verse it is said The Lord appeared again in Shiloh for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord as if he had said the appearance of God to Samuel was nothing else but Gods making known himself to him by word or signifyed no more then that Samuel heard God speaking but because we are forced to distinguish between the Prophesy of Moses and that of the other Prophets it must be concluded that the voice heard by Samuel was but imaginary because it was like the voice of Ely which he had so often heard and therefore the sooner
Reason and Experience for they who most excel in fancy and imagination are less apt to understand things clearly and they that have excellent understandings have their fancy and imagination not so strong but better kept within compass that it may not be confounded with the intellect those Men therefore who endeavor out of the Books of the Prophets to find the true knowledge of Natural and Spiritual things are extremely mistaken which I purpose to shew at large because the Times Philosophy and the matter it self requires it I will not at all value what superstition babbles to the contrary which hates nothing more then such Men as live good Lives and are lovers of true solid knowledge with shame be it spoken 't is now come to that pass that they who freely confess they have no particular Idea of God and only know him by created Beings of whose Causes they are Ignorant are presently branded with the Name of Atheists To proceed orderly in proving the Point I will shew that there was a difference between the Prophets not only in respect of imagination and temperament of Body but also in respect of the Opinions wherewith they were prepossest so that they never became the more Learned by Prophesy which I will presently more fully make out but I must first speak of the Prophets certainty because it belongs to the Subject of this Chapter and because it contributes somewhat to the Proof of what I design to demonstrate Because simple imagination doth not in its own Nature include certainty as every clear and distinct Idea doth there must necessarily some other thing accompany imagination to make us sure of the things we imagin and that is reasoning whence it follows that Prophesy of it self doth not include certainty because it depends only upon the imagination and therefore the Prophets themselves were not certain of what God revealed by the Revelation it self but by some sign as appears by Abraham Gen. chap. 15. v. 8. And he said Lord God whereby shall I know that I shall Inherit it asking a Sign after he heard the promise without doubt he believed God and did not ask the sign that he might believe but that he might be sure the promise came from God. The same thing more plainly appears by Gideon Judges chap. 6. v. 17 and he said unto him if I have found Grace in thy sight then shew me a Sign that thou talkest with me God said to Moses let this be a sign unto thee Ezechiah who well knew that Isaiah was a Prophet asked a sign of him when he foretold his recovery which shews that the Prophets had always some sign by which they were certain of the things they Prophetically imagined and therefore Moses Deut. chap. 18. v. 22. bids the People ask a sign of any that pretend to Prophesy which sign was to be foretelling some future event Prophesy therefore in this particular gives Place to Natural knowledge which needs no sign but in its own Nature includes certainty but the certainty of Prophesy was not Mathematical but only Moral which also appears by Scripture Deut. chap. 13. Moses warneth the People that if any Prophet should teach them to Worship any other God tho' he confirmed his Doctrine by Signs and Miracles yet the Prophet was to be put to death for Moses goes on and says that God did by Signs and Miracles prove the People whether they loved the Lord with all their heart Christ in like manner warneth his Disciples telling them Math. chap. 24. v. 24. there should arise false Christs and false Prophets and should shew great signs and wonders Ezechiel chap. 14. v. 9. plainly declares that God sometimes deceives Men with false Revelations And if the Prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing I the Lord have deceived that Prophet which Michaiah also testifies of the Prophets of Ahab 1 st Book of Kings chap. 22. v. 21. 22 23. And tho' this shews Prophesy to be a thing somewhat doubtful and uncertain yet it had a great deal of certainty in it for God never deceiveth the Godly and Elect but according to that saying in the 1 st Book of Sam. chap. 24. v. 13. As saith the Proverb of the Ancients wickedness proceedeth from the wicked but my hand shall not be upon thee and as it likewise appears by the History of Abigal and her discourse God useth pious Persons as Instruments of his goodness and wicked Men for Executioners of his wrath this likewise is made Evident by the Case of the Prophet Michaiah for tho' God had decreed Ahab should be deceived by the Prophets he made use of false Prophets but to a good Prophet revealed the Truth of what was to happen and did not hinder the Prophet from foretelling the Truth but still the certainty of the Prophet was but Moral because no Man can justify himself before God nor boast that he is the Instrument of God the Anger of God led David to Number the People whose Piety the Scripture sufficiently declares all Prophetical certainty was founded upon three Particulars First the Prophets did as strongly and with as much vivacity imagin the things revealed as Men waking use to do the things they see Secondly the certainty of the Prophets was confirm'd by a Sign and Thirdly because their Minds were continually inclin'd to Vertue and Justice tho' the Scripture doth not always make mention of the sign yet we ought to believe the Prophets still had a sign for the Scripture doth many times leave out circumstances and conditions and relates things as supposed to be known Moreover it is to be granted that the Prophets who Prophesied nothing new but what was contain'd in the Law of Moses had no need of a sign for example the Prophesy of Ieremy concerning the destruction of Ierusalem needed no sign because 't was confirm'd by the Prophesies of the rest of the Prophets and by the threatnings of the Law but for the confirmation of Hananiahs Prophesy who against all the Prophets foretold the sudden Restauration of the City there was necessity of a sign till the coming to pass of what he predicted should make it good Ierem. chap. 28. v. 9 10. Seing then the certainty of Prophesy which depended upon signs was not Mathematical that is such as necessarily follow'd from the thing apprehended or seen but only Moral and that signs were given to satisfy and convince the Prophet himself it likewise follows that signs were given according to the Opinion and Capacity of the Prophet so that the sign which made one Prophet confident and certain of his Prophesy could not assure another as the signs were different and various so also Revelation it self did vary in every Prophet according to the disposition of his imagination the temper of his constitution or the Opinions wherewith he was prepossest for example if a Prophet were chearful and merry to him were revealed Victories and Peace which cause Mirth and Gladness such things using
know that God was Omniscient and that Human Actions were govern'd by his Decrees for tho' God told him Exod. chap. 3. v. 8. That the Israelites would hearken to his Voice yet Moses doubted and said in the 1 st verse of the 4 th chapter What if they will not believe me nor hearken to my Voice And therefore God was revealed to him as indifferent and ignorant of Mens future Actions for he gave unto him two Signs and said Exod. chap. 4. v. 8 9. And if it shall come to pass they will not believe thee nor hearken to the Voice of the first Sign they will believe the Voice of the latter Sign but if they will not believe the latter Sign then take of the Water of the River c. And indeed if a Man will without prejudice consider the Opinions of Moses it will clearly appear that Moses thought God a Being that always was is and ever shall be and therefore called him Iehovah which in Hebrew expresseth those three times of existing but of his Nature he declared no more then that he was very merciful kind and very jealous as appears in many Places of the Pentateuch He believed and taught also that this Being was so different from all other Beings that he could not be exprest by the likeness of any other visible Thing that he was invisible not because he thought beholding him was in it self impossible but only in respect of Human Frailty he thought also that this Being was in regard of his own Power single and but one he allow'd that there were other Beings which by the Order and Command of God were God's Substitutes and Vicegerents that is Beings to whom God gave Power and Authority to govern Nations to provide for and take care of them but Moses declared the Being which the Iews were bound to worship to be the most high God that is in the Hebrew Phrase the God of all Gods therefore Moses in his Song Exod. chap. 15. v. 11. saith who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods and Iethro Exod. chap. 18. v. 11. saith Now I know that the Lord is greater then all Gods that is I must acknowledge with Moses that Iehovah is greater then all Gods and of Singular Power but whether Moses believed that the Beings which were God's Vicegerents were created by God may be doubted since he said nothing that we know of their Creation or Original Another of Moses's Doctrines was that this being out of a Chaos Gen. chap. 1 st v. 2. brought this Visible World into Form and Order furnished Nature with the Seeds of all things and therefore hath absolute Power and Authority over all things as it is Deut. chap. 10. v. 14 15. And by that absolute Power chose the Iewish Nation for himself and appointed a Particular Place of the Earth for their Habitation Deut. chap. 4. v. 19. and chap. 32. v. 8. But other Nations and Countries he left to the care of other Gods substituted by him and therefore God was called the God of Israel and the God of Ierusalem 2 d. Book of Chron. chap. 32. v. 19. And other Gods were called the Gods of the Nations For this Reason the Jews believed that the Country which God chose for them required a particular and different worship of God from that of other Countries nor would they suffer the worship of other Gods or any worship proper to other Countries to be exercised amongst them it was believed that the People whom the King of Assyria brought into the Country of the Iews were devoured by Lyons because they knew not the manner of the worship of the God of the Land 2 d. Book of Kings chap. 17. v. 24 25. It is the Opinion of Aben Ezra that Iacob upon this Ground when he was about returning into his own Country commanded his Sons to put away the Gods of the Land in which they were and prepare themselves for a new Way of Worship Gen. chap. 35. v. 23. David told Saul because he was by Persecution compell'd to forsake his Country that he was driven out from the Inheritance of the Lord and sent to serve other Gods 1 st Book of Sam. chap. 26. v. 19. Lastly Moses believed that God had his Habitation in the Heavens Deut. chap. 33. v. 26 Which was a frequent Opinion among the Heathen Now if we carefully observe the Revelations of Moses we shall find them fitted and suited to those Conceptions and Opinions which he had of God because he believed that God's Nature was Gracious Merciful Longsuffering c. Therefore according to this Opinion and these Attributes was God revealed to him Exod. chap. 34. v. 6 7. Where it is declared why God appeared to him also Exod. chap. 20. v. 4 5. In Exod. chap. 33. v. 18. We read that Moses desired to see God but because Moses as hath been already said had formed in his imagination no Likeness or Figure of God and as I have already shewed God was not revealed to the Prophets but according to the disposition of their Fancy and Imagination therefore God appeared to him under no Image or Similitude and the Reason of it was because 't was repugnant and contrary to the imagination of Moses but other Prophets Isaiah Ezekiel and Daniel testify that they saw God. Moses was answered by God in the 20 th Verse of the 33. Chap. of Exod. thou canst not see my Face and because Moses believed that God was visible that is it imply'd no contradiction in the Divine Nature to be so else he had never made such a request therefore God also answer'd no Man shall see my Face and live giving a Reason suitable to Moses's Opinion for God did not say that his Divine Nature was in it self invisible and impossible to be seen as indeed it is but that it could not be seen because of human Weakness and Frailty After the Israelites had worshipt the Golden Calf that God might reveal to Moses the Israelites should become like other Nations God tells him Exod. Chap. 33. v. 2 3. that he would send an Angel that is a Being who instead of the supreme Being should take care of the Israelites but that he himself would be no more in the midst of them and from this Moses was to conclude that the Israelites were thenceforth not to be beloved by God any more then other Nations who were committed to the care of Angels or other Beings as appears by the 16 th Verse of the Chapter Lastly because Moses believed that God dwelt in Heaven therefore was God revealed as descending from Heaven upon Mount Sinai and Moses that he might speak with God ascended the Mount which he needed not to have done had he thought God to be in all places The Israelites knew very little of God tho' he was revealed to them as was sufficiently manifested by their bestowing on a Calf the Honour and Worship due to God and by saying to that Calf these be thy Gods
O Israel that brought thee out of the Land of Egypt Nor is it to be believed that Men accustomed to the Superstitions of Egypt Ignorant and broken to the Yoke of a tedious Bondage should have any right Understanding of God or that Moses should teach them any thing more then a peculiar manner and way of living not instructing them as a Philosopher to make living well their free and voluntary choice but as a Legislator compelling them by the Commands and Power of Law So that a good Life the Love and Service of God was to them rather Servitude then true Liberty or the Grace and Gift of God for Moses Commanded them to love God and keep his Law that they might acknowledge their deliverance out of Egypt to be by God he terrifyed them with threatnings in case they Transgrest the Law and promis'd them many Blessings if they carefully observed it So that he dealt with the Israelites as Parents use to do with Children void of Reason which is an Evidence that they were ignorant how Excellent a thing Vertue is and what was true happiness Ionas thought he could fly from the presence of God which imply'd that he also believed God had substituted other Powers to take care of those Countries and Nations which were not within the Territories of Iudea in all the Old Testament we read of no Person who spoke so rationally of God as Solomon who for natural Knowledge excell'd all the Men of his time and therefore thought himself above the Law which was only given to those who wanted the dictates of Reason and natural Understanding and slighted the observance of those Laws which particularly concern'd him as he was King and consisted in three Particulars as may be seen Deut. Chap. 17. v. 16 17. he was indeed to blame in breaking those Laws and did not do like a Philosopher when he deliver'd himself up to pleasure and sensuality yet we read in Ecclesiastes he declared all the Goods of Fortune to be Vanity and that nothing is to be so highly prized as Wisdom and Understanding and no punishment equal to a Mans being a Fool Prov. Chap. 17. But let us return to the Prophets of whose differing Opinions we have taken notice the Rabbines who have left us the Books of the Prophets now extant found the Opinions of Ezekiel so contrary to those of Moses as may be seen in the Treatise of the Sabbath Chap. 1 st fol. 13. page 2 d. that they were near resolving not to receive the Book of Ezekiel for Canonical and had conceal'd it if a certain Person called Hananiah had not undertaken to expound it which some report he did with great Labour and Study so that 't is not certain whether it were a Commentary he wrote and was perhaps lost or that he changed and glossed upon Ezekiels words and discourses according to his own fancy however it was the 18 th Chapter of Ezekiel doth not seem to agree with the 34 Chap. of Exod. v. 7 nor with the 32 Chap. of Ieremy v. 18. Samuel believed that when God had decreed any thing he never repented or changed that decree 1 st Book of Sam. Chap. 14. v. 29 Saul when he repented of his Sin and desired to worship God Samuel told him God would not change his Decree but the contrary was revealed to Ieremy for when ever God decreed good or evil to any Nation if Men became either better or worse before the Execution of the Sentence God did accordingly alter his decrees Ierem. Chap. 18. v. 8 10. the Prophet Ioel beleived that God repented of the Evil which he at any time decreed Io. Chap. 2. v. 13. in the 4 th Chap. of Gen. v. 7. it clearly appears that it is in Mans Power to overcome Evil Temptations and to live well by what God said to Cain who notwithstanding as we find in Scripture and in Iosephus never subdued his Passions by the forecited Text in Ieremy we may conclude that God changeth his purposes either of doing good or evil according to Mens living well or wickedly yet on the contrary St. Paul teacheth nothing more plainly then that Men have no Power over themselves against the Temptations and Lusts of the Flesh but by the particular Mercy and Election of God as may be seen in the 9 th Chapter to the Romans from the 10 th Verse onward in the 3 d Chap. v. 3 d where he asketh whether God be unrighteous in taking vengeance he Corrects himself in speaking after that manner like a Man. From what hath been alledged we have sufficiently proved what we proposed namely that God fitted and suted his Revelations according to the Capacity and Opinions of the Prophets and that they might be and indeed were ignorant of things meerly speculative which did not pertain to Charity and a godly Life that the Prophets were also of very different Opinions and consequently in the Knowledge of Natural and Spiritual things we are not to rely and ground our selves upon them We conclude then that we are not bound to believe any thing more from the Prophets then the end and substance of what they revealed and that in other things it is free for a Man to believe as he thinks best for example Cains Revelation teacheth us that God did admonish him to live well which was the intent end and substance of the Revelation but it doth not declare to us the freedom of Mans Will or any other Philosophical Matter therefore tho' in the Words and Reasons of that Admonition freedom of Will seem to be clearly asserted yet 't is lawful to be of a contrary Opinion since those Words and Reasons were only applyed and suited to the Capacity of Cain The Prophet Michaiahs Revelation only declared what should be the Event of the Battle between Ahaband Aram and therefore we are only bound to believe that but whatever else was contain'd in that Revelation concerning the true and lying Spirit of God or concerning the Host of Heaven standing on each side of God with other Circumstances in that Revelation they do not at all concern us but every one may believe of them as he thinks most agreeable to Reason the same may be said of the Reasons declared to Iob for God's having absolute Power over all things if it be true that they were a Revelation and that he Writ as an Historian and not as some believe like a Poet they were revealed according to Iobs Capacity for his particular Conviction but they were not intended as Universal Reasons to convince all Men nor are we to determin otherwise of the Reasons used by Christ to convince the Pharisees of their Ignorance and Obstinacy and to perswade his Disciples to live righteously all those Reasons were accommodated to the Opinions and Principles of the Persons to whom they were urged for example when Christ said to the Pharisees Mat. Chap. 12 v. 26. If Satan cast out Satan he is divided against himself how then
very Prophets themselves knew not how to reconcile the Course of Nature and Human Eevents with the Notions they had of God's Providence but to Wisemen whose Knowledge is not built on miracles but upon clear and distinct conceptions the thing is very evident especially to those who place true Happiness in Vertue and Tranquility of Mind and study more to submit to Nature then to make Nature obedient to them knowing certainly that God directeth Nature as its own Universal Laws and not as the particular Laws of Human Nature require and that God hath a care not only of Mankind but of the whole Frame of Nature in general and it appears by Scripture that miracles cannot teach us to know God or his Providence tho' we find in Scripture that God wrought miracles to be known to Men. Exod. Chap. 10. v. 2. The wonders which he did in Egypt were to convince the Israelites that there was a God yet it doth not follow that the miracles themselves taught them to know God but only that the Iews were prepossest with such Opinions that they would easily be perswaded by those Signs for as I have already shewed in the Second Chapter that the conceptions which the Prophets had by Revelation were not drawn from Universal and common Notions but from concessions sometimes absurd and from the Opinions of those to whom the Revelations were made and from theirs whom the Holy Spirit would convince as we have proved by many Examples and the Testimony of Paul who was to the Iews a Iew and with the Grecians a Greek But tho' those Miracles were sufficient to convince the Israelites and the Egyptians from their own Principles that there was a God yet they were not able to give them a right understanding and Idea of God they understood nothing more by them then that there was a Power greater then all other known Beings and that that Power took a particular care of the Iews whose Affairs were at that time so prosperous above all other Nations but did not teach them that God hath an equal care of all Mankind which we know only by Philosophy or true Wisdom and therefore the Iews and all that knew nothing of God's Providence but from the different State of Human Affairs and from the disparity of men's Fortunes perswaded themselves that the Iews were better beloved by God then all other Nations tho' they did not excel any other People in Human perfection as we have already declared in our Third Chapter We now proceed to the Third Particular that is to prove by Scripture that the Commands and Decrees of God and consequently his Providence are indeed nothing else but the regular Course of Nature that is when the Scripture saith any thing was done by God or the Will of God nothing more is to be understood then that it was done according to the Order and Rules of Nature and not as the Vulgar imagine that Nature was idle and ceased from Action or that the Order of Nature was for sometime interrupted The Scripture doth not give us the true Knowledge of things which do not concern its Doctrine because as we have already declared it needless it meddles not with demonstrating things by their natural Causes nor with things that are meerly Speculative and therefore to prove by consequence what we intend we will quote some Scripture Histories whose Relations are fullest of Circumstances In the first Book of Sam. Chap. 9. v. 15 16. It is said that God told Samuel in his Ear that he would send Saul to him and yet God did not send him as Men use to send Messenger one to another but this mission of God was nothing but the Order and Course of Nature for Saul sought his Father's lost Asses and thinking he should not find them by Advice of his Father's Servant he went to the Prophet Samuel to know if he could tell him where they were nor doth it appear any where in the whole Relation that Saul had any particular Command from God beside this natural Course to go to Samuel Psal. 105. v. 24. 'T is said that God turned the Heart of the Egyptians to hate the Israelites which turning was Natural as appears by the first Chap. of Exodus where very good Reasons are given for the Egyptians keeping the Israelites in subjection In the 9 th Chap. of Gen. v. 13. God saith to Noah that he would set his Bow in the Cloud which Action of God was nothing but the Reflection and Refraction of the Sun-Beams in the minute drops of Rain Water Psal. 147. v. 18. The natural Operation and warmth of the Wind by which Frost and Snow are melted is called the Word of God and v. 15. the Wind is called the Commandment of God Psal. 104. v. 4. The Wind and the Fire are called the Messengers and Ministers of God and many other like places in Scripture clearly shew that the Decree the Command the Saying and Word of God are nothing else but the Operation and Order of Nature and without doubt many things which are related in Scripture and attributed to God naturally come to pass because it was not the intent of Scripture to give us an account of things by their natural Causes but only to relate those things which strongly possess the imagination and in such manner and stile as was most likely to cause admiration and fill Mens minds with Devotion If then we find in Scripture some things of whose natural causes we are ignorant or that seem to have happen'd against the order of nature we are not presently to doubt but believe that what did really happen came to pass by the course of nature which is confirm'd by the many Circumstances that accompany'd miracles tho' the Circumstances were not particularly related or were at least poetically related I say the Circumstances clearly prove that the miracles required and had natural causes When the Egyptians were to be smitten with the Plague of boiles Moses was to cast up and sprinkle Ashes into the Air Exod. chap. 9. v. 10. The Locusts also by Gods natural command namely by an East Wind blowing a whole Day and Night covered the Land of Egypt and left it again with a strong West Wind Exod chap. 10. v. 13. 19. By the command of God was a way made through the Sea for the Iews by an East Wind that blew a whole Night Exod. chap. 14. v. 21. when the Prophet Elisha was to raise the Child thought to be dead he several times stretched himself upon the Body till he grew warm and opened his Eyes in the 2 d. Book of Kings chap. 4. v. 34,35 so also in the 9 th chap of St. Iohns Gospel some Circumstances are mentioned which Christ used when he Cured the blind Man many other things are related in Scripture which all declare that miracles require somewhat more then the absolute command of God and therefore tho' all the Circumstances of miracles and their natural causes be not
confusedly gathered and laid together that they might afterwards be examin'd and put into order and not only those things which we find in the first five Books but the rest of the Histories contain'd in the other seven were also Collected in the same manner Who doth not plainly see that in the 2 d Chapter of Iudges from the sixth Verse a new Historian brought in who had Written the Acts of Ioshua and his very Words used For after our Historian in the last Chapter of Ioshua had spoken of his Death and Burial and promis'd in the beginning of the Book of Iudges to declare what happen'd after Ioshua's Death if he intended regularly to prosecute his own History why doth he again in the 2 d Chapter of Iudges tell us what Joshua did and speak again of his Death and Burial as he had before the 17 and 18 chap. of the 1 st Book of Sam. are in all probability taken out of another Historian who made the cause of David's frequenting Saul's Court to be quite different from that spoken of in the 16. chap. of the same Book for he did not understand that David by the Advice of Saul's Servants was called to Court as is declared in the said 16 th chap. but that his Father sending him to visit his Brethren in Saul's Camp David by his Victory over Goliah became known to Saul and afterward lived in his Court. I suspect the same thing of the 26 th chap. of the 1 st Book of Sam. and that the History of that Chapter and what is related in the 24 th chap. are one and the same but taken out of several Writers but of this enough I come now to examine the Computation of time It is said in the 6 th chap. of the 1 st Book of Kings that Solomon four hundred and fourscore Years after the Children of Israel came out of the Land of Egypt and in the fourth Year of his own Reign began to Build the House of the Lord but from the Histories themselves we can make it appear it was a much longer time till the Temple was Built Years For first Moses govern'd the People in the desert 40 Joshua who lived a hundred and twenty by the Opinion of Josephus and others govern'd not above 26 Kusan Risgataim kept the People in Bondage 08 Othonyel the Son of Kenaz Judged 40 Eglon the King of Moab kept the People in Bondage 18 Ehud and Samger Judged 80 Jachin King of Canaan kept the People under 20 The People afterward had rest 40 Were again in Subjection to Midian 07 Were again at Liberty under Gideon 40 Were under the Power of Abimelech 03 Tola the Son of Puah Judged 23 Jair Judged 22 The People were again in Bondage to the Philistines and Ammonites 18 Iephtah Judged 06 Absan the Bethlemite Judged 07 Elon the Zebulonite 10 Abdon the Pirathonite 08 The People again in Bondage to the Philistins 40 Samson Judged 20 Ely Judged 40 The People in Bondage again to the Philistines till delivered by Samuel 20 David Reigned 40 Solomon before he began to Build Reigned 04 All these Years added together make up the Number of 580. To which number are to be added the Years of that Age wherein the Common-wealth of the Iews flourished after the Death of Ioshua until it was subdued by Kusan Risgataim which I believe were many for I cannot be perswaded that all the People who had seen the wonders of Joshua's time should presently after his Death perish altogether neither that they who succeeded them should at once bid farewel to all their Laws and from a great deal of Vertue fall in an instant into the depth of Wickedness and Folly neither that Kusan Risgataim Conquer'd them at a blow but seeing all these things require almost an Age to bring them to pass it is not to be doubted but the Scripture in the 2 d. 7 th 9 th and 10 th Chapters of the Book of Judges doth comprize the Histories of many Years which it hath passed over in silence We are moreover to add the Years which Samuel Judged whose number we find not in Scripture and the Years also of Saul's Reign which are left out in the former Computation because by his History 't is not evident how many he Reigned indeed it is said in the 1 st Verse of the 13 th Chap. of the 1 st Book of Sam. that Saul Reigned two Years but that Text is maimed and we may from the History it self conclude his Reign was longer that the Text is defective no Man who hath but the least Knowledge of the Hebrew Tongue can doubt for it begins thus in the Latin Translation Annum natus erat Saul cum regnavit duos annos regnavit supra Israelem Which in our English Bible is thus render'd Saul Reigned one Year and when he had Reigned two Years c. but who sees not that the number of Years of Saul's Age when he began to Reign was omitted and that the time of his Reign was more then two Years any Man may gather from the History it self for in the 27 th Chap. of the same Book Verse the 7 th it is said that the time David dwelt in the Country of the Philistines was a full Year and four Months so that by this Calculation all things else which passed in Sauls Reign must happen in the space of eight Months which no Man can believe Iosephus in the end of his 6 th Book of Antiquities hath thus corrected the Text. Saul while Samuel lived Reigned eighteen Years and after Samuels Death two but the Story in the 13 th chap. doth in no wise agree with what went before for towards the end of the 7 th chap. v. 13. we are told that the Philistines were so subdued by the Israelites that they came no more into the Coasts of Israel and the Hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel and yet in the foresaid 13 th Chapter 't is said that in Samuels Life time the Philistins invaded the Israelites and reduced them to so great Misery and Poverty that they wanted not only Arms to defend themselves but also Smiths to make so much as a Sword or a Spear that Man must take pains enough who made it his business so to reconcile all the Histories of the first Book of Samuel that they should not appear to be Written and put in order by one Historian but I return to what I proposed the Years of Sauls Reign ought to be added to the foregoing Computation now how many were the Years of the Israelites Anarchy the Scripture doth not mention my meaning is that the space of time is not certain wherein those things happened which are related from the 17 th Chapter of Iudges to the end of that Book so that no exact calculation can be made from the Histories themselves neither do they agree in any but differ very much so that it must be granted they were
the Language Words or Stile wherein they are express'd and that all Books which declare and teach what is excellently good in what Tongue or by what Nation soever written are equally Sacred Let this at least be observ'd that the Chapters which are written in Chaldee are no less Sacred than any of the rest in the whole Bible To this Book of Daniel the first Book of Ezra is so annex'd that it appears they were both written by one person who relates what successively past amongst the Iews from the first Captivity And to this Book of Esdras without doubt is joyn'd the Book of Hester for the Conjunction wherewith the Book begins can relate to no other Book nor can it be thought the same Book which Mordecai wrote for he that writ the Book of Hester saith in the 9 th chap. v. 20. that Mordecai wrote Letters and declares what were their Contents Moreover the 31 th of the same Chapter tells us That Queen Hester confirm'd by a Decree all things concerning the Feast of Purim or Lots and in the 32 th verse 't is said it was written in the Book that is according to the Hebrew manner of speaking in a Book which every one at that time knew which Book with others Aben Ezra says was lost what else concerned Mordecai the Historian in the 10 th chap. v. 2. saith was written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia and therefore without question this Book of Daniel was written by the same person who wrote the Affairs of Daniel and Ezra and so also was the Book of Nehemiah called the Second Book of Ezra so that we conclude these four Books namely Daniel Ezra Hester and Nehemiah to be written by one Historian but who he was I cannot so much as guess but that we may know whoever he were from whence he had the knowledge of the things he relates and from whence he copy'd them out we are to take notice that the Governours and Princes of the Iews in the time of the Second Temple as did their Kings in the time of the First kept Scribes or Historiographers who writ Annals and recorded what past which Annals or Chronologies are every where cited in the Book of Kings but those of the Princes and Priests of the Second Temple are quoted first in Nehemiah chap. 12. v. 23. and also in the first Book of Machabes chap. 16. v. 24. and no question this Book of Annals was that Book mention'd in the 32 th verse of the 9 th chap. of Hester in which the Decree of Queen Hester and those things that concern'd Mordecai were written which Book we agree with Aben Ezra was lost and out of this Book of Annals all things contain'd in the four Books we have last mention'd were in all probability taken and copy'd for there is no other Book quoted by the writer of these four nor do we know any other of publick Authority That these four Books were not written either by Ezra or Nehemiah appears by what is said in the 9 th and 10 th verses of the 12 th chap. of Nehem. where the Genealogy of the High-Priest Iesuah is deriv'd down to Iaduah the sixth High-priest who went to meet Alexander the Great when he had almost conquer'd the Kingdom of Persia as appears in the 2 d. Book and 8 th chap. of Iosephus's Antiquities or as Philo Iudaeus saith in Libro temporum the sixth and last High-priest under the Persian Monarchy which is likewise plainly declar'd in the 22 th verse of the aforesaid 12 th chap. of Nehem. where the Historian saith The Levites in the days of Eliashib Ioiada Iohanan and Iaduah were recorded Priests to the Reign of Darius the Persian that is in the Annals of that Government And sure no Man will believe that Hezra or Nehemiah were so long liv'd to survive fourteen Persian Kings for Cyrus the first King of Persia was he that gave the Iews liberty to rebuild their Temple and from him to Darius the fourteenth and last King of the Persians are reckoned 230 years therefore without all doubt these four Books I have mention'd were written long after Iudas Maccabeus restor'd the worship of the Temple and also because at that time were spurious counterfeit Books of Daniel Hesdras and Hester publish'd by some malicious persons who were of the Sect of the Zadduces for the Pharisees would never own them and tho' in the Book which we call the 4 th of Esdras there are some fabulous stories which we also find in the Talmud yet they ought not to be fathered on the Pharisees for there is no Man of sense but believes those Tales were added by some trifling fellow perhaps to render the Pharisaical Traditions ridiculous or to make the people of that time believe that the Prophesies of Daniel were fulfill'd thereby to confirm them in their Religion and in the midst of so many and great Calamities to keep them from despair But tho' these Books be of no great Antiquity yet many faults I suppose through haste in those who copy'd them out have crept into them for in these as in the rest are many Marginal Notes of which we spake in the former Chapter and also some places for which no excuse can be made but if it be granted that the Marginal Readings of these Books be as the Pharisees would have it as ancient as the Writers themselves then it must necessarily follow that the Scribes if they were more than one put these Notes into the Margent because they did not find the Annals from whence they copy'd out the Books perfectly written and tho' some faults be very plain and obvious yet the Scribes would not be so bold to alter or mend the Writings of their Ancestors Of this particular I have said enough and I now pass on to shew those errors whereof no notice is taken in the Margent I cannot tell how many I meet with in the 2 d chap of Ezra for in the 64 th verse it is said that the whole Congregation together of those that went up out of Captivity to Ierusalem was forty two thousand three hundred and threescore and yet if the particular numbers throughout the whole Chapter be exactly summ'd up and added together they make the total to be no more than twenty nine thousand eight hundred and eighteen so that there is an error in the total or particular numbers Now 't is most likely the total number was not mistaken but set down right because every one might keep that in memory tho' he could not remember the particular numbers had there been any error or mistake in the total every body would have known it and it might have been easily mended which is confirm'd by the 7 th chap. of Nehemiah which tells us that the whole number of them that came up from the Captivity was the very same mention'd in the 2 d chap of Ezra but the particular numbers very much differ for
had Temples dedicated to him and was worshipt by Flamens and Priests in the same manner that other Gods were Tacitus in his First Book of Annals tells us That Alexander would be saluted by the Name of Iupiter's Son which was not Pride but Design as appears by the Answer he return'd to the invective Speech made by Hermolaus In the Eighth Book and Eighth Section of Quintus Curtius Alexander speaks to this purpose One thing is very ridiculous which Hermolaus requires That I should not own Jupiter to be my Father being so declared by his Oracle as if the Answer of the Gods were in my Power he offer'd me the Name of his Son which was very suitable to the Designs I am now about I wish the Indians would also believe me to be a God Success in War depends much upon Fame and that which is falsly believed sometimes works the same effects which things do that are true In which few words he very artificially endeavours to continue People in their ignorance and neatly insinuates the Design of his dissembling which Cleo likewise did in his Oration whereby he endeavour'd to perswade the Macedonians to sooth and flatter the King for after he had with admiration spoken in praise of Alexander and reckon'd up all his Merits giving a colour of Truth to the Fraud he shews the advantages gain'd by it in words to this effect The Persians are not only prudent but pious in worshipping their Kings as Gods because it was the Safety of Majesty and then concludes That he himself would be the first who at the King's entrance would fall down upon the Earth and worship him and that he thought the wisest amongst them would follow his Example See Curtius in his Eighth Book § 8. But the Macedonians were wiser Nor can any but meer Barbarians be so grosly cheated and of Subjects suffer themselves to be made Slaves altogether unprofitable to themselves Others have with more ease perswaded the World That the Majesty of Kings is Sacred that they are God's Vicegerents on Earth ordained by God and not establisht by the Votes and Consent of Men but preserved and defended by the particular aid and protection of Divine Providence This and much more have Monarchs devised to secure their Government with which I will not meddle but proceed to those things which for the preservation of Government Divine Revelation taught Moses We have already declared in the Fifth Chapter that after the Israelites went out of Egypt they were not subject to the Laws or power of any other Nation but it was lawful for them to Institute what Laws and possess what Lands they pleased for when they were freed from the intollerable bondage of the Egyptians and were not bound by Covenant to any Mortal they again recover'd their natural Right to all things which were in their Power and every Man might freely resolve whether he would keep his natural Right or part with and transfer it to another Being then in this natural State by the Counsel of Moses in whom all had a very great trust and confidence they resolved to transfer their Power upon no mortal Man but upon God only and without further delay promis'd all with one Voice to obey God in all things and never to own any other Power but such as God by Prophetical Revelation should institute and appoint This Promise and Translation of their Right and Power upon God was in the same manner that we have supposed it to be done in a common Society when Men resolve to depart with their natural Right For as it appears Exod. chap. 24. ver 7. they freely without any Compulsion not terrified with any threats did by express Covenant and Oath part with their natural Right and transfer'd it upon God and that the Covenant might be firm and binding without any suspicion of fraud God Covenanted nothing with them till after they had made tryal of his wonderful Power by which they had already been and were afterwards to be preserved see Exod. chap. 19. v. 4 5. for upon this very ground of believing that the Power of God only could save them they transfer'd all their Power of preserving themselves and consequently all their Right upon God. The Government then of the Jews was only in God and therefore by vertue of the Covenant was called the Kingdom of God God was rightful King of the Jews and consequently the Enemies of that Government were Gods Enemies and the Subjects of that Commonwealth who went about to usurp that Government were guilty of Treason against his Divine Majesty and the Laws of that Common-wealth were the Laws and Commands of God So that in this Commonwealth Civil Right and Religion which we have shewn consists only in Obedience towards God were but one and the same thing My meaning is that the Doctrines of Religion were Laws and Commands Piety was Justice and Impiety wrong and Injustice he that forsook the publick Religion ceased to be a Subject and upon that very account was thought an Enemy he that dy'd for Religion was thought to dye for his Country and between Religion and Civil Right there was no difference Upon this account this Government might very well be called Theocracy seeing the Subjects thereof were bound by no Law but what was revealed by God. But these things were thus more in opinion then reality for the Jews did indeed still retain the Absolute Power of Government as will appear by what shall be presently declared namely by the Form and Rules whereby their Government was Administred which is now my purpose to explain Seeing the Jews did not transfer their Power upon any other Man but all equally parted from it as is done in Democratical-government and all cryed with one Voice Whatsoever God himself without any other intermediate Person shall speak to us that will we do it clearly appears by this Agreement they all continued equal and the Power and Right of consulting God of receiving and interpreting Laws was equal in them all and the Administration of the Government was in the whole Congregation Upon this ground all equally at first hearken'd what God would say and what he would Command but in this first meeting they were so terrified and heard God speaking with so muh astonishment that every Man thought that day would be his last Full of very great fear they came again to Moses and said We have heard Gods Voice out of the midst of the Fire Now therefore why should we dye This great Fire will consume us we shall dye if we hear the Voice of the Lord our God any more therefore go thou near and hear all that the Lord our God shall say and speake thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee we will hear and do it By saying this they clearly abolisht the first Covenant and transfer'd upon Moses their own Right of consulting God and interpreting his Laws and Decrees for here they did not as before
well as a Divine and to busie himself in unprofitable Speculations fit only to take up private mens time who have nothing else to do But it was far otherwise in the Iewish Commonwealth for their Church began with their Government and Moses who was the Supream Magistrate taught the people Religion setled their Forms of Worship and chose their Priests This was that which made Kingly Authority so much esteemed by the People and put the Right and Power of all things pertaining to Religion into the hands of Supream Magistrates for though after the Death of Moses no Man governed so absolutely as he did yet the Right and Power of determining all things concerning Religion as well as other Affairs still remained as we have already proved in the Prince and the People to be instructed in Religion and Piety were no more bound to go to the High Priest than they were to the Chief Iudge Deut. chap. 17. v. 9 11 12 Thou shalt come to the Priests the Levites and to the Chief Iudge that shall be in those days to enquire and he that will not hearken unto the Priest or unto the Iudge that man shall die Though the Kings had not power equal to that of Moses yet the Priests and Levites were appointed and ordered to do what the Kings thought fit for as it appears in 1 Chron. chap. 28. v. 11 12. King David order'd how the Temple should be built according to a Model he prescribed and as it appears in the 23 d Chapter of the same Book David out of all the Levites chose twenty four thousand to set forward the building of the Temple six thousand to be Officers and Iudges four thousand to be Porters and four thousand to praise the Lord upon musical Instruments he likewise divided the Levites into companies and set Rulers over them which Companies were to serve and wait in their turns For other particulars I refer the Reader to the 28 th Chapter of the 2 d Book of Chron. v. 13. where it is said That King Solomon commanded Offerings to be made according as Moses instituted And ver 14. it is said That Solomon according to the order of David his Father appointed the Courses of the Priests and Levites to their Service and Charges and ver 15. the Historian saith They departed not from the Commandment of the King given to the Priests and Levites concerning any matter or concerning the Treasures By all which by other Histories of their Kings it is evident that the whole Exercise of Religion and all the Service that concerned it depended only upon their King's Command And tho' their Kings had not as Moses had the Power of chusing the High-Priest or of consulting God without him or of condemning the Prophets that prophesy'd in their Reigns the Prophets having power to chuse a new King and to pardon any that had taken away a King's Life yet I say the Prophets themselves had no power to call any King to an account for breaking the Laws or in any judicial manner and form to proceed against or condemn him And therefore if there had been no Prophets who by particular Revelation could pardon the killing of a King Kings in the Jewish Commonwealth must have had absolute Power over all things both Sacred and Civil as Supreme Powers have in these our Days who have no Prophets nor are obliged to receive any being in no wise bound by the Laws of the Jews Commonwealth And this Power tho' our Kings marry they absolutely have and may keep if they do not suffer Doctrines and Articles of Religion to be multiplied or mingled and confounded with Arts and Sciences CHAP. XX. In a Free Commonwealth it should be lawful for every Man to think what he will and speak what he thinks WEre it as easie to command Mens Minds as it is their Tongues all Supreme Powers would reign securely and no Government would be Violent or Tyrannical For then every Man would live according to the Will of those in Supreme Power and would think every thing true or false good or evil just or unjust according to their Determinations and Decrees But it is impossible as we have observed in the beginning of the 17 th Chapter that any Man's Mind or Thoughts should be in another Man's power because no Man can transfer or be compelled to transfer his natural Right of Reasoning and Judging of Things upon any other Man And therefore that Government is counted Tyrannical which would reign over Mens Minds and Supreme Powers do their Subjects wrong and deprive them of their just Right when they command them to receive or reject according to their Prescriptions whatever they declare to be true or false and positively appoint what Opinions and Notions Men in their Devotions shall have of God which is a thing wholly in a Man 's own power and from which no Man tho' he would can part I confess a Man's Judgment may be so many ways prepossest that tho it be not directly and absolutely in another Man's power yet it may have such a dependence on him as to be thought very much at his dispose but in spite of all that Art can do Men will abound in their own Sense and there will for ever be as many diversities of Opinions as there are of Palats Tho' Moses not by Craft but by Divine Power had so prepossest the Minds of his People that they believed he said and did all things by Divine Inspiration yet he could not escape ill Reports and sinister Interpretations much less then can other Monarchs Were the thing possible it might rather be done in Monarchical than in Democratical Government which is managed by an Assembly of all or the greatest part of the People and the Reason I think is obvious Tho' Supreme Powers have right to all things and are believed to be Interpreters both of Law and Religion yet they could never keep Men from judging of things according to their Reason and Capacities nor from being this or that way affected They may indeed account all men Enemies who do not in all things absolutely think as they do but we do not here dispute of their Power but of what is most convenient and profitable I grant that Supreme Powers may Reign Tyrannically and put Subjects to death for very slight Causes if they please but all Men will deny that this can be done with Reason or Prudence because it will prove dangerous and destructive to the Government Yea it may be denied that Supreme Magistrates have absolute Power and consequently have not absolute Right to do such things as these because we have proved that the Right of Supreme Magistrates is determined by their Power If then no Man can part with this Liberty of Judging and Thinking what he will but every Man by the Sovereign Right of Nature is Master of his own Thoughts Supreme Powers in any Commonwealth can never hope for Success in prescribing to Men of different