Moses or of others who writ those Books whence it is that we now read of the Names of Places which were not given at that time when they are mentioned but are only by way of Anticipation inserted into the History Near of kin to this is Hysterosis another Usual Figure in Scripture which is when the proper and genuine Order of the Words is not kept And this is observable either in some single Words and Verses or in some Chapters Of the former sort is Gen. 10. 1. where the Sons of Noah are reckoned in this order Shem Ham and Iapheth yet Iapheth was the Eldest Brother It is true Scaliger holds the very order of the Generation which this Verse sets down and saith Shem was Noah's First-born and Iapheth his youngest But 't is generally agreed on by the Learned that this is not the right order for first the Septuagint expresly say Iapheth was the Elder Brother of Shem v. 21. Again Iosephus in his Jewish Antiquities reckons them thus Iapheth the eldest Son C ham the next and Sheâ— the youngest of all Moreover according to the Chaldee Paraphrast who is of good Repute this is the true Order Lastly you will find it observ'd in the following Parts of this Chapter the Generations begin first with Iapheth then pass to Cham and end with Shem. All which shews that there is a Transposition in the first Verse and that the true ranking of them is not there kept We read in Gen. 11. 26. that Terab begat Abram Nahor and Haran but the naming of Abram first of the three Brethren doth not prove that he was eldest but there is some Ground to believe that he was not And as the true Order of Words in some Verses is not always exact so neither is the true Series of History observ'd in some Chapters Thus in Gen. 2. after God's resting on the seventh Day v. 1. you read of God's forming Man and Woman v. 7. 18. which was the Sixth Day 's Work and therefore according to the True Order of things should have been part of the Contents of the First Chapter So the Division of the Earth which is the Subject of the 10th of Genesis is set before the Confusion of Tongues spoken of in the 11th Chapter notwithstanding this was before that and was the occasion of it And some Instances of this Nature are in those Historical Books of Samuel the Kings and Chronicles The seventh and eighth Chapters of Daniel are misplaced they should of right have been inserted before viz. immediately after the 4th Chapter for they speak of what happened in Belshazzar's time although the foregoing Chapter relates what was done by Darius after Belshazzar was slain and the Kingdom of Babylon became his And in many other Places of the Sacred Writings there is a Transposing of things and sometimes that is placed first which was done last To which purpose the Hebrew Doctors have long since pronounced that there is neither Before nor After in the Law A late Author tells us that the Reason is because the Books of the Pentateuch and some others were written upon little Scrolls or Sheets of Paper not so well fastned together as our Books now are and so the Order of these Scrolls was changed But this is an upstart Invention of this Gentleman's Brain and hath no Foundation but his own Fancy for as he mistakes Paper for Parchment there being perhaps no such thing as the former in those Days so he is mistaken in his Conceit about fastning those Parchment-Writings together First I say he proceeds upon a wrong Foundation because he asserts the antientest Books of the Bible to have been written on Paper whereas it doth not appear that this Invention is so old and on the other side there are undeniable Proofs of the great Antiquity of Parchment and that it was made use of for Books to write upon That which hath occasioned some Learned Men and 't is likely our present Author who is most justly rank'd in the Number of the Learned to think otherwise was that Passage in Pliny's Natural History where he reports that Ptolomee Philadelph King of Egypt forbad the exporting of the Papyrus of which Paper was made at that time out of his Territories Whereupon Eumenes King of Pergamus found out another way of making Paper of the inmost Skins of Beasts which was call'd Pergamena because 't was invented in Pergamus first But this was a great Oversight of Pliny for that was not the first Use of them they were much antienter than that time Diodorus the Sicilian tells us that the Persian Annals were writ in Parchment which is a great Proof of its being very Antient. Salmuth in his Commentary upon Pancirol thinks the Antiquity of this Membrana is proved from Iovis diphthera the Skin of the Goat that suckled Iupiter in which the Antientest Memorials of things in the World were thought to be written And out of Herodotus the great Father of History he hath a very considerable Quotation who relates that some of the Old Grecians made use of the Skins of Goats and Sheep to write in and therefore they call their Books Skins And he adds that many of the Barbarians write in such Skins Now we know who they were that the Pagans used to call Barbarians viz. the Iews and therefore it is probable these are meant here It may have relation to their writing the Books of the Old Testament in Parchment But if This concerning the particular Reference of these Words to the Iews be a Conjecture only yet the other things which have been suggested are a clear and evident Proof of the Antient Use of the Membrana and we have no reason to question that the Bible it self was written in it That it was so we learn from Iosephus who assures us that Eleazar the High Priest sent away the 72 Elders or Interpreters to Ptolomee with the Bible written in â—ine Parchment and he tells us in the same Place which is very remarkable and to our purpose that King Ptolomee was astonished to see the Parchments so fine and delicate and to observe the whole Form of them so exactly joined together that no one could possibly discern where the Seams were From which Testimony of this Learned Jew it is evident that there was Parchment found out and used in Writing before the time that Pliny talks of i. e. before Eumenes's time And as for this Eumenes who is by some Writers also call'd Attalus for it appears plainly that 't is the same Man the same King of Pergamus he was not the Person that invented it nor was it in his time invented he only procured a great Quantity of it to be made and so it became common in Greece and Asia whence some and Pliny among the rest thought he was the first Inventer of it This was the Rise of the Mistake But the Truth of the Matter is this which the Learnedest Men
now agree to that Parchments which were made of Sheepskins dress'd were long before the Emulation between Ptolomee and Eumenes who both at the same time were ambitious to procure an Universal Library but when this Quarrel arose Ptolomee forbad Paper to be sent out of Egypt whereupon Eumences caused Parchments to be made in greater Abundance than before that so there might be no need of the Paper Again 't is evident from this Testimony of Iosephus that the Books of the Old Testament were written in Parchment And seeing we have proved that Parchment was long before it is credible that the Bible was copied out at first into it That Proverbial Saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shews the great Antiquity of this sort of Writing-materials for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Membrana and it is also a Book made of the same which they of old used to write in I might take notice of the antient Practice of the Jews viz. their wearing of Phylacteries which were pieces of Scrolls of Parchment whereon they wrote some part of the Law and bound it to their Heads and Hands whence we may probably gather that the Books of the Old Testament were first of all parchment-Parchment-Writings for the Jews were strict Observers as well as Admirers of Antiquity and therefore their writing some Sentences of the Law in Parchments shews that the Bible it self from whence they were taken had been usually and of old transcribed into those very Materials Much more might be said but I will only add that the Jews Rolling up their Sacred Writings whence their Books were call'd Megilloth Volumina is a plain Argument that they were not composed of Egyptian Paper which was thin and weak and consequently was not capable of this Rolling But a Long and Broad Skin or Parchment would endure this without tearing and therefore it is not to be doubted that this was made use of The Sense of which besides the common Report and Notion among the Jews caused the Famous Rabbi Ionathan to say in his Targum on Deut. 31. 24. that Moses writ the Law upon Parchment Which shews that it was the Opinion of the Learned Jews that the Bible was originally written in Parchment not on Paper And the Talmud often mentions this Parchment-Writing as a known thing It is rational then to believe and assert that these Holy Records were written in Parchment and though we are informed from sufficient Authors that other Materials of old were used as the Egyptian Papyrus Leaves as also the Inward Bark or Coat of Trees c. when they wrote but few Words yet Parchment was the old and usual Matter on which they wrote when they had occasion to compose a whole Book which confutes F. Simon 's Notion that the Old Testament was written in Paper which upon serious Reflection so searching a Person as he is cannot but discern to be a Mistake and he knows that Charta Writing-Paper was not generally used till Alexander the Great 's time as Pliny himself acknowledges who quotes Varro for this that the first use of Paper made of the Cortex of the Egyptian Papyrus was found out in Egypt in that Monarch's Reign and that before that time they wrote upon Leaves of Trees on Wax c. Then in the next Place it were easy to disprove this Ingenious Author's Conceit about the fastning or rather as he would have it the not fastning of these Parchments together whence he fancies it was that the Transposition and Misplacing of some Parts of the Bible happened He tells us that heretofore they wrote upon Sheets or Leaves rolled together one over another round a piece of Wood and these being not well joined together there was sometimes a misplacing of what was written in them because their Order was altered This may be partly true and I cannot deny that it so happened sometimes that is when there was no Care taken to sow or other ways to fasten the Leaves or Sheets to the Stick of Wood about which they were rolled or to one another But it was not so in the present Case for you may be sure that they took all the Care imaginable to secure the Order of the Sheets and they were not destitute of a particular way of doing it so that their Books were sufficiently fastned But if he means that they were not bound as our Books are now a days then his new Discovery is only this that the Trade of Book-binding was not set up in Moses or Ezra's Days Or if he means that the written Sheets and Scrolls were loose and not well tack'd together he wilfully speaks against his own knowledg of this Matter for he knows very well that the Jews wrote in Rolls or continued Sheets or Skins which were not liable to be separated as our Writings are now He is Antiquary enough to confute himself from what he hath read concerning their manner of making their Books or Volumes their fixing the Sheets of Parchment at one end by sowing or fastning the first Sheet between two Sticks or Pieces of Wood their joining the several Sheets together as appears from the forecited Testimony of the Jewish Historian who saith the Parchments in which the Bible was written were so closely and firmly joined together that 't was not possible to discern the Seams or Places where they were joined their Rolling them up close and their keeping them in safe Repositories for they had places on purpose for all Valuable Books so that it was not likely yea scarcely possible that any of these Scrolls or Sheets which were not little ones as he suggests but of a considerable size should be put out of their places much less lost for he goes so far as to assert that many of these Scrolls were embezzel'd and lost and thence the Scriptures of the Old Testament are so maimed and imperfect But we know the Man and his Design which is to depretiate and vilify the Scriptures thereby to advance the Credit of Tradition and by that means to exalt the Church of Rome though this is not so forward to exalt him This was it which made him give us this Specimen of his Wit and Invention of which it must be confessed he hath no small Stock this made him attempt by these Paper-Proofs to lessen the Authority of the Bible Otherwise it is certain this Parisian Critick is a Person of great Worth and Learning and it is his singular Commendation that he is no Furious Bigot but is Moderate and Discreet in many things and is one that dotes not on the Opinions and Assertions of the Catholick Doctors But if you would know the true Reason or Occasion of that Transposition which you sometimes meet with in the Holy Writings not only of the Old but New Testament it is chiefly this as I conceive The Holy Writers study not Exactness they are more intent upon the Thing and Matter which they write than upon the due Order and Marshalling of it they
Pâ—rlege rubras Majorum leges At other times they made use of Chalk and of Coal both which are mention'd by Persius Illa priùs cretà mox bâ—â—c carbone notasti But these were used only on special Occasions and were not the ordinary manner of Writing therefore 't is no wonder that the Bible is wholly silent aâ— to this But it mentions the Writing Instruments that were of common Use as first those which were peculiar to the Harder Materials those wherewith they made Incision into Stone Wood c. Accordingly it tells us that they used an Iron Pen or Style and therewith cut what Characters they thought fit in them Of this we have mention in Iob 19. 24. where that holy Man wisâ—â—th that his Complaints were written down and recorded that future Ages might take notice of them which Moses or some other Inspired Person who digested and compiled this Book thus expressetâ— O that my Words were engraven with an Iron Pen and Lead with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Seventy made of Iron and with Lead plumbi laminâ as the Vulgar Latin a thin Sheet or Plate of Lead on which they engraved Letters with this Iron Pen. And in the next Clause of this Verse he wisheth yet further that his Words might be written in the Rock 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the LXX render it ut sculpantur in silice the Vulgar Latin following the Septuagint as it generally doth every where which refers to the antient manner of writing in those Days which was by Engraving of Letters not only on Leaden Tables but on Stone and Flint with Iron Pens or Bodkins These were the first Instruments used in writing in the World And when Ieremiah saith The Sin of Judah is written with a Pen of Iron and graven upon the Table of their Hearts it is an Allusion to this Practice though here another Word is used viz. Cheret from Charath sculpsit whence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a graving Tool and so is rendred Exod. 32. 4. With this they made the Letters on Wood and Stone and such like hard Substance and in Wax-Tables Next the Scripture takes notice of the antient Instrument which was proper to the other way of writing viz. upon the softer Materials as the Papyrus and Parchment This is called Shebet which Word in other Places is rendred a Scepter We read that the Tribe of Zebulon afforded some that handled the Pen of the Writer Judg. 5. I4 such as were dexterous at this Instrument such as knew how to wield this Shebet this Writing-Scepter with Art and Skill In other Places it hath the same Names that were given to the Engraving Pen thus it is stiled Cheret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Septuagint Isa. 8. 1. the Pen of a Man i. e. such a Pen as Men usually writ with in those Days when they wrote upon any soft and yielding Matter and that was a Reed which is confirm'd to us by Ier. 8. 8. where Gnet the Pen of the Scribes is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek Interpreters And in Psal. 45. 1. where it is again call'd Gnet the Pen of a ready Writer the same Interpreters render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Vulgar Latin Calamus which is the Word used by Martial and others for the Egyptian Reed Which was the Writing Pen in their time Dat chartis habiles calamos Memphitica tellus And Aquila a Learned Jew who knew the genuine Meaning of the Hebrew Word in this Place renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. juncus arundo aquatica wherewith they antiently writ It appears then that Egypt afforded both Paper and Pens the former was of that Rushy Plant before described the latter were of a Reed growing in the same Place viz. about the River Nile and the fenny Parts of Egypt which being dried and hardned and conveniently shaped was the usual Instrument of writing before the Invention of Quills It was so made that it would contain and convey in it a black sort of Liquor which answers to our Ink which we use at this Day into which they used to dip it To this antient writing with Ink or such like dark Substance some have thought Ezek. 9. 2. hath reference where we read of the Writers Inkhorn but though the Hebrew Word be rendred Atramentarium by the Vulgar Latin yet in its Original Signification it hath no reference to that particular thing but may be translated a Pen-case or a Writing-Table as well as an Inkhorn From the bare Sound of the English Word we cannot infer the thing it self We may as well affirm the Art of Printing was found out and practised in Iob's Days because he wisheth that his Words were printed in a Book Job 19. 23. But there is a Place to our purpose and that is Ier. 36. 18. I wrote them i. e. the Words which Ieremy spoke with Ink in a Book The Antient way of writing appears from what Baruch here saith that he wrote Ieremiah's Prophecy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 atramento which was the black and inky Matter whatever it was that was laid on by his Pen in writing This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mention'd 2 Cor. 3. 3 2 Ep. Iohn v. 12. and again 3 Epist. v. 13. where it is joined with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which shews what was at that time the way of writing viz. with Reed-Pens dipp'd in Ink which as we are told by Pliny and Persius was variously prepared The Greeks and Romans made it of Soot saith the former of these Writers and from him and Persius we learn that the Africans used the dark Excrementitious Humour which the Sepia afforded them and other black Juices serv'd for Ink in other Countries Thus the most Antient as well as the most Authentick Memoirs concerning Letters and the Manner of Writing are in the Books of the Holy Penmen Thus the Foundation of all Grammar and the Root of all Learning is laid here Next unto Grammar I might mention History the first Father of which was Moses whose Writings begin the Bible All that I will say of him under this present Character is this that we are solely indebted to him for our Knowledg of the Transactions of the First Ages of the World As he wrote before all other Historians so he gives us an Account of those things which none besides doth wherefore his Books are the Key of all History To him are added Others who are not only of admired Antiquity but ought to be prized as much for the Admirable and Various Matter they communicate Here are Excellent Historical Passages of all sorts Religious and Civil Sacred and Profane Foreign and Domestick relating to Politicks and Oeconomicks to Publick and Private Affairs Yea the Title of Procopius's History belongs only and properly to these Sacred Chronicles for here the Secrets and Depths of all Antient Occurrences are
part of it extant before there were any Writers in the World and so it was utterly impossible to borrow from Others This is the Peculiar Excellency of this Book this is the Particular Commendation of these Writings that they were the First of all and could not be taken from any else These Holy Scriptures borrow from none unless you will say they do so from Themselves as the 18th Psalm is taken out of 2 Sam. 22. or this out of that The Evangelists borrow from one another The Virgin Mary's Magnificat refers in several Places of it to Hannab's Song 1 Sam. 2 and St. Paul takes some things out of his Epistle to the Epbesians and puts them into that which he wrote to the Colossians and so st Iude may be said to borrow from St. Peter but this is not the Plagiarism which Other Writers are guilty of and which is an Argument of their Wants and Defects whereas the Holy Spirit supplied the Penmen of the Bible both with Matter and Words In the Old Testament especially and more particularly in the Books of Moses there is nothing at second hand all is fresh and new thâ— things there spoken of were never delivered by any Writer before But most of the Profane Historians began when the Holy History was just ending And Herodotus himself the Father of History writ not till Ezra and Nehemiah's time The Greeâ— Historians go no further back than the Persjan Eâ—piâ—e and most of the Roman History takes not its Rise so high Indeed the Egyptians boasted that they had been ruled by Kings above ten thousand Years as Herodotus relates and thence perhaps it was that one of their Pharaoh's which was the common Name of all their Kings bragg'd that he was the Son of antient Kings Isa. 19. 11. The Chinoises pretend to give an Account of Passages almost three thousand Years before Christ and we are told by Martinius in his Atlas that they preserve a continued History compiled from their Annual Exploits of four thousand and five hundred Years yea they have if we may credit the younger Vossius Writers antienter than Moses But these high Flights are exploded by all Considerate Men and upon a View of whatever Pretences are made by Others they conclude that Moses was the Antientest Writer and that the earliest Discovery of Transactions and Occurrences in the World is to be learnt from him alone Some of the Wisest Pagans had a hint of this and travell'd into the Eastern Countries to acquaint themselves with these Records And it was observ'd long since by Plato as I took notice before that the Oldest and most Barbarous Tongues meaning the Hebrew and Chaldee were very requisite for the finding out the first Beginnings of things for the first Names of them which are now grown obsolete by length of time are preserved in those Languages they being the antientest of all In the Hebrew especially are to be found the Primitive Origines of things and most of the Pagan Historiâ—â—s have borrowed from these And so have their Poâ—ts Orators and Philosophers as a great Number of the Christian Fathers whom I have particularly quoted in another Place to evince the Authority of the Scriptures have largely proved In a word all other Antient Writings refer to these or suppose them this Inspired Volume alone being the Fountain from whence either they or we can derive any Truth and Certainty And as there is the Antientest Learning so there is All Learning I speak now of that which is Humane and is reckon'd the Accomplishment of Rational Persons and all the kinds of it in this Book of Books Here is not only Prose but Verse here are not only Poems but Histories Annals Chronicles Here are things Profound and Mystical and here are others that at the first sight are Intelligible and Clear here are Prophecies Visions Revelations for even in the Narratives which are given of These there are some things serviceable to promote the Study of Humanity here are Proverbs Adagies Emblems Parables Apologues Paradoxes Riddles and here are also Plain Questions and Answers Propositions Discourses Sermons Orations Letters Epistles Colloquies Debates Disputations Here are Maxims of Law and Reason Rules of Iustice and Equity Examples of Keen Wit and Deep Politicks Matters of Church and State Publick and Private Affairs and all manner of Subjects either treated of or referr'd unto Thus the Bible is excellently sitted to entertain any Persons as they are Students and Scholars for here is a Treasury of all Good Letters here are laid up all things that conduce to Humane Knowledg Porphyrius is said to have writ a Book of Homer's Philosophy wherein he attempts to prove that he was as much a Philosopher as a Poet and no less a Person than Maximus Tyrius affirms him to be the Prince of Philosophers and another Grave Author undertakes to shew that the Seeds of all Arts are to be found in Homer's Works This is said by his Admirers to inhanse his Credit and Repute but far greater things and more justly may be pronounced concerning these Famous Records of Learning and Antiquity With more Reason may we maintain that the chiefest Arts and Inventions are originally in the Sacred Volume and that the Foundations of all Humane Learning and Science are laid here for though these are not the chief things designed in this Book it being writ to higher Purposes yet they are occasionally interspersed every where and a Studious Enquirer cannot miss of them It is rationally and undeniably to be inferr'd from the Particulars above-mention'd though many more might have been added that the Bible is the most Compleat Book and hath All Learning in it This truly deserves the Name which Diodore the Sicilian gives his History that is it is indeed a Library an Universal one and contains All Books in it As the Writers of it were Persons of Several Conditions Kings Noblemen Priests Prophets c. so the Matters of it are Various and Different and by reading and studying these Writings we may Commence in all Arts and Sciences we may be accomplish'd Grammarians Criticks Chronologers Historians Poets Orators Disputants Lawyers Statesmen Preachers Prophets Many valuable Monuments of Learning have been lost The famous Library of Alexandria which contain'd six or seven hundred thousand Volumes and that of Constantinople which consisted of an hundred and twenty thousand perished by Fire And the Works of Varro the Learnedsâ— Man of all the Romans are extinct And many others might be reckon'd up besides those that Historians say nothing of But having the Scriâ—ture Hacatub as the Jews rightly call'd it by way of Eminence the most Excellent Writings in the World fraught with all manner of useful Literature we may afford to be without the other for this is a certain Verity that if we have the Bible we want no Book And more particularly I have made it appear that the Choicest Antiquities are to be found here A prying Antiquary may
recorded in the last Chapter of this Book for either as we said before concerning Moses they were written by him through a Prophetick Spirit that foresaw these things or else they were added by some other Inspired Writer So perhaps were those Words unto this Day ch 4. v. 9. ch 5. v. 9. though it is not necessary at all to believe so for Ioshua relating some Passages that happen'd a good while before he wrote this Book which was a little before his Death might speak after this manner very well And some few other Words may seem to have been inserted after Ioshua's Death but that the Main was written by Himself there is no ground of questioning The History of the Iudges followeth which relates the State of the Iewish People in the Land of Canaan in the time of the Iudges from Ioshua's Death until Eli that is about three hundred Years These Iudges were Men of Heroick Spirits raised up by God out of the several Tribes to govern the People and to deliver them from their present Dangers They were Supream Rulers but Temporary and some of them were Types of our Blessed Saviour and Deliverer In the time of this peculiar Polity of the Israelites there were very Notable Occurrences which are faithfully recorded in this Book Here we are acquainted with the gross Impiety and Wickedness of that new Generation which came up after Ioshua's Death here are recorded to their perpetual Infamy their Intimate Converse with those Idolatrous People that were left remaining in that Land their Approving of their Superstitious and Irreligious Customs and their Serving their Gods Here is a particular Account of the Corruption of their Manners of their Prophane and Scandalous Practices which occasion'd the very Heathens to open their Mouths against them yea to blaspheme God whose Name they were call'd by Here also we have a brief View of the Different Dispensations of Heaven towards this People sometimes Relieving and Delivering them at other tâ—mes most severely Chastising them and causing them to groan under Tyrants and Oppressors Here are contain'd in this History most admirable Examples of God's Displeasure against Apostates and such as revolt from the True Religion and here are on the contrary as memorable Instances of his Rewarding those that adhere to Him and his Cause and hold fast their Integrity in the worst and most perillous Times Here are most amply displayed his Love and Care of his Church in stirring up so many Eminent Worthies and Champions to fight for her and to push them on by no less than an Extraordinary Impulse of Spirit to enterprize and effect such Mighty Things for the welfare of his Chosen Servants To conclude here and in the Book of Ioshua occurs such a plenty of Antient Rites Customs and Practices relating both to Peace and War to Civil and Religious Matters as is able to stock an Antiquary of the first Size We are not certain who was the Penman of this Book It was written by Samuel say the Talmudists and it may be after one of the Books of Samuel and then 't is no wonder if some things are here mention'd or referr'd to that are spoken of there Others say it was not composed till Ezrâ—'s Time by Ezra The Book of Ruth is an Appendix to that of the Iudges in whose time the Things were done that are here related Particularly a little before Eli's Time they happen'd then it was that there being a Famine in Canaan Elimelech and his Wife Naomi and their Sons went into the Land of Moab and there these latter were married one to Ruth and the other to Orphah After ten Years were expired Elimelech and his Sons died whereupon Naomi and her Daughter-in-Law Ruth for the other Daughter stay'd behind returned to their own Country and coming to Bethlehem were kindly received by Boaz their Kinsman The Particulars of this kind Reception and Entertainment are set down here and the Close was that he married Ruth who bare to him Obed who was the Grand-father of David It is true this is but a Private History yet as it is such it contains in it many things worthy of our observation viz. the Difference of Children in their Affection and Regards to their Parents Orphah with great Ease and Willingness left Naomi but Ruth clave unto her the Prudent Instructions and Wise Demeanour of that Excellent Matron towards her Daughter the young Widow Though I must needs add with reference to Ruth's Behaviour that her Boldness and almost endangering of her Chastity are not to be Examples to others for Modesty and Shamefacedness are the proper Qualities of that Sex Wedlock is not to be sought after by them with such peril And therefore this daring Fact of this Venturous Widow is to be look'd upon as an extraordinary Instance and not to be imitated by other Females Here is remarkable the Merciful Providence of God towards the Afflicted the Widows and Fatherless the Reward of Constancy and Obedience the Blessing of God upon those that fear him and trust in him Besides here are observable the Antient Right of Kinsmen and of Redemption and the Manner of buying the Inheritance of the Deceased with other Things of great Antiquity Nay this is more than Private History as will appear if we consider that this Pious Woman Ruth was the Mother of Obed the Father of Iesse the Father of David of whom our Lord Christ came and therefore you find her inserted into his Genealogy by St. Matthew Again Ruth a Moabitish Woman of the Posterity of the Daughters of Lot was a Type or rather indeed an Eminent Instance of the Calling of the Gentiles into the Church which is a Thing of no private Concern but of the largest Extent imaginable The Two Books of Samuel are Publick Histories the former whereof contains Things done under the two last Iudges Eli and Samuel and under the first King who was Saul as also the Acts of David whilest he lived under Saul Here is a Narrative of the Change of the Iudges into Kings of the Republick or Aristocracy of the Iews into a Monarchy and of the Great and Many Evils which they suffer'd as consequent upon it all worthy of our serious Perusal and Consideration Here is an Account of their New King 's being deposed by God viz. for his rash and prophane Sacrificing and his wilful disobeying the express Command of God concerning the total Destruction of the Amalekites and whatever belonged to them The latter Book â—s wholly spent in the History of King David's Reign that is his Acts after Saul's Death These â—re either his Military Acts his Troublesom and Dangerous and sometimes Successful Enterprizes in War or his Political Acts shew'd in the wise Administration of Civil Government or his Ecclesiâ—â—tical and Religious Undertakings which respect 〈◊〉 Church of God in those Days With these are mixed the great Failings and Miscarriages of that King which are as particularly recorded as his other Acts and as
Close of it when Christ shall come to Judgment Thus I have attempted to evince the Perfection of Scripture by enumerating all the Books of both TESTAMENTS and giving you a brief Account of them These Excellent and Incomparable Books are the True Pandects indeed the Books that comprehend all that treat of every thing that is necessary They are the most Valuable Collection of Writings under Heaven they are of all the Books in the World the most worthy of all Acceptation because they are our Infallible Rule and Surest Guide to Wisdom Holiness and Blessedness to the Attainment of the most Desirable Things here and of the most Eligible hereafter If this and all that I have said before do not prove them to be Compleats and Perfect I despair of ever telling you what will CHAP. XI None of the Books of the Holy Scripture are lost Not the Book of the Covenant Nor the Book of the Wars of the Lord Nor the Book of Iasher Nor the Acts of Vzziah An Account of the Book of Samuel the Seer the Book of Nathan the Prophet the Book of Gad the Seer the Book of Iddo the Books of Shemaiah Iehu c. What is to be thought concerning the Books of Solomon mention'd Kings 4. 32. 33. Objections drawn from Jam. 4. 5. from Luke 11. 49. from Acts 20. 35. from Judev. 14. from 1 Cor. 5. 9. from Col. 4. 16. fully satisfied Other Objections from 1 Cor. 7. 6 12 25 2 Cor. 8. 8. 11. 17. particularly answer'd But tho this be a clear and demonstated Truth yet it is question'd and doubted of by some Wherefore the Fourth General Undertaking which I propounded was this to clear the Point of those Objections which are wont to be brought against it and to shew that notwithstanding these the Prefection of Scripture is unshaken First Some tell us that there is a considerable Number of Books mention'd or quoted in Scripture as the Books of the Covenant the Book of the Wars of the Lord the Book of Iasher c. which seem to have been once a Part of this Holy Volume but now are lost Among the Fathers St. Chrysostom who is followed by Theophilact is of this Opinion Bellarmine and several of the Papists hold it Yea some Protestants acknowledg as much Calvin and Musculus and our Whitaker encline this way And Drusius is very angry with any Man that denies that there any Books of Holy Scripture missing Now if this be true there is ground to complain of a Defect and Imperfection in the Sacred Writings by reason of the loss of these Books That therefore which I am to undertake here is to shew that there are no Books mentioned in Scripture as belonging to it but what are now to be found in it and are really a Part of it and consequently that the Holy Writings are not Defective that the Body of Sacred Scripture is not Maimed and Imperfect First As to the Book of the Covenant mention'd in Exod. 24. 7. which some fancy is lost it is not any distinct Book from the Body of the Iewish Laws If we impartially weigh the Place we shall find that it is no other than a Collection or Volume of those several Injunctions and Institutions which we read in the foregoing Chapters viz. 20 21 22 23. which God delivered to Moses on the Mount It is the very same with the Book of the Law Deâ—t 31. 9. That which hath caused a different Perswasion in some is this that these Laws are call'd a Book but I shall make it evident afterwards that this Appellation is of a great latitude and is applied to any sort of Writing by the Hebrews Secondly As for the Book of the Wars of the Lord Numb 21. 14. which is thought to be now wanting the Answer given by some is that this was an Apocrypbal Author and so cannot be said to belong to the Holy Scriptures and consequently the loss of this Book doth not argue the Imperfection of the Bible But tho this way of Solution be tolerable when made use of as to some Other Books hereafter mentioned yet I think there is no need at all of using it here because it is not unlikely according to the Judgment of our Learned English Rabâ—i that Moses refers here to himself and a Book of his own composing for we read that upon the Discomfiture of Amalek God commanded Moses to write it for a Memorial in a Book Exod. 17. 14. and as it follows to rehearse it in the Ears of Joshua So that it may seem to have been some Book of Directions written by Moses for Ioshua's managing of the Wars after him Thus this Learned Writer makes this Book only to be of private use and dictated by an Ordinary not a Divine Spirit wherefore it cannot be one of the Books of the Bible And if this be true then though it be lost yet no Canonical Scripture is lost hereby But from what I shall propound I think it will be found reasonable to believe that the Book in this Place mention'd is one of the received Books of the Old Testament i. e. it is the Book of Iudges which deservedly hath the Name of the Book of the Wars of the Lord because it recounts those Warlike Enterprizes which those Heroâ—ck Spirits stirr'd up by God in an extraordinary Manner were famous for Or Milchamoth Iehovah the Wars of the Lord are as much as the Great Wonderful and Renowned Wars for perhaps the Name of God is used here as in several other Place to augment the Sense and to express the Greatness and Excellency of the Thing fought by the Valiant Iews To any one that consults the Text together with the 26th v. of that Chapter it will plainly appear that this Passage particularly refers to the 11th Chapter of Iudges v. 15 16 17. But if you ask how Moses who was dead long before could write this I answer though he undoubtedly writ the Book of Numbers as well as the rest of the Pentateuch yet some few Passages in this and the other Books may reasonably be supposed to be inserted afterwards by some other Inspired Persons as I have had Occasion to advertise before Ezra it is likely revising this Book added this of what God did in the Red Sea and at the Brooks of Arnon And to give yet more ample Satisfaction to this Scruple I desire it may be observed that though we translate the Text thus It is said in the Book of the Wars c. yet in the Original the Verb is in the future Tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 diceture it shall be said and so we may look upon it as a Prophecy of Moses He here foretels that afterwards it shall be commemorated how God fought for his People When there shall be at solemn Times a Rehearsal of the Jewish Wars then this Passage shall be call'd to mind and made mention of And then we must look upon these two Verses not as cited
Acts 20. 35. It 〈◊〉 more blessed to give than to receive is recited as the Words of the Lord Iesus yet we find them not recorded in the Gospel But our Blessed Master freqâ—ently utter'd Words that were of the like Import as is easy to prove or rather I conceive we may truly say that he spoke this very Sentence for it may be observ'd that what is here quoted is not only call'd the Words of the Lord Iesus but this is added how he said to let us know that he said these very Words when he was upon Earth And many the like Excellent Sayings and Aphorisms he prenounced which as well as innumerable Actions that he did were kept in remembrance by the Apostles but were not written down of which St. Iohn speaks ch 20. v. 30. 21. 25. So that it is impossible to prove hence that any Book belonging to the Sacred Canon is lost As for the Objection grounded on St. Iude v. 14. viz. that Eâ—och's Book which is quoted by this Apostle and if it had not been Canonical it would not have been quoted by him is lost some as Origen Ierom Augustine grant it to be so but deny it to be Canonical it being their Judgment that St. Iude might if he thought â—it alledg an Apocryphal Writer But according to my Apprehension the brief and satisfactory Answer is that there is no mention there of any Book or Writing of â—â—och and therefore none can infer thence that â—ny Book or Writing of his is lost It is only said He prophesied saying c. which he might do and questionless did without penning down any of hiâ— Prophetical Sayings but they were transmitted from Generation to Generation and thence it was 〈◊〉 the Apostle Iude inserted this into his Epistle Nor are we to be concern'd that a Book of Enooh is mention'd by some of the Antient Writers of the Church for 't is well known that they had several Spâ—rious Authors among them and as a Learned Doctor of the sorbon observes all the Fathers exâ—â—pt Terâ—ullian reckon this that went under the Name of Enoch as such But are not some of the Writings of the New Teâ—â—ament wanting seeing there was a Third Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians in order the first I â—rote unto you in an Epistle not to keep Company with â—ornicators 1 Cor. 5. 9. Therefore it appears hence that there was another before this which passes commonly for the first But this is not extant for we have now but two that bear the Name of that â—lessed Apostle Answ. Nor were there ever any more for when he saith he wrote to them in an Epistle he means this very First Epistle he was now writing He refers to what he had said bâ—fore in the former Part of that Chapter and the meaning is When I even now wrote unto you in this Epistle ver 2. not to keep Company with Fornicators I do not mean the Fornicators of this World Thus St. Chrysostom and Theophylact interpret the Place But if I may be permitted to vary from those Excellent Fathers I would propound one of these two ways of understanding the Apostle's Words First it may be he hath reference here to what he saith afterwards in this Epistle ch 6 v. 13. and again v. 18. ch 7. v. 2. where he writes to them to avoid Fornication Wherefore upon reading over this Epistle after he had finish'd it he thought good to insert this and to take notice here of what he saith afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have saith he written to yâ—â— in this Epistle viz. in some of the following Chapters against Fornication and joining your selves to Persons that are noted for that Vice Or else I conceive the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Preterit for the present Tense of which there are very near an hundred Instances in the New Testament and all Men vers'd in Criticism know that there is nothing more common Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used in this very Epistle ch 9. v. 15. Neither have I written these things i. e. at this time in this Epistle that I am now writing This any Man that consults the Context will be forc'd to acknowledg to be the true Sense of the Place whence it appears that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is equivalent with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So you will find the Word must be taken in the 1st Epistle of St. Iohn 2d Chapter you will see and be throughly convinced that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 12 13. is expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 14 21. And thus in the Text that is before us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no other than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I write unto you in this Epistle not to c. Which that it ought to be rendred so is evident from ver 11. which is but a Repetition or Reassumption of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now I write unto you the Adverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shews that it is spoken of the Present Instant Time though the Greek Verb be in the Praeterit This then I offer as the plain Sense of the Text and Context I write unto you O Corinthians in this my Letter not to be mingled so the Word properly denotes with Fornicators or with the Covetous or Extortioners or Idolaters for then you must needs go out of the World there being so great a Multitude of them but this is that which I mean that you should avoid the Company of a Brother i. e. a Professed Christian if he be given to Fornication Covetousness Extortion or Idolatry This is the Thing which I at this time write and signify to you So that you see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the simple and plain Tenour of the Words may convince any Man of it And therefore the true and genuine Translation both of the former and latter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is I write which makes the Apostle's Sense clear and perspicuous I appeal to any Man of Judgment and Sagacity whether this Account of the Words be not exactly adjusted to Grammar and Criticism to the Scope of the Apostle and the Design of the Context besides that it is serviceable to the Business in hand viz. utterly to overthrow the Surmise of an Epistle written to the Corinthians before this which the Apostle is here writing If the Learned Drusius or the Excellent Grotius had weighed these things which I have suggested I doubt not but they would have chang'd their Minds they would not have cried out that this Epistle here spoken of is lost But it is further said that the Apostle writ 〈◊〉 Epiâ—â—le to the Lâ—odiceaâ—s as may be collected from Câ—l 4. 16. which is wanting at this Day that is although iâ— be extant and allowed of by somâ— Authors yet it is not put into the Canon of the New Testament wherefore the Canon is
before it It is not sit that the same Word should have two diverse Readings in the same Verse In v. 6 8 9. let living Creatures be taken out of the Margin and be set in the Text it self in the Place of Beasts which is not a sit Word for those that are represented by that Vision especially when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here is the word which is rightly translated the Beast in this Book In ch 11. v. 17. those Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are not rightly rendred which art and wast and art to come but thus who is and was and is to come In ch 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in v. 13. is translated Wonders in the 14th Miracles which ought to be corrected for the Reason so often given viz. because the same Greek Word should be rendred by the same English one if there be no apparent Cause for the contrary In ch 14. v. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be rendred with them their Works follow with them In ch 16. v. 12. the way of the Kings who are from the Risings of the Sun is the true and literal Version of the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in our present English Translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is absorp'd These are the several Places which I conceive ought to be altered and translated more exactly I say not this to impair or derogate from the Credit and Honour of our English Translation much less to condemn the Present Edition or to expose the Scriptures themselves but my Design is to represent them in their native Excellency and Purity and to contribute by this Critical Essay towards so worthy an End For it is certain that nothing can more commend the Holy Writ than an Exact Translation i. e. such a one as faithfully represents to us the Express Text of Scripture Wherefore I humbly offer the forementioned Places to the Consideration of the Learned and Judicious and leave the whole or part to be approved or rejected as they shall think fit Perhaps when our Church-Affairs are settled this will not seem unworthy of the Thoughts of a Convocation who I question not will see that the Revising and Correcting of our English Translation of the Bible in all or in most of those Places and in several others which I have not here propounded is very requisite It is my judgment that as out of the Vulgar Latin and the Modern Latin Versions one entire one might be made in that Language that should be generally used in Quotations among the Orthodox Learned so a New English Translation might be composed out of this Last Edition as to the main but with such New Alterations and Amendments as should render the Stile and Sense in many Places more accurate and should make it acceptable to the most Curious English Readers And here I advise that the Marginal Notes of the Present English Bible be often consulted because the best and most genuine Translations of Words are frequently put there But in the foregoing Animadversions I have taken no notice of those different Significations of Words which are placed there I have only offer'd those that have not hitherto been observed In the last Place I might add something concerning the Division of the Bible into Chapters and Verses It is not to be doubted that Moses the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles writ their Books without any such Partition and this was the way of all other Writers of old But it appears that the Books of the Prophets were divided afterwards into Parashes before our Saviour's Time and this distribution of them is often mention'd in the Talmuds This was done by the Jews for the more methodical reading of them in the Synagogues Some of the Greek Fathers take notice of this Distribution and consequently it was made before their Time for they mention the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Old Testament which signify the same thing and Ierom speaks of a Pericope of Ieremiah Yea if I mistake not this sort of Sections or Parashes is mention'd in Acts 8. 32. and is call'd there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Books of the Evanglists and Apostles were afterwards divided into certain Sections by some of the Primitive Bishops and Pastors for the more convenient reading of them herein imitating the Iews who had done the same in the Old Testament These are call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Eastern Fathers and Lectiones by the Latin Ones They were the same that we call Chapters Verses were also antient but not the same that are at present nor were all the Books so divided St. Ierom tells us he distributed the Books of the Chronicles and that of Ezekiel into Verses And some of thâ— Books of the New Testament were thus divided particularly the Epistle to the Galatians was parted into these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Origen as Ierom informs us But it is certain that all these Partitions whether into Chapters or Verses wâ—re very much different from what we have at this Day To this purpose 't is observable as Heinsius and some other Criticks out of Suidas relate that the New Testament was divided into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so far as I can gather from the Account which they give of these two the former of these was the division of a Book into Chapters and the latter into Verses or some such small Portion though at this Day there is a quite different Sense of the Words for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the greater division and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lesser As to the Division of the whole Bible consisting of 39 Books of the Old Testament and 27 of the New into distinct Chapters as they are now among us viz. 779 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New it was made by Lanfrank Archbishop of Canterbury about the Year 1060 others say by Stephen Langton who was Archbishop of the same See in K. Iohn's Time about the Year 1200. It is said by others that Cardinal Hugo twenty or thirty Years afterwards was the first that contrived the Distinction of Chapters of the Old Testament for fitting the Hebrew Text to the Concordance of the Bible which he was Author of The dividing of Chapters into Verses was more lately being the Work of the Industrious and Learned Robert Stephens about eightscore Years since But whoever were the first Authors of this Division of the Bible into Chapters and Verses it is certain that it is not rightly made The beginning of the 10th Chap. of Isaiah should not be cut of from the 9th Chapter for it belongs to it and at the Close of the 5th v. of the 10th Chap. which is so now the 9th should end And many other Chapters in the Old Testament are ill divided But especially in the New Testament one may see that the distinction of Chapters and Verses now in
Import signifies a disposing of something is most commoâ—â—ly applied to such a Disposal as is either by Covenâ—â— or Testament Hence it is sometimes rendred 〈◊〉 Covenant and sometimes a Testament especially among the Lawyers the latter Sense prevails and accordingly you will find that a Last Will and Testament is express'd by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Imperial Institutions and other Law-Books translated into Greek We may here join both Senses together for what God hath agreed to by Covenant with Man that Christ bequeaths and gives by Testament Now we must prove both these i. e. we must make it evident that the Covenant and Testament are True before we can receive any Advantage and Benefit from them There is a Necessity of evidencing the Truth of the Scriptures which are this Covenant and this Testament otherwise we can build nothing upon them Here then I. I will evince the Truth and Authority of the Scriptures which is the great Basis of all Theology II. After I have largely insisted on this I will proceed to give you an account of the Nature of the Stile and Phrase of these Holy Books III. I will advance yet farther and demonstrate the Excellency and Perfection of them The Subject of our present Undertaking is the first of these in handling of which I shall but briefly and concisely make use of those Arguments which are commonly insisted upon by Learned Writers till I come to fix upon a Topick which is not commonly yea which is very rarely and by the by used in this Cause and this I will pursue very largely and fully I hope with some Satisfaction to the Reader There are many Arguments to demonstrate the Truth and Authority of the Holy Scriptures and shew that they are worthy to be believed and imbraced by us as the very Word of God Some of these Arguments which are to prove the Truth of these Writings are in common with those that prove the Truth of the Christian Religion on which I shall have occasion to insist at another time but my Design at present is to propound those which are more peculiarly and properly fitted to evince the Truth of the Scriptures And these are either Internal or External The Internal ones I call those which are either in the Scriptures themselves or in Vs. The Characters of Divinity which the Scriptures have in Themselves are either their Matter or the Manner of the writing them I begin with the first the Matter of them and here I will mention only these three Particulars 1. The Sublime Doctrines and Verities which are in Holy Writ In reading this Book we meet with such things as cannot reasonably be thought to come from any but God himself In other Writings which are most applauded the choicest things which entertain our Minds are the excellent Moral Notions and Precepts which they offer to us which are all the Result of Improved Reason and Natural Religion But here are besides these Notices of a peculiar Nature and such as are above our natural Capacity and Invention as the Creation of the World in that Manner as is represented to us in these Writings the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity the Eternal Decrees the Incarnation of Christ the Son of God the Redemption of the World by his Blood the whole Method of Man's Salvation the stupendous Providence of God over his Church in all Ages the Coming of Christ to Judgment and in order to that the raising of all Men out of their Ashes These and several other Doctrines deliver'd in the Sacred Writings cannot be imagined to come from any but God they carry with them the Character of Divinity as being no common and obvious Matters but such as are towring and lofty hidden and abstruse and not likely to be the Product of Humane Wisdom A God is plainly discovered in them for the most Improved Creatures could never have reach'd to this pitch Any serious and thinking Man cannot but discern the peculiar Turn and singular Contrivance of these Mysterious Doctrines which argue them to be Divine We may therefore believe the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles to be the Word of God because of the wonderful Height and Sublimity of those Truths which are contained in them 2. The Exact Purity and Holiness both of Body and Soul of Heart and Life which are enjoin'd in these Writings are another Testimony of their being Divinely Inspired For though some other Books dictate Religion and Piety yet this is certain that all the true and just Measures of them were taken originally from this one Exact Standard which was prior to them all as I shall shew afterwards Besides the Love and Charity the Humility Meekness and all other Vertues which the Scriptures describe to us far exceed the most advantageous Representations the most exalted Ideas which the Heathen Moralists give of them These therefore are emphatically and eminently called by St. Paul the Holy Scriptures 2 Tim. 3. 15. because they breath the most consummate Goodness and Piety and that antecedently to all Writings whatsoever because every thing in them advanceth Holiness and that in Thought Word and Actions The End and Scope of them are to promote Sanctity of Life to make us every way better and even to render us * like God himself The Holy Scripture was intended to set forth the Divine Perfections to display the Heavenly Purity and thereby to commend the Excellency of a holy Life And it is certain that if with sincere and humble Minds we peruse this Book of God we shall find this blessed Result of it it will marvellously instruct us in the Knowledg of the Divine Attributes especially of God's Unspotted Holiness it will tincture our Minds with Religion it will pervade all our Faculties with a Spirit of Godliness and it will thorowly cleanse and sanctify both our Hearts and Lives which proves it to be from God But because I shall have occasion to say more of this when I treat of the Perfection of the Scriptures I will now dismiss it 3. To the Matter of Scripture we must refer the Prophecios and Predictions which are contained in it These I reckon another Internal Argument because they are drawn from what is comprehended in the very Scripture it self What a vast number is there of Prophecies of the Old and New Testament which we find fulfilled and accordingly are Testimonies of the Truth of these Scriptures Here I will a little enlarge and first I will begâ—n with that ancient Prophecy of Noah God shall enlarge Japheth and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem and Canaan shall be his Servant Where are foretold things that happened above two thousand Years afterward for the Posterity of Iapheth viz. the Europeans especially the Greeks and Romans among other Conquests gain'd the possession of Iudea and other Eastern Countries which were the Portion of Shem. Again it was fulfilled thus by Christ's coming and preaching the Gospel and by his
Proposition it is impossible it should gain the Assent of any intelligent and sober Person When we consider the Nature of these Prophecies and what they aim at we must needs own them to be from Him to whom all Future Things are Present and who is the Cause as well as the Foreseer of them And therefore when we observe that the things which the Writers of Holy Scripture have delivered are actually come to pass we may with reason conclude that their Writings are not Forgeries but on the contrary that the Penmen of them were Inspired Persons that they had the Gift of Prophecy which is an infallible Testimony of their Authority These things being thus foretold so long before and being exactly verified since it undeniably follows that the Books which contain these Predictions and are founded on them are True and Certain These Predictions coming from God are an aâ— red Proof that these Writings were endited him they being so great a part of them Thiâ— that which an antient Father long since deliverâ— The foretelling of future things saith he 〈◊〉 Characteristick Note of the Divine Authority 〈◊〉 the Scriptures for this is a thing that is aboâ—â— humane Nature and the Powers of it and 〈◊〉 only â—e effected by the Virtue of the Divine â—â—â—rit We may rely upon it as an impregnaâ— Maxim that the Spirit of Prophecy and the Fâ— filling of Prophecies are a Divine Proof of 〈◊〉 Truth of the Scriptures and are a sufficient Grouâ— to us of believing them to be the Word of Goâ— Thus from the Matter of the Holy Scriptures 〈◊〉 have undeniable Evidence of the Authority aâ— Truth of them Again the Manner of these Writings is anotheâ— Proof of the Divine Authority of them Theâ— are not writ as others are wont to be the Penmeâ— of these Sacred Books do not speak after the raâ—â—â— of other Writers How admirable is the Simplâ— city and Ingenuity of these Men all along Theâ— do not hide their own or others Failings yea eveâ— when they are very gross and scandalous thuâ— Moses recorded not only Noah's Drunkenness and Lot's Incest but his own rash Anger and Unbelieâ— and David registers in the 51st Psalm his own Murder and Adultery Ieremiah relates his own unbecoming Fears Discontents and Murmurings chap. 20. 7 8 14. The Writers of the New Testament conceal not the Infirmities and Defects 〈◊〉 the gross Miscarriages of themselves and of â—heir Brethren as their cowardly leaving of Christ 〈◊〉 his Passion Iohn's falling at the Feet of an Anâ—el to worship him Thomas his Infidelity Iohn â—nd Iames the Sons of Zebedee their unseasonaâ—le Ambition Peter's denying of Christ even with â—erjury This free and plain dealing of the Wriâ—ers of the Old and New Testament shews that â—hey are not the Writings of Men. A Man may â—ee that there is no worldly and sinister Design â—â—rried on in them but that the Glory of God is â—holly intended by their impartial discovery of â—he Truth Which was long since taken notice of â—y Arnobius in answer to that Cavil of the Pagans hat the History of the Gospel was writ by poor 〈◊〉 People and in a simple Manner Therefore â—aith he it is the more to be credited because they write so indifferently and impartially and out of Simplicity This Impartiality and Sincerity of theirs are an irrefragable Argument of the Truth of their Writings And here also you will find an excellent and admirable Composition of Simplicity and Majesty together Though the Strain be High and Lofty yet you may observe that at the same time it is Humble and Condescending To which purpose a Learned Father saith well The Language of Divine Wisdom in the Scripture is Low but the Sense is Sublime and Heavenly whereas on the contrary the Phrase of Heathen Writers is Splendid but the things couched in them are Poor and Mean The Scripture-Writers make it not their work to set off and commend thâ— Writings by being Elaborate and Exact Hâ— are no set Discourses no pointed Arguments 〈◊〉 affected Strains of Logick The Writers 〈◊〉 the Bible saith another antient Father did 〈◊〉 make their Writings in a way of Demonstration these unquestionable Witnesses of the Truth being above all Demonstration Nor shall yâ—â— find here that the Writers strain for Eleganciâ— and florid Expressions as other Authors are wonâ— here is no quaint and curious Method no formâ— Transitions no courting of the Readers no unnecessary Pageantry of Rhetorick to gain Admiration and Attention Especially the Stile of the Evangelists and Apostles is not tumid and affected but plain and simple and scorns the Ornamenâ— and Embellishments of Fancy for as an oâ— Christian said rightly Truth needs no Fucus anâ— Artifice and therefore the Sense not Words are minded in Scripture All good Men ought to be pleased with this Simplicity and Plainness of the Holy Stile of which there is a memorable Instance in an Ecclesiastical Historian who tells us that Spiridion a notable Confessor for the Christian Faith reproved one Tryphilius an Eloquent Man and converted by him to Christianity some time before because speaking one time in the famous Council of Nice he did instead of those Wordâ— of Christ Tolle grabatum tuum say Tolle lectum tuum humilem he reproved him I say and that very sharply for disdaining to use the word which the Scripture it self useth It is true the Words of Scripture seem sometimes to be common and rude and altogether ungraceful sometimes I say for I shall shew afterwards that Scripture is not destitute of its Graces of Speech but that seeming Commonness and Rudeness are great Tokens of the peculiar Excellency of the Stile of Scripture Gregory the Great excusing the Plainness and Rudeness of his Stile in his Comments on Iob professeth that he thought it unworthy of and unbecoming the Heavenly Oracles to restrain them to the nice Rules of Grammar Surely the Writers of the Bible might say so with more reason it became them not to stand upon those Niceties and Formalities of Speech which are so frequent in other Authors for it is fitting there should be a difference between Humane Writings and Divine I agree with a late Ingenious Author who declares that it fits not the Majesty of God whose Book this is to observe the humane Laws of Method and Niceness of Art Inspired Writings must not be like those of Men. The singular Grace of these is that they are not Artificial and Studied but Simple Plain and Careless and that their whole Frame and Contexture are not such as ours An artificial Method is below the Majesty of that Spirit which dictated them This would debase the Scriptures and equal them with the Writings of Men. Wherefore the oftner I look into that Sacred Volume and the more I observe it the more I am convinced that the Pens of the Writers were wholly directed by a Divine Hand For take any of the Books either Doctrinal
or their conforming to the Dialect of their Countrey for these are consistent with That Isaiah being a Courtier and a Person of Quality hath a neat and elegant Stile and yet so as he knows how to vary it according to the Matter he treats of But generally he is Lofty and Eloquent his Stile being raised by his Education which was sutable to his Noble Extraction for he was of the Blood Royal. Ieremiah and Amos being used to the Countrey are mean and homely in their Language the latter especially discovers his Condition and way of Life in his low and rural Strain So in the New Testament St. Luke who had improved himself by Art and Study is very observant of the Greek Elegancy and avoids all improper and exotick Terms in his Gospel and in the Acts. Indeed the Stile of the Sacred Penmen is very different and that Difference is an Excellency in this Book of God But that which I say is this the Writers leave not off their peculiar Stile though they were moved by the Spirit As this furnished them with new Expressions so it let them make use of their own usual ones but immediately directed and assisted them in the applying of them So that at the same time when they used their Natural Stile they were Divinely help'd to make it â—erviceable to that purpose which the Holy Ghost intended Hence I conclude that the Stile and Words and Composure of the Sacred Writings are such as ought to be reckoned Divine For this is one difference between this Book and others that every thing of it is Divine And therefore those Persons who dream of Solecisâ—â— in Holy Scripture are the greatest Solecisers themselves but especially those who assert there are Mistakes and literal Falsities in the Holy Book are utterly to be condemned Such is Episcopius who dares affirm That the Spirit left the Writers of the Holy Scripture to their own humane Frailty in delivering such things as belonged to Circumstances of a Fact Their Knowledg and Memory were deficient and fallible The Spirit did not tell St. Iohn how many Furlongs Christ's Disciples went chap. 6. 19. The same is to be asserted he saith as to some Names and other Circumstances of Time and Place which are not of the substance of the thing And before this you are told by â—â—o others that the Pen-men of Scripture 〈◊〉 in some light things not that they would falâ—â—ty but that they might forget some Passages Melchior Canus is of the opinion that there are some considerable Slips in Scripture from the weakness of the Evangelists and Apostles Memories Yea among the antient Fathers there was one who more grosly held that the Writers of the New Testament sometimes abused the Testimonies of the Prophets of the Old Testament and that they applied them to their present purpose although they were nothing to it Thus St. Paul he saith quoteth the Old Testament in his Epistles to the Romans Galatians and Ephesians only to serve his turn and to confute the Jews his Adversaries Read saith he these Epistles wherein the Apostle is wholly on the Polemick part and you will see how prudently and dissemblingly he acts in those Texts which he citeth out of the Old Testament And at other times this bold Man is not afraid to say that some of the Matters and Things in Scripture are set down wrong This is no less than Profane and Blasphemous Doctrine wherefore that Father is to be read with great Caution in such places as these We on the contrary assert that God was not only the Author of the Matter and Contents of Holy Writ but also of the Words and Expressions yea even when those Writers express their Sense in their own Terms i. e. according to the Way and Dialect which they were Masters of and which was most familiar to them even then they were immediately assisted 〈◊〉 the Spirit Which was absolutely necessary that this Book might have no Errors and Failings in it of any kind but that it might transcend all other Writings whatsoever If you do not hold this you make no considerable difference between the Holy Scriptures and other Writings Therefore I am thorowly convinced that this is a Truth and ought to be maintained viz. that the Holy Spirit endited the very Stile of Scripture that even this was by the immediate Inspiration of Heaven To the Manner of its writing I may well annex its Harmony and thence also prove it to be Divine Though there are several seeming Repugnancies of which I shall treat afterwards in a Discourse of the Stile of Scripture and endeavour to clear them up to the Satisfaction of every sober and considerate Person yet it cannot but be acknowledged that all the Parts of this Book do entirely agree and are consistent with one another This in other Books which are composed and written by one Author is not so admirable tho in those Pieces we oftentimes meet with very palpable Disagreements and Contradictions but here we are able to remember that notwithstanding these Books were written by different Persons and those many in number and disagreeing in Quality and extremely distant as to Time and Place yet their Writings contradict not one another but there is an excellent Harmony in all their Parts there is a perfect Concord and Consent among them all such as is not to be found in any other Authors in the World though of the same Sect and Party Excellently to this purpose a very Wise and Judicious Man thus speaks When several Men in several Ages not brought up under the same Education write it is not possible to find Unity in their Tenents or Positions because their Spirits Judgments and Fancies are different but where so many several Authors speaking and writing at several times agree not only in Matters Dogmatical of sublime and difficult Natures but also in Predictions of future and contingent Events whereof it is impossible for humane Understanding to make a Discovery without a superiour Discovery made to it I must needs conclude one and the same Divine Spirit declared the same Truths to these several Men. And as to the seeming Contrarieties of some Places of Scripture this should not at all trouble us for this is rather an Argument of the Truth and Authority of it it is a sign the Writers did not combine together to cheat and delude us If they had designed any such thing we should not have met with any Difficult and seemingly Repugnant Places in these Writings But seeing we do so this among other things may confirm us in this Belief that the Scriptures were not contrived by Men who had a design to impose upon us for if they had had such a Design they would have so ordered it that not the least appearance of Contradiction and Difference should have been found But truly there is no necessity of proceeding thus in this Discourse for to an unprejudiced and industrious Enquirer there is
nothing in Scripture that looks like Inconsistent and Contradictory Upon a diligent Search we shall discern a mutual Correspondence in the Stile Matter and Design of these Writings we shall find a happy Concurrence of Circumstances and an admirable Consistency in the Doctrines and Discourses in so much that we shall be forced to acknowledg that upon this single Consideration it is reasonable to believe that these Writings were endited by the Holy Spirit This Harmony then of the Scriptures I may justly reckon among the Inward Notes of the Truth of Scripture because it is adjoined to the Matter of it which is of the very Intrinsick Nature of it What Iustinian professes and promises concerning his Digests in his Preface to them that there is nothing Clashing and Contradictory in them but that they are all of a piece is true only of the Sacred Laws of the Evangelical Pandects which contain in them nothing Dissonant and Repugnant The Old and New Testament the Prophets and Apostles are consonant to themselves and to one another which is a great Argument of the Truth of them There is nothing in one Place of Scripture opposite to the true Meaning which the Holy Ghost hath revealed and asserted in another The Contents of the whole Book whether you look into the Doctrinal or Historical Part of it have nothing contradictory in them All the Authors of it agree in their Testimonies and assert the same thing and consent among themselves It is the Nature of Lies and Forgeries that they hang not together as Lactantius on the like Occasion hath observed Especially if you search very inquisitively and narrowly into them you will perceive that they are thin and slight and may easily be seen through But the Contents of these Writings have been diligently inquired into and with great Care and Industry examined by all sorts of Persons and yet they are found to be every ways Consistent with themselves and the Testimony of the Writers is known to be Concurrent and Agreeing All wise and curious Observers must needs grant that there is no Book under Heaven that parallels the Scriptures as to this Which shews that they are more than Humane Writings yea that they were Divinely inspired and dictated And this I take to be the Sense of St. Peter who assures us that no Prophecy of the Scripture is of private Interpretation He speaks of the first Rise of those Prophecies which are in Scripture they are from God they are not of private Interpretation they are not from Man's Invention they are not of his own Brain and Fancy but they are to be esteem'd to be as they are Divine and Heavenly Oracles Thus the Word of God is Witness to it self and stands in need of no others The Scripture is sufficiently proved by what is in it and is to be believed for its own sake Which made an antient Writer say We have compleat Demonstrations out of the Scriptures themselves and accordingly we are demonstratively assured by Faith concerning the Truth of the things therein delivered Which cannot be said of any humane Writings in the World for they carry no such Native Marks with them But the very Inward Notes of the Truth and Authority of the Scriptures create in us a certain and unshaken Belief They may be known from all other Writings whatsoever by the Excellent Transcendent and Divine Matter contained in them and by the peculiar Manner of delivering and publishing it These I call Internal Proofs because they are taken from the Books themselves because they are something that we find there These assure us that they were written not by Man but by God There is yet another Internal Testimony I call it so because it is within Vs though not in the Scriptures As I have shewed you that the Holy Spirit speaks in the Scriptures and bears Testimony to the Truth of them so now I add that this Spirit speaks in Vs and works in our Hearts a Perswasion that the Scriptures are the Word of God By this Spirit we are enabled to discern the Voice of the same Spirit and of Christ in those Writings This witnessing Power of the Spirit in the Souls of Believers is asserted in Acts 5. 32. 15. 7 8. and in 1 Iohn 5. 6. From these Places it is clear that there is an Illumination of the Spirit joining with our Consciences and Perswasions and this Spirit powerfully convinces all Believers of the Truth of the Scriptures This Testimony follows immediately on our setting before us the Inward Excellencies of the Scripture as I have represented them for God makes use of those Evidences and Arguments to beget a Belief in us of the Divine Authority of Scripture The Spirit enlightens and convinces Mens Minds by those Means but more especially he urges these Evidences on the Hearts of the Religious and Faithful and thereby brings them to a firm Perswasion of the Scriptures being the Word of God This is no Enthusiasm because it is discovered to us by proper Means and Instruments whereas that is without any and is generally accompanied with the despising of them But the Evidences and Notes in the Scripture are the Reasons and Motives of our Belief only the Holy Spirit comes and prepares and sanctifies our Minds and illuminates our Consciences and causes those Arguments and Motives to make Impression upon us and effectually to prevail with us and to silence all Objections to the contrary Thus the Truth of Scripture is attested by the Holy Spirit witnessing in us But when I say the Testimony of the Spirit is a Proof of the Truth of the Scripture I must adjoin this that this Proof serves only for those that have this Spirit it may establish them but it cannot convince others No other Man can be brought to be perswaded of the Truth of those Sacred Writings by the Spirit 's convincing me of the Truth of them Besides this Proof is not in all that really believe the Truth of these Books some may be convinced of the Truth of them without this but where this is it is most Powerful and Convictive and surpasses all other degreâ— of Perswasion whatsoever There is no such câ—tain knowledg of the Truth of these Holy Wâ— tings as by the Testimony of the Sacred Spirit 〈◊〉 the Hearts of Men produced there in a ration â— way and in such a manner as is most sutable 〈◊〉 our Faculties CHAP. II. External Proofs of the Truth of the Holy Scriptureâ— Viz. the wonderful Preservation of them and Vniversal Tradition Which latter is defended against the Objections of those that talk of a New Character wherein the Old Testament is written Thâ— Iewish Masoreth attests the Authority of these Writings The Hebrew Text is not corrupted The Points or Vowels were coexistent with the Letters F. Simon 's Notion of Abbreviating the Historicâ—â— Books of the Old Testament rejected The New Tement vouched by the unanimous Suffrage of the Primitive Church The
Reasons why the Apocryphal Writings are not received into the Canon of the Bible with an Answer to the Objections made by the Romanists SEcondly I proceed to the External Testimonies of the Truth of the Scriptures which being added to those Arguments which proved them to be True in Themselves will exceedingly corroborate our Belief of the Divine Authority of those Books And here I might mention the Testimony given to them by God in the wonderful Preservation of them through all Ages since they were first written In all the Changes of Affairs and the Overthrow of so many Cities and Kingdoms that Incomparable Treasure hath not been lost The Books of the Old Testament were kept untouched and inviolable at the sacking and burning of Ierusalem and all the time of the Captivity in Babylon and of the Dispersion of the Jews And ever since that time the Scriptures have been Unaltered in Words and Sense notwithstanding the frequent Endeavours of Satan's busy Agents to corrupt them yea utterly to destroy them And next to God's Providence in preserving these Books thrô all Times and Ages we might add the marvellous Success which hath attended the Holy Faith and Doctrine contained in these Writings They have prevail'd against the Power of Men and Devils and to this very day they are maintained and upheld maugre the Attempts of both of them to root them out of the World But I wave this intending not to insist upon Divine but Humane Testimony in this place By External Testimony then I mean here no other than this that Scripture is attested by Vniversal Tradition and this Tradition is both of Jews and Christians And what would a Man desire more in a humane way for attesting the Truth of these Writings From the joint Attestation of these Witnesses I shall make it appear that these Books which we now have are the true Copies of the first Originals that the same Books and Authors are faithfully delivered down to us which were first of all delivered to the Jews and to the Primitive Christians and that there is nothing in these Writings as we now have them that is falsified or corrupted First to begin with the Books of the Old Testament the Names of which are as follow Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Ioshuâ— Iudges Ruth the 1st and 2d Books of Samuel thâ— 1st and 2d Books of Kings tho 1st and 2d Books 〈◊〉 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Iob the Psalmâ— Proverbs Ecclesiastes the Song of Solomon the foâ—â— Greater Prophets and the twelve Lesser These and none but these were admitted into the Canâ— of the Holy Scriptures by the antient Church oâ— the Iews whose Testimony is very Authenticâ— here yea indeed we cannot have a better They acquaint us that these were the Only Writingâ— that were universally agreed by them to be extraordinarily Inspired and they further tell us that these Books which were writ by different Persons and at diverse Times were first compiled and collected into One Body or Volume by Ezra and the Assembly of Doctors for that purpose and consequently that the Canon of Sacred Scripture of the Old Testament as it is at this time was not constituted till Ezra's days by the Great Synagogue as they call it Upon his Return from the Captivity he undertook this good Work he gathered together all those dispersed Books before named and after he had reviewed them he publickly owned and solemnly vouched the Authority of every one of them that the Church for the future might not doubt of their being Authentick and True But some add here by way of Objection that this holy Man caused these Books to be written over in a New Character because the Jews had lost their knowledg of the former one as well as of the Tongue and consequently the Bible is not the same that it was at first Eusebius and Ierom are alledged for this especially the latter who seems to say that the Samaritan Character was the Old Hebrew Character in which the Bible was first writ and that it was first changed by Ezrd after the Return from Babylon he writing â—he Sacred Volume over in Assyrian or Chaldee Letters and neglecting the Old Hebrew ones which were the same that the Samaritan are And the reason of this was they say because the Jews were best acquainted with this Character at that time And some Modern Writers are gain'd over to this Opinion who talk much of the Change of the Character and endeavour to perswade us that the first and old Letters of the Hebrew Text were Samaritan but that those which we now have are Assyrian and of quite another sort But upon an impartial Enquiry I find little or no Foundation for this Opinion It rather seems to me to be an Invention and Dream of those who design to disparage the Hebrew Bible They would perswade us that the Authority of the Original is impaired because we have it not now as it was at the beginning for the Old Bible was in Samaritan Letters these being the first and antientest Hebrew Characters This is like the Story of the Hebrew Points being invented five hundred Years after Christ of which afterwards which tends to the same End namely to discredit the Hebrew Text which we now have and wholly to take away its Authority for if the Letters were changed it is probable some Words and consequently the Sense of some Places are altered But that this is groundless and that the Hebrew Bible is written in the same Characters now that it was at first you will find very largely and convincingly proved by the famous Buxtorf from the Authâ—rity of the Talmud especially the Gemara 〈◊〉 the Cabala from the Suffrage of the most Notâ— Rabbins of old and of the Learned Modern Jeâ—â— as Aben Ezra R. Solomon R. Ben Maimon â— who without doubt are very competent Judges 〈◊〉 this Case To these may be added several of 〈◊〉 Christian Perswasion as Picus Mirandula F. Iuniâ— Skikkard Postellus with those three Eminent Persons of our own Countrey Nic. Fuller Broughtâ—â— Lightfoot If you consult these they will satisfyâ— you that the Hebrew Letters which we have now in the Bible were the Primitive ones the very same that were of old But to give you my Thoughts impartially in this Point I do believâ— from what I find asserted by Writers on both sides that there were two sorts of Characters used by the Jews as there were two sorts of Cubits and Shekels the Sacred and Common and I gather that the Samaritan Letter was of the latter sort that which was commonly used and even sometimes in transcribing the Bible but the Sacred Character in use among the Jews was this which we now have and in which the Bible is at this day This is the true Original Hebrew Letter and was used from the beginning by them This I think may reconcile the Disputes among Writers for so far as I can perceive the Quarrels arise from this that there is
frequent mention made in Jewish and other Authors of the Bible's being written in an old Samaritan Character whence it was inferr'd by some that this was the Primitive Character wherein the Bible was written and consequently that this which we now have is not the true Genuine Character But I answer this doth not follow for this Samaritan Vulgar Character was not the first and antientest though it was sometimes in use but the Sacred Character now called the Hebrew Character is really such and is the true and most antient Letter wherein this holy Book was written This is the Authentick Letter which God himself graved the Law in and thence had the Name of the Sacred Character but the other called the Common and Vulgar was not in that esteem it being a Deviation from that Primitive one And yet to speak freely there was no great difference between these two Characters the latter being only some Variation and Degeneracy from the former which happened by length of Time This is the real Truth of the Matter and it solves the Controversy and ends all the Disputes on both sides And the Learned French Critick who seem'd to be of another Opinion comes over at last to this when he tells us That there is no reason for Criticks to dispute so fiercely about the first Hebrew Characters for if we attentively consider and compare together the Samaritan and Hebrew Characters we shall find that the difference between them is not so great but that they may be thought to have had one and the same Origine And he grants also that 't is from the Succession of so many Ages which is wont to produce some Alteration that there hath been this Variation from their first Figure But this is inconsiderable so that both Characters may be said to be the same We have no ground then to think that Ezra changed the Character but that he only amended the Defects and Slips which he found in the Hebrew for by consulting and comparing the several Copies he purged them from the Errors and Miâ—takes which were contracted in the time of thâ— Captivity And after he had caused the Books 〈◊〉 be fairly written out he put them into that Ordeâ— in which now they are placed and so he may bâ— said to be the Composer of the Old Testament intâ— that Model we see it now in And from his revising the Books and mendinâ— them by comparing of Copies was the first beginning of Keri and Chetib as most of the Learneâ— Jews assert for where the Copies disagreed oâ— where two Readings were probable there werâ— made Variae Lectiones the one was put into thâ— Margent and is called Keri the other into thâ— Text and is called Chetib I know some ascribâ— these not to Ezra but to the Doctors of Tiberiasâ— but here as before I am willing to compromisâ— the Quarrel and therefore we may ascribe theâ— to both they being begun by Ezra and augmented by the others afterwards This was one waâ— to keep the Bible entire and uncorrupted and bâ— the Favour of Divine Providence it has been transmitted so to us At the same time also the Canon 〈◊〉 Scripture was digested into Partitions and Divisions as now it is and there was then laid the Foundation of the Masorah or Masoreth which becamâ— afterwards part of the Jewish Cabala which abouâ— the Year of our Lord 494 was committed to writing by some skilful Grammarians and hath beeâ— very useful for preserving the Old Testament There are three several Species of this Cabala 〈◊〉 they tell us the first is Gematria from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Mathematical Consideration of the Text of the Bible the mystical numbring of the Letters and an account of the Great and Little Letters in Words The second is Notariaca an Exposition of Scripture from certain Notes Characters Lines and Points belonging to the Hebrew Text. More particularly Noteriekon or Notaricon or Notariaca for I find that 't is thus differently express d in Writers is when one Letter stands for a whole Word This way of Cabalizing gave the Name to Iudas Maccabaeus who writ on his Standards and Ensigns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the Abbreviature or first Letters of those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 15. 11. and by putting Vowels to the Consonants they read it Maccabi The third is Temurah Mutatio which is made by the transposition of the same Letters whence another Word ariseth which explains the Word that is transposed Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is explain'd by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Terra which contains the same Letters Thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Noah is said to have found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace or Favour Gen. 6. 8. The Letters are the same but transposed So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 23. 23. is by Metathesis expounded by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dan. 12. 1. i. e. the Messias say the Jewish Doctors But the first and second way of Cabalizing which obtain the Name of Masoreth are the most considerable to our present Purpose These Critical Observations on the Bible made of old and delivered from one to another whence they have their Denomination treat of the Mysteries of Letters why some Words are in Greater others in Lesser Characters as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a Great Vau Levit. 11. 42. So they observe there is an open Mem at the end of a Word in Neh. 2. 13. and a close Mem in the middle in Isa. 9. 7. The Masorites likewise have taken notice of the Likeness and Difference of Words by Similitude oâ— Diversity of Letters and Points they have madâ— Remarks on irregular and extraordinary Pointings they have observed the Variety of Accentâ— and so criticized on all these in the several Placeâ— of the Old Testament that there cannot be 〈◊〉 Change made in the Hebrew Copies but it muâ—â— be presently seen In this Masoreth on the Hebreâ— Text they have reckoned which Verse in thâ— Psalms is the middle one and which Letter is thâ— middle Letter in that whole Book viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in thâ— word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Psal. 80. 13. Yea they havâ— counted all the Verses and Words all the Accentâ—â— Letters and Vowels that are in every single Bookâ— from which critical Enumeration those Transcrâ—bers of the Bible were called by the Jews Sopheriâ— i. e. Numberers and at the bottom of every Vâ—lume they have set down the exact Number of 〈◊〉 these and at last they reckon how many there aâ— in the whole Bible of the Old Testament Fathâ—â— Simon indeed saith they mistake in their Accompâ—â— but that is more than he proves and I do 〈◊〉 think he ever took the pains as great a Criticâ—â— on the Bible as he is to cast them up There 〈◊〉 good reason to believe that the Iewish Criticks 〈◊〉 the Old Testament are more to be credited in 〈◊〉 Particular than the French one However froâ— what hath
been said it appears that the Jews weâ—â— very careful and studious very exact and curioâ—â— in Scripture by which means it happens that theâ— is an Impossibility of making any Alteration in 〈◊〉 without being discovered That is the only Reâ—son of my alledging here the Masoretick Notes 〈◊〉 I undertake not to defend the superstitious Râ—â—marks and Criticisms of the Masorites I applaud not their laborious Niceties their childish Transmutations and shuflling of Letters and Syllables their trifling Annotations on the Figure and Make of some Hebrew Letters But I only take notice of God's Providence in making these Critical Men to be very serviceable towards the preserving the Bible of the Old Testament in its Purity The Observations of these Masoretick Doctors who were Persons of great Skill in the Language and well acquainted with all the antient Copies and Manuscripts and who above a thousand Years ago exactly numbred all the Verses Words Letters and even the minutest parts of the Hebrew Text have been a great Security and Preservative to it they have kept it undepraved and uncorrupt and have made the Reading of it certain and unalterable This is the reason why that Excellent and Noble Personage the Learned Picus Mirandula so highly extols the Hebrew Cabala without doubt he saw this Usefulness and Excellency in it Nay before these Doctors of Tiberias drew up their Masoretick Notes there was it is probable extant something of this nature They had before this time some Accompt not only of all the Letters of the Bible but of all the Apices of them for to this our Saviour alludes in Mat. 5. 18. Not one Iot or one Tittle which latter is meant of those little Horns Pricks and Dots belonging to the Hebrew Letters Not only the smallest Letters as Iod but the Cuttings of those Letters were diligently observ'd by the Masoretick Jews And this their nice and almost fond Criticism was serviceable to the keeping of the Hebrew Text entire and unchanged Thus the Masoreth as they express it is a Hedg or Fence to the Law Theâ— critical Notes and Remarks of the old Jews havâ— preserved the Text of the Bible from being corrupted and abused So that we may from henâ— gather that we have in our hands the same Heâ—brew Text which was at first given by God to 〈◊〉 People But some tell us that the Old Testament 〈◊〉 bâ—rnt at the same time when the Temple was 〈◊〉 that Ezra after the Captivity dictated and writ 〈◊〉 over again according to what we find recordâ—â— in 2 Esdras 14. 21 23 24. So there was some Recovery of the Law but the Original Book beinâ— lost it cannot be imagined but that there are many â—aults and Mistakes in This which we have 〈◊〉 present I answer Either this Passage in the Aâ—pocryphal Writer speaks of some other Book distinct from that of the Mosaick Law or it is to bâ— reckoned as fabulous and supposititious and so 〈◊〉 Creditâ— is to be given to it for in Nehem. 8. 2 3. there is mention of the Book of the Law being broughâ— before the Congregation and its being read before 〈◊〉 Men and the Women but not a Syllable of the Maâ—tâ—r mentioned in Esdras is hero to be found Yes 't is implied that the Book of the Law was still the same for you may observe that there is a particular Account of what the Chaldeans destroyed and burnt and carried away at the taking of Ierusâ—â—em but there is not a word of these holy Books which most certainly would have been taken notice of they being of so inestimable a Vaâ—â—â— Morcover if we should suppose the Law was burnt in the Temple yet there were many Copies of it among the Jews which without doubt were preserved We have no reason therefore to suspect that the Hebrew Original of the Old Testament is corrupted But some of the Antient Fathers in the Christian Church as well as some Learned Moderns have asserted that the Hebrew is corrupted I answer first as to the Fathers it is granted that Iustin Martyr declares himself to be of this Opinion In his Dialogue with Trypho he considently assirms that the Jews erased many things out of the Bible and he assigns particular Instances in the Psalms Isaiah and Ieremiah And this they did saith he because they hated Christ and his Religion and thought some of those Places favoured the Christian Cause too much Here by the by you may take notice of that great Mistake and Oversight in Bishop Ward 's Essays where he peremptorily asserts that never any of the Antient Fathers have in their greatest heat of Zeal against the Iews accused them of such Corruption i. e. of the Scriptures But this is not the first time that Iustin Martyr hath suffer'd himself to be impos'd upon in matter of Historical Truth This among others is questionless a gross Mistake of that good Man and his strong Averseness to the Jews and his belief of their Willingness and Readiness to deprave the Scriptures for their own Ends betrayed him to it As for other Fathers as Tertullian Irenaecus Origen Eusebius who it is true sometimes complain that the Scripture is corrupted by the Jews they speak of their adulterating the Text rather as to the Sense than as to the Words they mean that the Translations which the Jews used were false for they generally adhered to Aquila's and Theodotion's Version and preferr'd it before that of the Seventy Whence their Interpretations of Scripture were unsound and erroneous and thereby they sometimes set up Judaism against Christianity But this was done without corrupting thâ— Hebrew Copies of the Bible And that the Jewâ— had been guilty of no such thing is expresly asserted and maintained by Ierom and Augustine two Antient Fathers of a great Fame for Learning and Piety as those before named These worthy Persons refute that Suspicion and Rumour which it seems were then risen namely that thâ— Jews had adulterated the Hebrew Text. Thesâ— Fathers not only declare that they did no such thing but they praise them for their Faithfulness in preserving the Bible pure and uncorrupt Then as to some of the Moderns who have asserted the Hebrew Copies to be faulty and depraved it is easy to see what it was that prompted them to it The Hebrew Text is corrupted and so is that of the Septuagint say the Romanists but the old Vulgar Latin is uncorrupt and infallible so determines the Tridentine Council Several of that Communion have written against the Purity of the Hebrew Copies and laboured to prove them corrupt but Morinus hath shewed himself more zealous than all of them in this Point and he frankly confesseth this was his main Design in it viz. to baffle the Protestants who make the Scripture the Rule of their Faith and Manners If the Originals of the Bible be lost and the Transcripts be defective and erroneous how can the Bible be a certain Rule What will become then of the
them they were once doubted of that for the future they might be unquestionable And to come down to latter Times what if two or three Men of late as Hemmingius Baldwin Eckard think some of the Books of the New Testament Apocryphal And what if Luther himself seem'd to say as much What doth this signify in respect of the universal and concurrent Judgment of others And as for the rest of the Books of the New Testament they were never doubted of at all but have the Approbation of the whole Church And that the new Testament was first written in Greek as we now receive it is attested by the Universal Consent of the Antients who made enquiry into these things Only two Books are excepted by some for though many of the Learned Moderns maintain that St. Matthew's Gospel was written originally in Greek yet it is not to be denied that some of the Fathers hold it was written first in Hebrew for the sake of the believing Jews and if you will believe St. Ierom the original Hebrew was extant in his time and he translated the Gospel into Latin from that Copy Who turn'd it into Greek is not certain but it was either by St. Matthew himself or by some Apostolical Person inspired by the Holy Ghost so that the Greek we now have is from the same Spirit and of the same Authority with the other The Fathers likewise generally say that St. Paâ—â— writ the Epistle to the Hebrews in their own Tongue and that St. Luke or St. Clement turn'd it into Greek The contrary is held by some Moderns particularly Cajetan among the Romanists and by many of the Reformed-Way But excepting I say these two Books it is universally agreed that the whole New Testament was written in Greek and one Reason might be because so great a number of Jews lived among the Greeks and used their Tongue and therefore this part of the Bible was sitly writ in Greek as the other was long before translated into that Tongue for the use of the Jews For the sake of these dispersed Jews therefore called the dispersed among the Gentiles or according to the Original the Dispersion of the Greeks John 7. 35. who understood and spake the Greek Language the New Testament was put forth in that Tongue Moreover this was the most generally received Language at that time and therefore the fittest for the propagating the Gospel This is a very good Argument for tho I do not think the jâ—ws at Ierusalem spake no other than the Greek Tongue among themselves as Isaac Vossius confidently holds and is therein rightly blamed and confuted by the late French Critick yet I am satisfied that the Greek Tongue was universally undâ—rstood and was with the Latin the Language of the Empire and therefore was most proper for the communicating the Christian Religion to the World Tully acquaints us that in all the Roman Empire Greek was vulgarly understood It is no wonder therefore that the New Testament was writ in that Tongue and that St. Paul writes not only to the Galatians c. but to the Romans in Greek for they all understood it It was the Modish and Courtly way of Speech at Rome as the French is now with us Their very Women affected to learn and speak Greek for which they are jeer'd by the Satyrist who calls Rome the Greek City In short all the Eastern People spoke Greek more or less from the time that Alexander the Great and his Captains spread their Dominion in the East The Syrians Egyptians Persians and People of the Lesser Asia were acquainted with that Language The Jews of any considerable Quality understood Greek as well as their own Tongue whence Iosephus a Jewish Priest or of the Priestly Stock writ his Books in Greek The Evangelists and Apostles then might well write in the same Tongue it being so common and every where understood Especially it is no wonder on another account that St. Paul writ in Greek for it was his native Tongue he being of Tarsus which was a City of Greece We may then very justly look upon the Greek Language as the Original Text of the New Testament And it is generally agreed that these Greek Copies which we now have and use are True and Authentick though in some things they differ and none are observed to oppose this but those who do it upon some Interest and Design i. e. to maintain some peculiar Opinion which they have taken up The Variety of Readings should not prejudice us much less ought we to alter the Readings of the Copies and to substitute new ones at our pleasure Which is the Fault of Theodore Beza though on other accounts an Excellent Person and one that hath highly deserved of the Church of God yet he is unsufferably bold in coining new Readings of the Text. When he cannot find the Sense of a Place he presently questions the Truth of the Copy and produceth a new Reading which hath brought a great Scandal upon his Annotations on the New Testament which otherwise are fraught with admirable Learning and discover his profound Skill in Divine Criticism It is certain that the Greek and Latin Manuscripts which he pretends to are a Cheat for questionless they would have been taken notice of in the first Ages of Christianity if there had been any such thing Therefore it is downright Imposture and Beza was grosly deluded by it Let us from his Miscarriage learn to be cautious and not to venture so boldly upon altering the Greek Copies This is a very rash and unaccountable Undertaking especially in a single Person and much more when it is very usual and frequent To speak next both of the Old and New Testament together The Authority of them is established by considering this that though Bellarmine and others of the Roman Communion who are followed by Lewis Cappel and some others that go under the Name of Protestants cry out that the Bible is altered and corrupted by the Negligence of the Transcribers and that the Text is uncertain by reason of the different Readings and Variety of Translations which is done out of design viz. to debase the Authority of the holy Writings and to make Men fly to Traditions and rest wholly in the Authority of the Church and I wish I might not add thereby to undermine some of the Foundations of Religion yet this is certain that the various Readings of the Old and New Testament are not so many as are pretended and all the various Copies in Hebrew and Greek which are found in all Nations at this Day do agree in all material Points and the Scriptures being translated from those Copies into many Languages concur in the same substantial things Again as to those various Readings which are produced we may justly alledg the Words of an Excellent Man They are not Arguments saith he of the Scriptures Corruption but of God's Providence and of Human
Industry to preserve Scripture from Corruption We may gather from this Diversity of Readings that Men have been very inquisitive and careful in their comparing of Copies but we cannot thence argue that the Text is adulterated yea rather we may infer that it is not for from this comparing and vying of Copies we come to know and be ascertain'd which is the True and Authentick one And we may farther add with the same excellent Author That it is morally impossible since our Saviour's time and indeed for many hundred Years before that that the Scriptures particularly of the Old Testament should have been corrupted for the Multitude of Copies was then such hath been since much more such and so far dispersed that neither one Man nor one Body of Men could ever get them into their hands to corrupt them and if some few or mâ—â—â—ny Copies had been corrupted but not all thâ—â— sincere Number would have detected the corrupt Again let it be consider'd that the antient Orthodox Writers of the Church do all ciâ—â— these Scriptures as we now have them in everything material Yea that most Hereticks have pleaded these same Scriptures and denied them not to be genuine To establish us yet further we must remember that these Writings have been openly read to the People in all their solemn Assemblies in the several Ages since Christianity began and they being thus constantly used could not possibly be altered and corrupted Besides that all private Christians were exhorted to read and use them in their Families whereby they became so known and familiar that whenever any Alteration was made they could presently observe it Lastly notwithstanding the Author of a late Tractate hath brought divers Objections against the usual Tradition that such and such Books of the Bible were wrote by the Authors whose Names they bear and though Mr. Hobbs before him had done the same yet neither of them have effected it with any Success This is all they have done they have only shewed that they are not so civil to the holy Writings as they are to the profane ones for it is every whit as clear that the Books of the Holy Scripture were written by the Persons under whose Names they go as that any other Writings were put out by those whose Names they bear Nor can these Men vouchsafe to shew that Civility to these Sacred Books which even Iews and Gentiles have done for when both â—hese opposed these Books you will not find that they ever questioned the Authors but the Doctrine only We are therefore to look upon these Men and such as take part with them as acting with higher Prejudice than either Jews or Heathens did and accordingly we are to slight what they say unless it be thus far that from their impotent and malicious Cavils we may be further confirmed in this Perswasion that these Books of the Old and New Testament were indeed written by those Authors under whose Names they are now received that these Scriptures which we now have are the same which the Primitive Church received from the Apostles that the Copies we have of the Bible are not corrupted that God hath preserved the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament from all considerable Change and Depravation his Providence not suffering any such thing that the Canon of Scripture which is now received is the very same that it was at first and which is the Sum of all that the Truth and Authority of it are impregnable It may be expected I should speak of the Apoâ—ryphal Books which I have not reckoned among the Inspired Writings For doing this I have good reason for I find them excluded from the Canon of Scripture by those that are the best Judges of it I mean the Iews who were the great Keepers of the Scripture They never took these into the number of the Books of Holy Writ and that for these two Reasons First because they were not writ by the Prophets The Jews believed that the Spirit of Prophecy ceased among them as soon as Malachi had done prophesying They owned no Divine Inspiration after his time and accordingly received not the Apocryphal Books into the Canon of Scripture i. e. Books Divinely inspired 〈◊〉 was written after Malachi's time who was 〈◊〉 last Prophet was not Canonical was not of 〈◊〉 Authority and therefore is not emphatical called Scripture For as St. Paul informs us 〈◊〉 Scripture is given by Inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3. 〈◊〉 That is the Mark and Criterion of Scripture 〈◊〉 is back'd by St. Peter 2 Pet. 1. 21. Holy Men 〈◊〉 God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 those Writings which were not by Inspiration 〈◊〉 God nor from the immediate Motion of the 〈◊〉 Ghost are not to be reckoned as Holy Scriptuâ—â— and such are the Apocryphal Writings they werâ—â— written after the cessation of Prophecy and Diviâ—â— Inspiration and so they are not of Divine Authâ—â—rity and cannot be esteemed Canonical Scriptureâ—â— Secondly the Jews received not the Apocrypha 〈◊〉 to their Canon because it was written in Greek not in Hebrew as all the Canonical Books are For God would not they say give them Scripturâ— in an Unknown Tongue The Oracles of Goâ— were to be committed to his People in the Authentick Language which is that of the Jews The Apocryphal Writings being not such are rejected by them and not taken into the Canon of Sacreâ— Writ And as they were not received by the Jewiâ— Church so not by the Christian one You cannot but observe that Christ and the Apostles who frequently quote the Canonical Books never quoâ—â— any of the Apocryphal ones which gives us to understand that they were not reputed as Inspired Writings otherwise it is most reasonable to think that our Saviour or his Apostles and Evangelists would at one time or other have cited some one Passage at least out of these Books it being their great Work as you may see to prove the Truth of what they delivered from the holy Scriptures which were inspired by God in former Times They embraced all Occasions of establishing Christianity upon the Writings of the Inspired Prophets who went before therefore if the Apocryphal Writers had been of that number they would certainly have been quoted by them and because they are not it is an Argument that they are not Inspired Writers Again the Christian Church which immediately succeeded that which was in the Days of Christ and the Apostles received not these Writings as Divinely inspired and therefore excluded them from the Canon of Scripture Look into the Writings of the antient Fathers of the Church who without doubt made it their business to search into the Canon of Scripture and to be satisfied which were the Divinely inspired Books and there you will see that those of the Eastern Church received only the Jews Canon of Scripture as to the Old Testament Thus Origen recites the Canonical Books of it as they are now reckoned viz. two
and twenty after the number of the Hebrew letters And Cyril of Ierusalem hath these express Words Read these two and twenty Books but have nothing to do with the Apocryphal ones Study and meditate only on these Scriptures which we conâ—idently read in the Church The Apostles and first Bishops were true Guides and were more wise and religious than thou art and these were the Men that delivered these Scriptures to us Thou then being a Son of the Church do not go beyond her Bounds and Orders but acknowledg and study only the two and twenty Books of the Old â—â—â—stament And other Fathers of the Churâ—â— as Melito Bishop of Sardis Athanasius Amphiloâ—â—us Epiphanius Eusebius Gregory Nazianzen Gâ—â—gory the Great Basil Chrysostom testify that 〈◊〉 Books and no others of the Old Testamâ—â—â— which we receive now were the Canonical Booâ—â— of old and received so by the first Christiâ—â— Those eminent Lights of the Latin Church Râ—t Ierom Hilary disown as Uncanonical 〈◊〉 Books of Apocrypha The two latter especially 〈◊〉 very positive Ierom expresly tells us that 〈◊〉 Canonical Books of the Old Testament are but 〈◊〉 and twenty just the number of the Hebrew Alâ—phabet and no more and he enumerates the particular Books which constitute the whole 〈◊〉 saith indeed that some make them four and twâ—â—ty but 't is the same Account for they reckâ—â— Ruth and Lamentations separately But as for 〈◊〉 others he saith they are not part of Inspired Scripture and the Church doth not receive theâ— among the Canonical Writings So Hilary givâ— us the just Catalogue of the Books of the Old Tâ—stament and peremptorily affirms that there 〈◊〉 but two and twenty Canonical Books of it in all which are the same with the thirty nine according to the reckoning in our Bibles To Fathers wâ— might add Synods and Councils as that antieâ—â— one of Laodicea conven'd A. D. 364. which drew up a Catalogue of the Books of Scripture and makes mention only of these which we now râ—ceive but leaves out the Apocryphal ones This Canon was received afterwards and confirmed by the Council of Chalcedon one of the first four General Councils And the sixth General Council held at Constantinople A. D. 680. expresly ratified the Decrees of that old Laodicean Council and particularly this that the Canonical Books of the Old Testament were but two and twenty There is another Reason also besides the Universal Suffrage of the Christian Church why the Apocryphal Books are ejected out of the Canon viz. because some things in them are false and contrary to the Canonical Scriptures as in Ecclesiasticus 46. 20. 2 Esdras 6. 40. and some things are vitious as in 2 Maccab. 14. 42. After all this it is easy to answer what the Romanists say on the other side They quote the third Council of Carthage which they tell us received the Apocryphal Books into the Canon And among the Fathers St. Augustin they say owns them besides that two Popes viz. Innocent the First and Gelasius took those Books which we stile Apocryphal into the Canon As for the Council which they alledg it was but a Provincial one and therefore is not to be set against those more Authentick and General Councils which I produced Nor must that one single Father whom they name stand out against that great number of Greek and Latin Fathers whom I mentioned The Popes bear a great Name among our Adversaries but they are but two and must not be compared with those Councils and that multitude of Fathers who are on our side Or if they lay such great stress on a Pope I can name them one and he one of the most eminent they ever had viz. Pope Gregory the Great who declares that the Book of Maccabees a main Piece of the Apocryphal Wrâ—â—tings is no part of the Canon of Scripture Wâ— may set this One Pope for he is Great enough against the other Two Besides their own 〈◊〉 are against them the Apocryphal Books are 〈◊〉 received as part of holy Inspired Scripture by Iâ—â—dorus Damascen Nicephorus Rabanus Maurus Hâ—go Lyranus Cajetan and others who are of greâ—â— Repute in the Church of Rome We regard 〈◊〉 what the pack'd Council of Trent hath decreed viz. That besides the two and twenty Books 〈◊〉 the Hebrew Canon those also of Tobias Iuditâ— the Wisdom of Solomon Ecclesiasticus Maccabeâ—â—â— Baruch are to be received as Canonical and thâ— they are of equal Authority with the Canon oâ— the Old and New Testament What is this to the general Suffrage of the Primitive Councils Fathers and Writers who have rejected the Apocryphal Books and received but twenty two into the Canon of Scripture belonging to the Old Testament You see what Ground we have no other than the Vniversal Church We reject some Books as Apocryphal because they were generally rejected by the antient Primitive Church and we receive the rest as Canonical because they were believed and owned to be so by the universal Consent of the Church See this admirably made good in Bishoâ— Cousins's History of the Canon of Scripture Yet aâ—ter all that hath been said we count the Apocryphâ— Writings worthy to be read and perused The there be some things amiss in them yet we give great Deference and Respect to them as containing many Historical Truths and furnishing us witâ— Matter of Jewish Antiquity as likewise because there are many Doctrinal and Moral Truths in them especially in the Books of Wisdom and Ecâ—lesiasticus For this Reason I say we bear great Respect to them and rank them next to the Holy Canon and prefer them before all Profane Authors This was done by the antient Fathers who frequently alledg'd them in their Sermons and Discourses which is one Reason I question not why these Apocryphal Books came to be made Canonical by some of the Church of Rome namely because they were so often quoted by the Fathers and in some Churches read publickly But this is no Proof of their being Canonical but only lets us know that these Books were in their Kind useful and profitable as indeed they are Therefore St. Ierom saith the Church receives not these Books into the Canon of Scripture though she allows them to be read And concerning these Writings our Church saith well quoting St. Ierom for it She doth read them for Example of Life and Instruction of Manners but yet doth not apply them to establish any Doctrine Which gives us an exact account of the Nature of these Books namely that they contain excellent Rules of Life and are very serviceable to inform us of our Duty as to several weighty things but they being not dictated by the Holy Ghost as the other Books of Scripture are they are not the infallible Standard of Divine Doctrine and therefore are not to be applied and made use of to that purpose This and the other Reasons before mentioned may prevail with us to think that these Writings ought not to be
and this Abgarus among the Ecclesiastical Writers of the First Age and farther professeth that upon a diligent enquiry into these Letters he cannot discern any flaw or falshood in them he cannot find any appearance of Fraud and Imposture he sees nothing unworthy of our Blessed Lord in the stile or contexture of that Epistle which is attributed to him Yea next to the Bible he thinks these are the most remarkable and venerable piece of Antiquity that respects Christianity As to those Objections which are started against the Authority of these Epistles by a Learned Divine of the Sorbon it must be said that they are unworthy of him for they are very frivolous and groundless and he might have used the same Arguments â—gainst many parts of the Evangelical History and the passages that occur there But suppose after all that these Epistles were not really written by Christ and by Abgarus yet notwithstanding this they are no mean Testimony for us If we should only grant that Eusebius â—ound them among the Records of Edessa this is â—ery considerable Though I think there is good Evidence of the Truth of these Writings yet I am not mightily concern'd whether these Writings were real or feigned that is whether Abgarus did send such a Letter to Christ and whether our Saâ—â—our return'd an Answer to it This is sufficient that Eusebius who translated them out of Syriack â—nto Greek was welâ— satisfied that there were such Records at that time in Edessa Whether they were Spurious or not is not so material for whether they were such or not they give a Testimony of the Person whom we speak of they certifie â—s of this Truth that such a one really was at that time when these Records bear date For suppose the People of Edessa forged them as being ambitious to retain the Memory of their Prince and to celebrate it by this particular Memorial inserted into their Records yet this makes not a little for our purpose for though we should grant the Letters to be Supposititious as some Learned Men have concluded them to be yet the Registring of such may be true though they â—eigned these in a poletick Remembrance of one whose Name they intended to transmit to Posterity yet the Recording of them is thus far an Attestation given to Christ that hereby his Person and Worth were acknowledg'd by these Edessens so long ago But I pass this by I could relate here what was done by Pagans in Testimony of their acknowledging and approving of Christ. Thus the Emperor Augustus refused the Title of Lord saith Dio and it is not improbable that he did it on our Saviour's Account Some indeed tell us that it was upon another occasion viz. when at a Play Dominus aequus bonus was pronounced and thereupon the People as if the words were said of Augustus with great signs of Joy shewed their Approbation of them the Emperor labour'd by signs to stifle their Flattery and the day after put forth an Edict forbidding any to call him Lord. Such a thing as this might happen and yet the first and truest Motive to his refusing that Title might be with reference to our Lord Christ who was born not long before The reason to believe it is this that this Emperor was much changed after Christ's Birth and after the Fame of him was spread abroad he became a great favourer of the Iews and their Religion as Philo the Iew acquaints us in the Account which he gives of his Embassy to Caius in behalf of his Country-men of Alexandria He there relateth several particular kindnesses which he shew'd to the Iewish Nation and all grant that Philo is a very credible Author in this case And though Suetonius gives an Instance of his Aversion to the Iews and to Ierusalem it self yet it is likely this was before the other and so it inhanseth the Emperor's after-Esteem and Favour for that Nation and People If you thus consider that he was now much altered it is not hard to believe that his putting out the foresaid Edict was done in honour to Christ He would not be called Lord after our Saviour was come into the World who was Lord of Lords and King of Kings And this may appear to be the more probable if that be true which is farther related of Augustus that about the close of his Reign he inquired at Apollo's Oracle who was to adminster the Affairs of the Empire after him and received this Answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Hebrew Babe a God himself and King Of blessed Subjects bids me quit this place And trudge again to Hell wherefore great Sir From these our Altars silently be gone Whereupon the Emperor left off Sacrificing and returning to Rome built in the Capitol an Altar with this Inscription Ara Primogeniti Dei But because no very ancient Historian reports this and those that do are thought to be sometimes fabulous therefore I offer it not as if I much relied upon it Nor do I on that other passage in Suidas viz. that one Theodosius a Iew ascertain'd a Christian whom he discours'd with that Christ was chosen one of the Priests of the Temple upon the death of another and that they writ him down as the Custom was to Register the Names of those that were elected Priests and to assign also their Parents Names The Son of God and of the Virgin Mary The Book wherein this was recorded was kept in the Temple till the Destruction of Ierusalem and it was well known to the Priests and Rulers of the People This is a remarkable Testimony but because it wants evident Authority I will not insist on it That which I have said already may suffice towards the proving what I undertook that Christ's Life is attested even by Pagan Witnesses Thirdly his Death with some of the most considerable attendants of it is related by Persons of the same Character Thus the great Roman Historian expresly voucheth this Article of our Chri-Christian Belief that Christ suffered under Pontius Pilate and that in the Reign of Tiberius Lucian who was famed for his Taunts and Scoffs at the Christians calls their Great Master and Founder The Man that was fastned to a Gibbet and hung up upon it in Palestine And this is confess'd by Iews as well as Pagans the particular manner of his Suffering namely on the Cross is acknowledg'd by the Talmudick Writers very often and by the Iews in Contempt and Scorn our Saviour is blasphemously call'd Talui suspensus He that was hang'd The Eclipse at Christ's Passion mentioned by the Evangelists and that as an Universal One is left upon Record also by Heathens Dionysius an Athenian by Birth before he was converted to the Faith when he was a Student in Egypt was an Eye-witness of this miraculous Eclipse which he gives an Account of in an Epistle that he
not Authentick as truly I cannot say much for them I will produce those that are so in all Mens Judgments You may observe that those Writers who have undertaken to compile all the laudable things and Manners of divers Nations and have even prais'd the Brachmans and Gymnosophists and ransack'd the most remote parts of the World for things excellent and observeable yet have said nothing of the Essenes who far out-did all of them and were in the face of the World most eminent and conspicuous Neither Strabo nor Tacitus nor Iustin nor Aristaeas who have particularly spoken of the Iews say any thing of these Nay Iosephus a Iew and who in his two Books against Apion hath heaped up all that is Great and Noble of that Nation hath nothing there though as you shall hear anon he hath something in his other Writings of this famous Sect of Philosophers among them shall we therefore be quarrelsome and deny there were Essenes before or in Christ's time Again I could observe to you that the Romans are not so much as mentioned either by Herodotus or Thucydides or any other Greek Writers of that time though they were in the same quarter of the World and growing great and formidable It is somewhat strange but is very true and is taken notice of by Iosephus against Apion though this Author as you have heard was himself desective in the like case Suetonius writ the Lives of the first twelve Roman Emperors yet if you compare his Relations with the things set down in others you will find that he hath pass'd by many considerable things he hath omitted sundry matters which were very obvious Let us apply this to our present purpose What if none of the Heathen Historians who have related the Roman Acts had spoken of that famous Census or Tax in Augustus's time What though the Eclipse at Christ's Passion had not been taken notice of by Historians though both this and the other are recorded yet it would not have followed thence that there were no such things for you see 't is not unusual with Historians to pass by some Persons and Things which are very remarkable and worth recording If then some matters spoken of by the Evangelists be not mentioned in other Histories we cannot with any Reason thence conclude that the Evangelists recorded that which is false No such thing can be inferr'd for even among Pagan Writers there are many peculiar historical Paâ—sages mentioned by some of them which none else speak of Tacitus and Valerius Maximus and others have Narrations which are not to be found in any others and yet they are not suspected of falshood Why then may we not credit those things which the New Testament Records although no Gentâ—le Historians say a word of them Nay we have observed this before of the Evangelical Historians themselves that they do not all Record the same things Though all of them mention some Passages yet there are others which are spoken of only by one or two of the Evangelists and there are some Things or Persons which none of them make mention of and yet they are as remarkable as some of those which they have committed to Writing Thus the Gospels speak of the Pharisees and Sadducees yea of the Galileans and Herodians and yet say not a word of the Essenes who were a considerable Sect as was noted before We are not to be troubled then that some things occur in the New Testament which are not to be met with in very approved Authors No History Sacred or Prophane relates every thing The Evangelists themselves pretend not to this you must not expect all Christ's doings in their Writings for one of them who wrote last of all closeth his Gospel thus There are many other things which Jesus did the which if they should be written every one I suppose that even the World it self could not contain the Books that should be written 3. We are to know this that both Jewish and Pagan Historians concealed or misrepresented some things which relate to Christianity and that willfully and out of design I begin with the first sort of Historians and offer this Instance we read in Philo and Iosephus the Character of the Essenes whom I mention'd before viz. that they were the most Devout Men of all the Jewith Nation that they were a retired People and given to Husbandry that they were famed for their mutual Love to one another and that as an effect of this they had all things in common like those Primitive Christians spoken of in the Acts or like the Colidei or Culdees among the Scots in the first Ages that though they were the devoâ—â—est Worshippers among the Iews yet they offered no Sacrifices but composed their minds wholly to 2 severe Sanctity that they were celebrated for their great Austerity of Life for their Temperance Chastity and Self-denial that their bare Word was of more force with them than an Oath and that they avoided all Swearing counting it far worse than Perjury that they were generous Despisers of all those things which affright and trouble others and that they vanquish'd all Torments and Persecutions with Forâ—itude and Steadiness of mind And as for Death if it was to be undergone with honour and repute they judged it â—o be better than Immortality This is the true but admirable Character of that People and both these Authors tell us that they were Iews It is true there were such People as Iewish Esseâ—es and Iosephus neckons them as one of the three Sects of Philosophers among the Iews But it is probable that this excellent Character or all of it at least belongs not to These but to the Christians of Alexandria at that time Philo then in his Treatise of a Comtemplative Life where he pretends to describe the Essenes wriâ—eth in praise of these Iewish Christians who were under the Tuition and Conduct of St. Mark Bishop of Alexandria for this Evangelist Preaching the Gospel in Egypt setled a Church here This was the Opinion of that Learned Father St. Ierom That Church saith he did at that time Judaize and therefore Philo the Iew thought it to be for the praise of his Nation to describe their excellent Order Life and Institution For this Reason this Author is numbred by that Father among the Ecclesiastical Writers namely because he hath left an Encomium of these Christians who lived thus religiously under St. Mark the Evangelist Eusebius is of the same Judgment and saith what Philo writes of the Essenes is to be understood of those Primitive Christians who were disciplin'd under St. Mark Epiphanius and Chrysosâ—om were of this Perswasion and so were some others of the Fathers Baronius holds they were old Christian Monks and a great number of Protestant Writers agree in this that they were devout Christians bred up as Disciples under that holy Man This is the more credible because it is said of them that they used no
appear bare-faced and to salute the Publick Besides I thought my self obliged to give the World some Account of the spending of my Time and to let it be seen that I have not wholly thrown away my Hours Moreover I have a great and passionate Desire to serve the Church to vindicate our Holy Religion to advance the Cause of Christianity to demonstrate the transcendent Worth of the Holy Scriptures which are the Standard of all Excellent Notions and Regular Manners and to promote and set forward the Glory of the ever Blessed Trinity I am sensible what Multitudes of Writers there are already how many Printed Discourses are published that might well be spared to say no worse We are told that Tully's Offices wâ—â— the first Book thâ—t was printed in Europe which was a Good Specimen of that new-invented Art It had been a happy thing if the Press had proceeded as well as it begun if Books of vse and Worth only had been handed into the World by it But it is to be lamented that there is another Vse too often made of this Invention whilst too many Men that are Masters of no other Conceptions than those that are flat and useless or else erroneous and pernicious take the Pains to let the World know as much in Print Others scribble to satisfy a certain Itch of Writing that they have got and the Press seldom cures the Distemper but rather increases it Other mercenary Souls make their Pens wag for Bread and they may generally be known by this Property that the Front belies the Fabrick the Title doth not tell what is in the Book but only sets it to sale so that indeed it is a mere Pretence and Shew and stands as R. B's Sham-name is wont to do of late in the Title-Page But none of these Miscarriages have discouraged me from appearing in Publick and pursuing those Good Ends I before mentioned which alone are sufficient to legitimate the Press and to License the Author's Vndertakings And if the Questioâ— be Why more Books still the Answer is made by another Question Why more Men still As long as the World increases Writing will do so too for all Men are not alike their Notions and Conceptions are not the same wherefore for these different Readers there must be different Books St. Augustin's arguing of old is useful and seasonable at this Day It is of great Advantage to the World saith that Learned Father that there should be many Books composed by many Men in a different Stile though not a different Faith about the same Questions and Subjects that so hereby the thing it self and the Truth enquired into may the better be convey'd to the Readers to some of them in one manner to others in another For this is certain that all Persons are not convinced and wrought upon by the same Arguments wherefore there is liberty to use all kinds of Topicks Thus the Excellent Grotius acquaints us that he pick'd out the Best and most Convictive Arguments as he thought to prove the Truth of Religion and particularly the Christian and yet some of them as Signatures Fire Ordeal c. are neglected by other Learned Men for Evidences work more or less according to the Diversity of Mens Genius's and Dispositions Hence the Iudicious Doctor Jackson in his Preface to the Reader before his First Volume confesses that the Grounds anâ— Motives which he makes use of and which most of all prevait'd with him may have little or no Operation upon others Whereupon is fouâ—ded the Vsefulness yea Necessity of propounding divers sorts of Arguments that if sâ—me of them prove not forcible and perswasive others may So is it in Illustrating and Commenting upon the Holy Text the Diversity of Interpretations is requisite and useful and it may be the Mind of the Holy Spirit cannot be penetrated into without these different ways of Enquiry The Wise Man is a Physician of the Law say the Iewish Doctors i. e. whereas the Vnlearned and Unskilful corrupt the Text and deprave the Sense of it he comes and heals it by restoring it to its genuine and proper meaning But in effecting this it is not necessary that he should tie himself to the same Methods and Arts of Cure which others have used before him Some superstitiously confine themselves to one Man's Critical Determination on the Place as Bishop Montague saith of Mr. Selden they take a Grammarian for a God They do so in the worst Sense they deify Criticism they idolize an Expositor and fall down to his particular Interpretation But we must be more Catholick and Generous if we are desirous to have right Apprehensions of the Sacred Text and if we would be intimâ—tely acquainted with the Divine Truth contain'd in it This justifies the Variety of Comments and Critical Researches into the Holy Scriptures and this furnishes me with an Apology for thrusting my self in among the Writers of the Age. And being now of that Number I have this 〈◊〉 say farther to the Reader that though I am sensible of my own Defects and particularly of the Miscarriages and Mistakes that may occur in this Work it reaching to so great a Variety of Texts and Diversity of Matters yet on the other hand I hope I shall find him as sensible of the Arduousness of the Vndertaking and the Liableness of himself and others to fall short in so Weighty and Difficult a Subject In fine in these and all other my Endeavours which I shall expose to the publick View I covet only the Approbation of the Candid and Wise and I shall make it my Business I will not say to merit but to purchase it ERRATA PAge 41. line 31. read there P. 54. l. 4. r. purposed P. 61. l. 4. r. Air instead of Fire P. 67. l. 3. after Counsel insert So Theocritus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 69. l. 2. r. an other P. 94. l. 12. after as in insert Exod. 20. 18. the People saw the Noise of the Trumpet P. 145. l. 15. r. bony P. 155. l. 2. r. Nephritick P. 178. l. 15. dele by P. 269. l. 32. r. have no. P. 278. l. 11. r. to be P. 280. l. 17. after Belly insert as it iâ— generally thought P. 300. l. 1. after ordinary insert or profanâ— P. 333. l. 8. after more insert according to the different reading of them P. 385. l. 1. r. it as P. 402. l. 11. r. this The Hâ—brâ—w requires Correction which is left to the Learned A CATALOGUE of the Texts of Scripture which are expounded and resolved in the ensuing Discourse according to the Author 's PARTICULAR Judgment GENESIS CHAP. 15. ver 7. I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees Page 371. NUMBERS Ch. 12. v. 1. He had married an Ethiopian Woman p. 375. Ch. 23. v. 21. He hath not beheld Iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen Perverseness in Israel p. 96. Ch. 25. v. 9. Those that died in the Plague were twenty and
or spiritual Sense of Scripture is according to some threefold 1. Tropological when one thing delivered in Scripture signifies some other thing pertaining to the Conversation of Men. Thus those Texts of the Mosaick Law wherein is forbidden the eating of certain Animals have partly respect unto the Manners of Persons Both Jewish and Christian Expositors have thought that it was designed in those Prohibitions that some moral Instruction should be taught that People from the Consideration of the natural Inclinations and Qualities of those Creatures 2. There is an Allegorical Sense when things spoken of in the Old Testament are Figures of something in the New or when particularly they have a respect to Christ or the Church Militant as the Rock and the Manna mentioned in Moses's History of the Israelites 3. An Anagogical Sense is said to be in some Places of Scripture and this is when the things related are applicable to the Church Triumphant or the Life everlasting Thus the entring into Canaan and the Holy of Holies in the Temple in the highest Sense of them are meant of Heaven and the State of Eternal Happiness But because there is a great quarrelling about the applying of this triple Distinction to the several Passages in Scripture which are said to bear a mystical meaning and because some learned Divines of the Protestant Perswasion disallow of this Distribution of the mystical Sense of Scripture I will avoid all wrangling by assigning only those two general Senses of Scripture viz. the literal and mystical and by leaving it to every one's Liberty either to omit the particular Subdivisions of the latter or to apply them as they see occasion Or rather if I may be permitted to vary from this received Division of the Sense of Scripture I would divide it thus into a primary and a secondary Sense the former is literal the latter is â—ystical and yet not so but that sometimes as you shall see afterwards the secondary Sense is literal too for there are two literal or historical Meanings in some Places but the latter of them may be called mystical also because it is not so plainly understood as the other The literal Sense of Scripture is the main and indeed the only Sense of the greatest part of it for some particular Places only have a mystical Signification This is the most genuine proper and original meaning and therefore I call it the first or primary one But the mystical Sense is derivative improper indirect and not that which was first and chiefly design'd and therefore I call it the secondary Sense The former of these is that plain meaning of Scripture which the bare Letter and Words themselves denote to us The latter is when some other thing is signified in the Words besides what the Letter of them seems to import The one is obvious and lies uppermost in the Text and is the soonest perceived but the other is more remote and lies deep and is not so easily discovered but is of great Use and Moment yea generally of greater than the other more familiar and obvious meaning wherefore it is our Concern to acquaint our selves with it The Bible like that Book in Ezekiel ch 2. 10. is written within and without it hath an inward secret and mystical Signification as well as one that is external open and literal and we can never arrive to a true Understanding of this Holy Book unless we have some Insight into both I will instance first in the Writings of the Old Testament and shew that there is a secondary or mystical Sense lodged in several Passages of them Indeed the holy Language it self in which these were wrote is big with Mysteries I have observed that there are more Words in this Tongue that signify to hide or conceal than in any other Language whatsoever There are a hundred synonymous Words at least for this one thing Whether this Criticism have any Weight in it or no I shall not be much concern'd but this is unquestionable that many great Mysteries are wrapp'd up in this abstruse Tongue in the holy Volume The Jews who were conversant in these Writings acknowledg'd there was not only a literal but a mystical Interpretation of them which latter they called Midrash because there was no attaining to it but by a diligent Inquisition The Hebrew Doctors say in a proverbial manner there is not a single Letter in the whole Law on which there do not depend great Mountains Their meaning is that there are vast Mysteries and profound Sense in every Word almost in the Sacred Writings Which is the meaning of another Adage of theirs viz. that the Law hath seventy Faces It hath many various Aspects different Significations and Senses for there are mystical as well as literal Interpretations of the holy Text. Thus the Entrance of the Bible the Beginning of the Book of Genesis though it be historical and sets down Matter of Fact as the wonderful Creation of the Heavens and Earth and of Man and the rest of the Inhabitants of this lower World yet it was thought by the wisest Jews that there was a farther Reach in it and that both Moral and Divine Mysteries were couch'd in the several Particulars of that Narrative which Moses gives there of the Origine of the World for which Reason this first Entrance into the Pentateuch was forhad to be read by the Jews till they were thirty Years of Age. It is agreed among the best Expositors that in those Words in Gen. 3. 14 15. The Lord said unto the Serpent I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed Besides the primary or literal Sense viz. that there shall be an irreconcilable Enmity between Mankind and the Serpentine Brood and that Man having an Antipathy against that Creature shall labour to destroy it by â—ruising his Head because there his Venom lies whereby he doth harm and the Head is to be first attack'd if we would destroy this mischievous Creature as Iosephus gives the Sense of this Place Besides this I say there is another for Satan is meant by the Serpent as well as the Creature of that Name for Satan appeared in the Shape of a Serpent or rather actuated a living Serpent and Christ is meant by the Seed of the Woman for he is emphatically and exclusively call'd so because he was not the Seed of Man but was after an extraordinary manner born of a Virgin So that this Text is justly stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first Dawning of the Gospel or the most early Promise concerning the blessed Messias the Christ the Lamb of God that was to take away the Sins of the World So likewise we are certain from the Authority of the Apostle in Heb. 7. 1 c. that what is said in Gen. 14. 18. of Melohisedek King of Salem Priest of the most High God is not only literally spoken but ought to be understood in a higher and
Kingdom though from very small Beginnings compares them to a Grain of Mustard-seed and by a Lessening Hyperbole calls this the Least of all Seeds though in exact speaking it be not so But if this way of interpreting Christ's Words which I now offer be not approved of then you may expound them thus that this Seed is oâ—e of the least of all Seeds or you may understand them spoken Respectively that is it is the Least of all such Seeds as extend to large Productions no Seed so little sendeth forth Branches so wide or bringeth forth its Fruit after that plentiful manner Thus you may understand the Words but in my Judgment the resolving them into an Hyperbole is the best way though it be not made use â—f by Expositors And how indeed could it when they took the Seed of Mustard to be Absolutely the least of all Grains whatsoever That of our Saviour in Luke 19. 44. They shall not leave in thee one Stone upon another which is spoken of the Last and Final Devastation of Ierusalem is generally supposed to be an Hyperbolical Expression and consequently not true in Strictness of Speech for can we think say some that the Roman Armies had nothing else to do but to pick out all the Stones in the Foundations and throw them away Those who talk thus do not remember what was done at several times towards the compleat and total Destruction of that Place This Passage of our Blessed Lord seems to refer particularly and signally to the digging up the Foundations of the City and Temple and the very ploughing up the Ground by Titus's Command which the Jews themselves do not deny and also to that Prodigious Earthquake in Iulian's time whereby the remaining Parts of the Foundations were wholly broken up and scattered abroad Here was an Exact fulfilling of Christ's Prediction without any Hyperbole As for that Close of St. Iohn's Gospel Even the Woâ—ld it self could not contain the Books that should be written chap. 21 25. Eusâ—bius and St. Aâ—gustin of old and others more lately understand it thus The World that is the Men of the World could not contain that is conceive comprehend and digest the Books that should be written concerning our Saviour's Deeds Their Understandings are weak and must needs have been oppressed with so many Books on that Subject So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word here used is to be taken in Matth. 19. 11. All Men cannot receive or contain this Saying and in this Sense it is used by Philo who speaking of the Knowledge of the Nature of God and how unsearchable it is saith that neither Heaven nor Earth are able to contain i. e. to comprehend it But a modern Critick thinks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here signiâ—ies to entertain and approve of and accordingly his Gloss on the Words is this The whole World would scorn reject and slight all the Books which should be writ of Christ it having despised these that are already writ The World hath other Employment it would not read and peruse such Writings This seems to be the meaning of the Verb in 2 Cor. 7. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 receive entertain approve of us And Dionys. Halicarn uses the word thus saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the City admits not of i. e. scorns good Men. But though this and the other be the meaning of the Word sometimes yet it is very Rare and Unusual besides that it is Improper and Metaphorical and in such a case it is more reasonable to choose and imbrace that Sense of the Word which is common and usual as also genuine and proper and then the meaning is that the World as capacious and wide as it is is not able to hold oâ— contain all the Books that might have been written concerning Christ and his Works But this cannot be the Sâ—nsâ— here you will say because then our Saviour'â— Words would not be true for the World is able is wide enough to contain to hold those Books and many more besides I answer I grant this to be true in the strict way of speaking but the Evangelist St. Iohn had a mind to conclude his Book with some Great Word concerning his Dear Master and Saviour and therefore expresseth himself thus in a High and Hyperbolical manner The World it self could not contain the Books that should be written of him As if he had said Though I and otherâ— have recorded the Sayings and Doings of the Blessed Jesus yet this is nothing in comparison of what might be said on this vast Subject Theâ—e is unspeakably much more reâ—naining than hath been told you What he said and did was so Great and so Admirable that Innumerable Volumes might be filled with enlarging on that copious Matter I may say to you the Whole World as wide and ample as it is is not able to contain those Immense Treatises those Infinite Discourses which might be written in relating all the Passages that concern'd our Blessed Lord and in commendation of them Observâ— it the Evangelist saith the World it self i. e. this Material Local World therefore it cann't be understood of the Men of the world as those of the former Opinions fancied Besides it is observable that he speaks not Absolutely here but in a Qualified Manner I suppose I think I conceive the World it self cannot contain c. which plainly shews that the Words cannot be meant in the former Senses For what Sense can you make of this I suppose I think that all the Men in the World cannot comprehend the Books which should be written or I suppose all the Men in the World cannot entertain and approve of them Whether he supposed it or not it would be so and this is a thing not to be supposed but really believed and directly asserted if it be true But if you admit of the plain Sense of the Words which I have propounded then his supposing may be very pertinent and consisâ—ent here for it is but a kind of a Supposition not an Exact and Strict Truth which he here uttereth it is a Lofty Strain or Hyperbole which he shuts up his Gospel with I think in a manner â—aith he that the Whole World it self cannot contain the Books that might be composed and written on this Glorious Theme which is so Various so Voluminous Thus you see the Words must be understood in this way for the others are not reconcilable to good Sense And indeed this manner of Stile is but parallel with other Passages in Scripture as Gen. 13. 6. The Land was not able â—o bear them viz. Lot and Abraham and their Flocks which expresses how exceeding Numerous they were So some understand Luke 2. 1. There went out a Decree that all the World should be taxed which sets forth the Largeness and Vast Extent of the Emperor's Dominions not that all the World strictly speaking was to be taxâ—d for 't was not all in his Power It was said of our
for a Fir and others for a Turpentine-Tree And Pererius that he might say something singular and different from all the rest fancies it was not the Wood of one sort of Tree but that it was made of divers Kinds But the Translators of the English Bible retain the Hebrew word it self because they were not satisfied with any of these Significations Eolah and allah and allon Ezek. 6. 13. Josh. 24. 26. Isa. 6. 13. according to different Interpreters are rendred not only an Oak but an Elm an Alder-Tree a Turpentine a Lime or Teil-Tree a Pine a Chesnut What kind of Trees Algummim or Almuggim 1 Kings 10. 11. 2 Chron. 2. 8. Chap. 9. 10 11. were is not easy to tell yea the Hebrew Doctors think Coral which we can't properly call a Tree is meant by them But Grotius hath warn'd us not to trust to the Rabins especially the latter ones in their Interpretations which they give of Herbs and Trees What particular kind of Wood that is which is call'd Shittim of which you read so often in Exodu◠and is rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incorruptible Wood by the LXX is not agreed among the Learned some thinking it to be Cedar others the Pitch-Tree others Box but Ierom and Theodotion take it to be the White-Thorn or a Tree very like it The truth is we are certain of nothing but this that it was some very excellent and choice Wood which they found to be very Useful in Building It is probable that it was denominated from the Place where it grew and whence it was fetched for of Shittim we read in Numb 25. 1. Iosh. 2. 1. and in other places but what kind of Tree it was is uncertain for which reason both the Vulgar Latin and English Translators thought fit to retain the Hebrew word it self For we are in the dark as to these things and how can it be otherwise seeing 't is not to be doubted that they had Trees and Plants in the Eastern Countries which are not in these places and therefore we know them not So for Animals of which we spake before there were some proper to those Regions and because these Western Parts of the World have them not we are ignorant of them Wherefore 't is no wonder that several Names of Sensitive and Vegetative Creatures mention'd in the Old Testament are unintelligible Whether the Hebrew Bedolach Bdellium Gen. 2. 12. be a Tree or a Stone or a Gum or a Pearl is disputed Pliny and Diascorides mention Bdellium as Wood or a Tree and Iunius upon the place is of the same Mind Others and particularly Iosephus understand it to be an Aromatick Gum or the Juice of some Odoriferous Tree The Jews generally hold it to be a Precious Stone but some of them think it is a Crystal others a Jasper and others of them a Carbuncle it being so rendred by the Septuagint Bochart and some other Moderns tell us that Bedolach is not Bdellium or any other Precious Stone but a Margarite a Pearl of the Sea which is usually fetch'd up in that Maritime Part of Arabia which is call'd Havilah in the foremention'd Text. And to corroborate this Opinion he further adds that Manna is said to be Numb 11. 7. of the colour of Bdellium i. e. white which is the singular Ornament and Beauty of a Pearl It might be observ'd here that the words for Minerals and Precious Stones are very ambiguous I will mention only one viz. Nophek the first Precious Stone in the second Order of those in the High Priest's Breast-plate this is rendred by St. Ierom a Carbuncle by Onkelos an Emerald by some Interpreters a Topaz and by others a Ruby And there is almost the like difference in interpreting some of the other Words whereby other Stones are signified For indeed it is the Confession of the Hebrew Doctors as Buxtorf and others tell us that the Names of Precious Stones in Scripture are unknown to us There is such a discrepancy saith a Learned Hebrician about these among all Interpreters whether Christians or Jews that no Man is able to determine any thing certain The same may be said of Musical Instruments mention'd in Scripture which have employ'd many Criticks and Grammarians but with little Satisfaction But I have said enough for my present purpose viz. to shew you that the Hebrew Names of divers things are not well understood which sometimes begets a misunderstanding concerning the things themselves There are indeed among the Greeks and Latins a great number of words of Different Senses but the number is far greater in Hebrew by reason of the paucity of words in this Tongue for there being many Things but few Words to express them it will follow that sundry of them must be of various Significations and consequently that it is no easy matter to distinguish between them This may be the reason why the Septuagint have inserted several Hebrew words into their Version namely because they could not tell how to express them in Greek their Signification being so Doubtful Hence also some Proper Names are translated by these Interpreters as Appellatives which is done also sometimes by the Vulgar Latin because those Names are seemingly and as to their Sound no other than Appellatives however the Dubious meaning of them prompted the Translators to take them as such Nor are we to think that this Ambiguity is any Blemish or Disparagement to the Bible and that for this reason because we find it no where but in those Matters which are Indifferent and the Knowledg of which is not indispensably required of us Nay on the contrary this Difficulty which we meet with in many Words and Passages in these Holy Writings is so far from disparaging them that it is an undeniable Proof of the Unparallell'd Antiquity of them We are assured hence that they have the Priority of all other Books we may rationally gather that a great part of this Volume at least was composed and written before any other Writings were extant If this Sacred Book were of a later Date we should have had few or none of those Difficult Terms that it abounds with now We could not then have a more Convincing Argument of its being Exceeding Antient than its being Dark in some places And therefore instead of complaining of the Obscurity of these Writings let us reverence and admire its Matchless Antiquity and congratulate our own Happiness that the Divine Providence hath entrusted us with the First and Oldest Records of Truth in the World I will go on then still with my present Undertaking and shew in other particulars the Dubious Import of some words in these Sacred Writings and attempt to clear some of them I will here speak of the Measures Weights and Coins mention'd in Scripture which are another Instance of the Difficulty which arises from our being ignorant of the exact Significations of some Words in the Sacred Volume The Hebrew Measures are either of Application or
Genealogies If it be Objected in the last Place How can Ioseph be the Son of Iacob in one Genealogy Mat. 1. 16. and the Son of Heli in the other Luke 3. 23. it is answer'd by some that because Ioseph married Mary Heli's Daughter therefore he is call'd his Son i. e. his Son by Marriage of his Daughter Others say Heli and Iacob were Brethren and the former dying without Children the latter married his Widow as the Law in that case required So that Iacob was the Natural Father of Ioseph and Heli was his Father-in-law This is the Sentiment of several of the Antients and Moderns and we have no Argument to confute it This was a Tradition among the Jews themselves as you may see in Grotius on Luke 3. Or if this be not satisfactory we may quash the Difficulty by what I have formerly propounded viz. that 't is usual among the Jews to have two Names It may be Iacob and Heli are Names of the same Person and St. Matthew makes use of one and St. Luke of the other To conclude though we were not able to reconcile some Passages in the foresaid Genealogies yet we have no reason to take occasion thence to question the Truth and Consistency of them for 't is ridiculous to think that St. Matthew would expose this Genealogy and in the very Entrance of his Gospel unless he knew it was true and as to the main unexceptionable And the very same we may say of St. Luke who without doubt would not have offer'd to publick View a Pedigree wherein the Chiefest of that Nation were concern'd if he had not been assured that it was impossible to confute it And suppose we are not able to give an Account of some part of it yet let that of Grotius be thought of viz. that the Jews had a way of drawing up Genealogies which is as to some things unknown to us they reckoned the Generations in a manner that was different from what is now in use So much touching the Difficulties of the Stile of Holy Scripture and the Occasions of them No intelligent Person could expect but that it should contain in it some things hard to be understood if he ever weâ—ghed the Particulars before specified in this Discourse and if he consider moreover that 1. The Scriptures are a Collection of Different Writers some of which leave out those Passages which others put in and upon that account there seems sometimes to be a Discrepancy among them and one is thought to assert that which another seems to deny 2. We are ignorant of many Particulars relating to the Names of things to Rites Opinions Customs Proverbs and peculiar Circumstances of those Times of which the Holy Writings speak and this is another Reason why several things in them are obscure and unintelligible We read of the Synagogue of the Libertines Acts 6. 9. but whether it was so call'd because 't was built by Iews that were made free of Rome or from a Man or Men of that Name or from a Country and People of that Denomination or whether Libertine be corruptly for Labratheni because as Fr. Iunius observes Labratha was the old Word for a Synagogue or School no Man can tell For we must needs be ignorant of the true occasion of Words and Things if there be no particular Record concerning them How were it possible to understand the Psalmist's Complaint Psal. 119. 83. I am become like a Bottle in the Smoke if we had not read that Antiently the Eastern People used to hang up the Skins of which Bottles were made in the Smoke to dry and harden them Besides if they were long hung up in the Fire or Smoke they were subject to be parched and shriveled I am dried up and wither'd like such a Bottle saith he We could not reach the Sense of those other Words of his The Rod of the Wicked shall not rest on the Lot of the Righteous Psal. 125. 3. which is an Allusion to the dividing of the Lands among the Jews if we did not know that the Rod or Staff was used in Sortition the assigning of Land or Ground by Lot Again let not the Reader be surprized when I add that it may be when St. Paul orders the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be brought to him from Troas 2 Tim. 4. 13. he means the Skins which he was to make use of in his Trade of Tent-making For he was brought up to a Trade as was usual in those Days and in those Eastern Countries and particularly to this as we read in Acts. 18. 3. And therefore when at other times he acquaints us that he labour'd with his Hands it is not to be question'd that he means his working in this Calling in which he was skill'd and was bred up to And this questionless was a considerable Employment and sufficiently gainful because there was great use of Tents and Booths in those open and hot Countries and they were much bought up by those whose Employment was in the Fields especially they were useful for Souldiers Now the great Materials which were used in this Occupation were Skins or Hides of Beasts dress'd Accordingly we read that the Covering of the Tabernacle of Testimony was made of Skins Exod. 35. 23. Yea Skins are simply and absolutely put for Tents or Tabernacles in these following Places and others 2 Sam. 7. 2. 1 Chron. 17. 1. Cant. 1. 5. Hab. 3. 7. Ier. 10. 20. Ierignah is constantly rendred Pellis by the Latin Interpreter because the Tents were made of Skins And that Tents and Pavilions were made of these we may sufficiently inform our selves from Pagan History This we learn from Q. Curtius who tells us that such kind of Membranous Tents were used in Alexander the Great 's Camp And Arrianus is very positive in this Matter These Tents of Skins or Hides were not only among the Greeks but Romans and both Livy and Florus pretend to assign the Date of them Caesar mentions this sort of Tents and Valerius Maximus tells us that those Souldiers who behaved themselves amiss had this as part of their Punishment nè tentorium ex pellibus haberent they were not suffer'd to lie in these Tents in the Field Hence in Tully we shall find that sub pellibus esse is to be safely entrenched and lie secure in their Tents It is probable that St. Paul sent to Timothy to bring or convey to him these Skins wherewith he made his Tents and at that time especially when he was in Bonds at Rome the time of his writing this Epistle and had no other way to gain a Livelihood than by exercising himself in his Calling Wherefore he writes to his beloved Timothy to send him not only his Cloak and his Books but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chiefly especially his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Skins for Tent-making which he most of all wanted at that time for he was unwilling to be burdensom
and down to rest or be quiet Sharash to take root to eradicate or extirpate Taab to desire in Kal to abominate in Piel Gnuph to shine to be obscure Natzar to save to destroy Gnazab to desert to help Batzar to rob or prey to defend one's self from â—obbers Bara to make or create also to remove or destroy Salah to tread under foot to esteem Garaph to gather to disperse Asaph to gather or preserve also to remove or destroy Nacham to grieve or repent to abandon Grief or to be comforted Chissed to consecrate to desecrate There are Instances of all or most of these viz. the same Hebrew Verbs and Nouns which have not only Different but Contrary Senses in the Writings of the Old Testament which the Reader may consider at his leisure and thereby be help'd to a distinct understanding of the Words in those Texts where they occur BOOKS written by the Reverend Mr. JOHN EDWARDS AN Enquiry into several Remarkable Texts of the Old and New Testament which contain some Difficulty in them with a Probable Resolution of them In two Volumes 8o. A Discourse concerning the Authority Stile and Perfection of the Books of the Old and New Testament Vol. I. with a continued Illustration of several Difficult Texts throughout tâ—e whole Work 8o. A Discourse concerning the Authority Stile and Perfection of the Books of the Old and New Testament Vol. II. wherein the Author 's former Undertaking is further prosecuted viz. An Enquiry into several Remarkable Texts which contain some Difficulty in them 8o. All sold by Ionathan Robinson Iohn Everingâ—am and Iohn Wyat. Imprimatur Ian. 10. 1694 5. CAROLUS ALSTON R. P. D. Hen. Episc. Lond. Ã sacris DISCOURSE Concerning the Authority Stile and Perfection OF THE BOOKS OF THE Old and New Testament Vol. III. Treating of the Excellency and Perfection of the Holy Scriptures Wherein are also several Remarkable Texts interpreted according to the Author 's Particular Judgment By IOHN EDWARDS B. D. sometime Fellow of S. Iohn's College in Cambridge LONDON Printed by I. D. for Ionathan Robinson at the Golden Lion Iohn Taylor at the Ship and Iohn Wyat at the Rose in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCXCV Octob. 13. 1694. I judg the Reverend Author shall do well to print the following Discourse wherein he hath Learnedly demonstrated the Excellency and Perfection of the Books of the Old and New Testament Io. Beaumont D. D. The King's Professor of Divinity in Cambridge TO THE Most Reverend Father in God His Grace THOMAS Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitan of all England and one of his Majesties most Honourable Privy Council May it please Your Grace I Imbrace this welcome Opportunity of congratulating Your late Access to the Highest Station in our Church which all Wise and Good Men look upon as an Happy Omen of the future Felicity of these Realms For in Your Grace conspire all those things which can render us by the Divine Blessing a Prosperous People viz. Your unstained Faithfulness and Loyalty to his Majesty Your most Ardent Love to Your Country Your Great Ability for Publick Counsels and Affairs Your perfect Abhorrence of all Immorality and Debauchery Your Zealous Concern for the Church of England and in that for the whole Protestant Religion Of this last You have afforded the World such an Illustrious Proof as will give an immortal Reputation to Your Name For you have not only with Your Learned Pen encountred the Idolatry of the Church of Rome and therein vindicated the Reformed Cause but in all Your Actions You have demonstrated Your singular Care for this latter and Your Detestation of the former Especially when in the late Reign this Idol began to be set up again and too many fell down to it You with the utmost Zeal Vigour and Courage remonstrated against this Practice You bore the Insolencies and Insults of the Enemy with an unimitable Bravery You withstood their Boldness with a Confidence becoming the Goodness of Your Cause You obviated their Folly and Madness with a profound Wisdom and Prudence You defeated their Diligence by a more unwearied Industry And in brief You were the Successful Maul and Scourge of the Hectoring Jesuits that lifted up their Heads in that Day For this You were hated and defamed and are so at this Hour by all the sworn Friends to the Pontifician Interest who look upon You and that justly as their most Dreadful Enemy But this very thing deservedly makes Your Grace to be loved admired and honoured by all Sincere Protestants and True English men I am one that glory in being of that Number and accordingly I now attempt to express my infinite Regards and Veneration of Your Grace's Transcendent Undertakings in behalf of our Religion and our Church and of the Whole Nation And as a Testimony of my Resentments and Duty I here offer to Your Grace a Discourse of the Perfection of the Holy Scriptures which was designed to be presented to Your Lordship before you were advanced to this Supreme See to which Your Merits have called You. Wherefore I having then consecrated it to Your Name I hold it unlawful now to alienate it especially it being the Choicest and Noblest Subject that I have yet treated of and therefore I hope not unworthy of Your Grace's Patronage I submit the Work wholly to Your Grace's Judgment and beg leave to have the Honour of professing my self to be Your Grace's most Humble and Obedient Son and Servant JOHN EDWARDS The PREFACE I Now present the Reader with that Part of my Discourses concerning the Holy Scriptures wherein I have attempted to display the matchless Worth and Perfection of those Divine Records Besides the Great and Important Remarks which I have offer'd I could have mention'd other things barely Critical and which though they be of an inferiour Nature in comparison of those which I have insisted upon are deemed to be Excellencies and Embelishments in other Authors of good Rank Thus some Criticks have observed concerning that of Virgil Aen. 8. Quadrupedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum That in the very Sound of the Words the swist Career of the Horses beating and shaking the Ground with their Hoofs seems to sâ—rike the Ear. The Poetick Feet are so form'd that they express those of the Steeds And so in the same Writer Aen. 5. Procumbit humi bos is thoght to be a great Elegancy and Pulchritude as if it represented in a lively manner the Dull and Heavy Fâ—ll of that Creature Both in this and the former Instance the very Noise of the Words the very Composure of the Syllables are justly applauded by the Admirers of that Poet. The like I could have observ'd in the Inspired Writings especially those that are Poetical among which I reckon the Book of Isaiah to be one for tho it be not in Verse yet a Poetick Genius and Strain may be observ'd in most Parts of it Those Words ch 21. v. 5. Prepare the Table watch in
of it Anah's Invention of Mules Writers borrow from one another The Bible only is the Book that is beholden to no other Here is the Antientest Learning in the World and that of all Kinds 'T is common with Authors to contradict themselves and one another they are uncertain lubricous and fabuâ—ous But the Divine Writers alone are certain and infallible How strange and improbable soever some of the Contents of this Holy Book may seem to be they justly command our firm Assent to them p. 263 CHAP. VII A particular Distribution of the several Books of the Old Testament Genesis the first of them together with the four following ones being written by Moses his ample Character or Panegyrick is attempted wherein there is a full Account of his Birth Education Flight from Court retired Life his Return to Egypt his conducting of the Israelites thence his immediate Converse with God in the Mount his delivering the Law his Divine Eloquence his Humility and Meekness his Sufferings his Miracles and his particular Fitness to write these Books A Summary of the several Heads contain'd in Genesis to which is added a brief but distinct View of the Six Days Works wherein is explained the Mosaick Draught of the Origine of all things and at the same time the bold Hypotheses of a late Writer designed to confront the First Chapter of the Bible are exposed and refuted The Contents of the Book of Exodus to which is adjoined a short Comment on the Ten Plagues of Egypt A Rehearsal of the remarkable Particulars treated of in Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy That Moses was the Pen-man and Author of the Pentateuch notwithstanding what some have lately objected against it p. 305 CHAP. VIII A short Survey of the Books of Joshua Judges Ruth which is a Supplement to the History of the Iudges Samuel the Kings Chronicles Ezra which is a Continuation of the Chronicles Nehemiah Esther The Author Stile Composure Matter of the Book of Job discuss'd An Enquiry into the Penmen Subjects Kinds Titles Poetick Meter and Rhythm of the Psalms p. 350 CHAP. IX The Book of Proverbs why so call'd The transcendent Excellency of these Divine and Inspired Aphorisms Some Instances of the Different Application of the Similitudes used by this Author The Book of Ecclesiastes why so entituled The Admirable Subject of it succinctly displayed The particular Nature of the Canticle or Mystical Song of Solomon briefly set forth It is evinc'd from very cogent Arguments that Solomon died in the Favour of God and was saved The Books of the Four Great Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah with his Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel are described So are those of the Twelve Lesser Prophets Hosea c. p. 379 CHAP. X. An Account of the Writings of the Four Evangelists the peculiar Time Order Stile Design of their Gospels The Acts of the Apostles shew'd to be an Incomparable History of the Primitive Church The Epistles of St. Paul particularly delineated He is proved to be the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews An Enquiry into the Nature of this Apostle's Stile and manner of Writing The excellent Matter and Design of the Epistles of St. James St. Peter St. John St. Jude An Historical Series or Order is not observ'd in the Book of the Revelation p. 415 CHAP. XI None of the Books of the Holy Scripture are lost Not the Book of the Covenant Nor the Book of the Wars of the Lord Nor the Book of Iasher Nor the Acts of Vzziah An Account of the Book of Samuel the Seer the Book of Nathan the Prophet the Book of Gad the Seer the Book of Iddo the Books of Shemaiah Iehu c. What is to be thought concerning the Books of Solomon mention'd 1 Kings 4. 32 33. Objections drawn from Jam. 4. 5. from Luke 11. 49. from Acts 20. 35. from Jude v. 14. from 1 Cor. 5. 9. from Col. 4. 16. fully satisfied Other Objections from 1 Cor. 7. 6 12 25. 2 Cor. 8. 8. 11. 17. particularly answer'd p. 451 CHAP. XII A short View of the Eastern Translations of the Old Testament especially of the Targums The several Greek Translations more especially that of the LXX Jewish Elders The impartial History of them and their Version Some immoderately extol it others as excessively inveigh against it The true Grounds of the Difference between the Hebrew Text and the Greek Translation of the Septuagint assigned viz. One Hebrew Vowel is put for another One Consonant for another Sometimes both Vowels and Consonants are mistaken The Difference of the Signification of some Hebrew Words is another Cause sometimes the Sense rather than the Word it self is attended to Some Faults are to be attributed to the Transcribers Some because the LXX are Paraphrasts rather than Translators they take the liberty to insert Words and Passages of their own The Greek Version hath been designedly corrupted in several Places Why the Apostles in their Sermons and Writings made use of this Version though it was faulty Sometimes the Sacred Writers keep close to the Hebrew Text and take no notice of the Seventy's Translation of the Words At other times in their Quotations they confine themselves to neither but use a Latitude The Greek Version is to be read with Candour and Caution and must always give way to the Hebrew Original The chief Latin Translations of the Bible especially the Vulgar examined Modern Latin Translations and lastly our own English one consider'd p. 477 CHAP. XIII Our English Translation shew'd to be faulty and defective in some Places of the Old Testament But more largely and fully this is performed in the several Books of the New Testament where abundant Instances are produced of this Defect and particular Emendations are all along offer'd in order to the rendring our Translation more exact and compleat The Date of the Division of the Bible into Chapters and Verses p. 532 CHAP. XIV The Reader is invited to the Study of the Bible as he values the Repute of a Scholar and a Learned Man That he may successfully study this Holy Book he must be furnish'd with Tongues Arts History c. It is necessary that he be very Inquisitive and Diligent in searching into the Mind and Design of the Sacred Writers In examining the Coherence of the Words In Comparing Places together In observing and discovering the peculiar Grace and Elegancy and sometimes the Verbal Allusions and Cadences of the Holy Scripture of which several Instances are given He must also be Morally qualified to read this Book i. e. he ought to banish all Prejudice He must be Modest and Humble He must endeavour to free himself from the Love of all Vice He must with great Earnestness implore the Assistance of the Holy Spirit p. 532 OF THE EXCELLENCY PERFECTION OF THE Holy Scriptures CHAP. I. The different Esteem and Sentiment of Persons concerning the Authors they make choice of to read No Writings can equal the Bible It hath been highly valuâ—d in all Ages by
it should be believed as an Article of the Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation And this is a sufficient and solid Proof of a thing 's not being Necessary to Salvation that it is not contain'd in Scripture This then we assert that these Writings are Plain and Perfect as to all Matters that are Necessary and accordingly are able to put an End to all Controversies which relate to Salvation And if Men will not end them with This Rule they will never do it with any This is the Chief Perfection of Scripture that in it the whole Will of God as to those things that have a necessary Tendency to our Happiness and consequently are the only Necessary Things to be known and done by us is plainly revealed The New Testament particularly is the last Revelation of God's Will and Counsel and nothing is to be added to it or taken from it which makes it a Perfect Standard of Belief and a Compleat Rule of our Lives in which there is nothing short and defective nothing superfluous and redundant Here are all the Principles of True Religion and all the Measures of Holy Living so that whilst we proceed according to this Perfect Canon we are infallibly certain of the Truth of what we believe and of the Rectitude and Lawfulness of what we act On this sole Account the Holy Writ excels all Writings in the World besides 3. We are to adjoin this that as it is a Light to our Vnderstandings and a Rule of our Lives so it is the grand Procurer of our Comfort Ioy and Tranquillity Alas they are Cold Topicks of Consolation which the Writings of the Best Moralists afford us When our outward Distresses and Miseries much more when our inward and spiritual Maladies increase upon us Epictetus and Seneca with all their Spangled Sayings are too mean Physicians to take us in Hand The Great Cicero when in the Close of his Life he was reduced to marvelous Difficulties declared that his Learning and his Books afforded him not any Considerable Arguments of Comfort that the Disease of his Mind which he lay under was too great and too strong to be cured by those Ordinary Medicines which Philosophy administred to him There must be some greater Traumatick some more powerful Application to these Wounds to work a perfect Cure And this Divine Book is able to furnish us with it This alone can remove our Pains and Languors and restore us to an entire Health This faith the Psalmist is my Comfort in my Affliction Thy Word hath quickned me And again Vnless thy Law had been my Delight I should then have perished in my Affliction It was this which upheld and chear'd him in his greatest Straits and yielded him Light and Joy when all things about him look'd black and dismal If but a small part of the Bible had this blessed Effect how powerful and successful will All of it prove if we duly consult it seriously meditate upon it and give it admittance into our Hearts If the Apostle could say Whatsoever things were written asore time in this Book were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the scriptures might have Hope how much greater Hope must needs be administred to us in all Conditions of Life but more especially in the Day of Trouble and Calamity when we have the Scriptures not only of the Old but New Testament to repair unto This latter especially will be a never-falling Spring of Contentment and Joy to us In these Books we have a true and perfect Landskip and View of the World Here is unmask'd and laid open the Vanity of it Here we are assured that many of the Gay things which it presents us with and which fond Minds so dote upon are but empty Bubbles deceitful Phantoms and Apparitions mere Conceits and Castles in the Air. Here we are inform'd that a Prosperous State is not really Good that an Overplus of Riches and Worldly Abundance does frequently prove a Clog to vertuous Minds and that Excess of Pleasures is too fulsom and luscious and takes away that purer Relish of spiritual and heavenly Delights yea that Men generally find a worse Effect of them for when they are gorged and clogg'd with them they revolt from God when they are waxen fat they kick against Heaven So their Worldly Plenty is turn'd into the worst of Punishments and this Plethory is their Disease On the other side we are taught in these Writings that Crosses and Afflictions are not evil in themselves yea that they are Good and Medicinal and advance our spiritual Health that they are so far from being a hindrance to our Happiness that they are a part of it for otherwise the Afflicted would not be so often pronounced Blessed That God's Afflicting a Man is Magnifying of him and setting his Heart upon him It shews that God is greatly concern'd for his Good and that the Almighty hath more care of him than he hath of himself Here we are instructed that we have ground to suspect our Condition if we be wholly exempted from the Distresses of this Life and that not to be Chastised is a Mark of Bastardy Here we learn the true use and end of all those Adverse Dispensations which we meet with viz. that they were designed to try us to make us know our selves and to inform us how evil and bitter a thing it is to offend the Divine Majesty to awaken us out of our Sloth and Security to hold us in Action to keep us in Breath and Exercise as Carthage was useful to rouze Rome's Valour to abate our Pride and Haughtiness and make us humble and submissive Creatures to check our immoderate Passions and Pursuits after earthly things to disintangle us from these Snares to free us from these Charms to keep us from being suck'd in and swallowed up in the powerful Circle and Eddy of this World as who knows not that it is True Philosophy that the World is made up of Vortices to cause us to look after Better Things when these are taken from us to reclaim us from our evil Courses and to reduce us unto Vertue and Goodness to excite us to a Renunciation of all Trust and Confidence in our selves and the transitory Enjoyments of this World and to depend upon God alone It is this Book whence we are acquainted that our Sufferings make us conformable to Christ our Master and therefore are Honourable Badges of Christianity That the Curse which usually attends outward Crosses is taken away by our Saviour's Death That the Calamities of the Faithful are Chastisements rather than Punishments That no Adverse Accidents can do us any hurt if we believe in Jesus and abandon our Sins That the Pressures of this Life are serviceable to make us pity those that are in Misery to know and relish the Love of Christ in suffering for us to inhanse the Comforts of a Good Conscience to commend
the Bible Wherefore this is that which I intend very particularly and largely to insist upon viz. that the Scriptures are the Antientest Storehouse of Good Letters and Learning and that here are All the Sorts of them which I conceive will be a full Eviction of what I have undertaken viz. to demonstrate the Pre-eminence of the Inspired Writings before all others whatsoever First I begin with the Language in which the greatest part of the Bible that is the Old Testament was written which is Hebrew and was the First and Original Tongue of the World This certainly inhanses the Worth of the Hebrew Text and renders the Bible preferable to all other Books It is true there are other Languages that pretend to Priority but when we come to examine their claim we discover it to be a mere Pretence indeed We are told by Herodotus that Psammâ—ticus King of Egypt had a mind to make an Experiment about this and accordingly caus'd two Children to be nourish'd and bred up by two she-goats and suffered none to speak a Word to them At last they were heard to utter the word bec which it seems signifies Bread in the Phrygian Dialect whence it was concluded that that was the First Language But upon Enquiry it was found that this Experiment was fruitless for bec was an insignificant Pronuntiation which the Children learnt of their Goat-Nurses to whom and all other Animals of that Species that Sound it seems was natural Theodoret thought Syrâ—ack was the First Tongue Philo the Jew was of Opinion that Chaldee was the Primitive Language and that what we call Hebrew is truly the Tongue which the Chaldean Abraham brought out of Chaldea And Capellus in his Sacred Chronology seems to espouse this Assertion But there is little Ground for it if we consider that the Chaldee is borrowed from the Hebrew and is a different Dialect of it The Scythian is the Primitive Tongue saith Boxhorn Goropius Becanus fetches all Words from the Teutonick or High Dutch and would perswade us that this is the Mother-Tongue of the World but he hath given so slender Proof of it that he hath gain'd but few Proselytes to his Opinion The Learned Bochart derives all Words from the Phaenician Tongue but any impartial Judg may discern that he is too extravagant in his Derivations witness that of Phaenicia or Phaenix from ben Anak the Son of Anak making the Old Phaenicians his Posterity or by Contraction Beanak then Pheanak and so Phaenix and hundreds more of the like Nature which straining to maintain his Opinion is unacceptable to wise Men. A late Author hath publish'd an Historical Essay as he is pleased to call it of the Probability of the Language of China being the Primitive one and among other Offers towards it he hath this that the first Expression we make of Life at the instant Minute of our Birth is by uttering the Chinois Word Ya or Yah But by the same Reasoning I can prove that the first Tongue was Hebrew because Yah for so most Hebricians pronounce it is one of the Hebrew Names of God and how proper is it for Infants to mention and acknowledg their Maker as soon as they come into the World I allow the Author to be very Ingenious yet I believe he is so wise himself as not to think he hath brought any solid Proof for what he undertook Such another Attempt is his who commends the British or Welsh Tongue to us as the Antientest of all This Glory is due only to the Hebrew which certainly was the Language that Adam spoke and was that peculiar Form of Speech which was given to him by God and which he taught his Children and which lasted incorrupt there being no other Tongue to be its Rival till the Confusion of Tongues at Babel and the Dispersion which was the Consequent of that Of this those Words are meant Gen. 11. 1. The whole Earth was of one language and of one Speech Viz. Hebrew which without doubt was no small Benefit to Mankind this â—dentity of Speech having such an Influence on Soâ—iety and contributing to the Increase of their Friendship and Familiarity whereas now we must â—e a long time learning to make those of other Countries understand what we say we must go to â—chool to be Friendly and we can't be sociable without a Dictionary But this Primitive Blessing was not of very great Duration for the Infallible Records inform us that a notable Confusion of Languages happen'd to the World when it was yet in its Minority and Childhood and had not long learnt to speak if we may reckon the Age of it from the Deluge By the Fault of Man and the Judgment of God the One way of Speaking was changed into diverse But we are not to think that this Change introduced into every Colony or Plantation a Different Language but only a particular and peculiar Dialect For the Difference of the Idiom was sufficient to beget a not-understanding of one another as we see at this day the Germans Danes Swedes Norwegians Dutch English understand not one another when they speak though they have not properly a Different Language but only Several Dialects for they all speak Teutonick The Confusion of Tongues then was not New Tongues but a considerable Variation from the Primitive one viz. Hebrew Hereupon the Babel-Builders who before spoke and understood this Language it being their native one as it was of all the rest of Manking were so confounded that they were forced to lay aside their Tools and leave off working And that this Confusion was not an Introduction of really Distinct Tongues as some have thought is evident hence that there is a Great Affinity between Tongues especially the Eastern ones for as for others they have had their Rise since and we are not to imagine that at the Babylonick Confusion they spoke Italian Spanish or French or that afterwards there were any of the Plantations that understood English Dutch or Irish I speak then concerning the Eastern Languages and assert them to be Different Dialects or Modes of the Hebrew Tongue which is sufficiently proved from the Harmony and Cognation between them I remit the Reader to Skickard Hottinger and others for the particular Eviction of this He will from them be perswaded that Tongues were not Multiplied at Babel but Divided and that that One Language which had been in use ever since the beginning of the World received there an Alteration and new Modification the Diversity of which was the Cause that Persons could not understand one another Now that the First Tongue which Adam and Eve spake and was used before the Division of Languages and was the Original from whence all the other Languages are but Variations was Hebrew is apparent from that foresaid Cognation between the Hebrew and other Oriental Tongues We find that this One Language hath spread it self more or less into all others We may discern in them some Words either
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 absolutely and by it self is according to Hesychius as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Lydians and Ionians Lucan makes the Phoenicians the first Inventers of Letters Phoenices primi famae si creditur ausi Mansuram rudibus vocem signare figuris Now when these are said to have first found out Letters and when these Letters are signally stiled Phoenician it is as much as if they had called them Hebrew Letters so named from that Famous Hebrew Moses and the People of that Denomination for it is acknowledg'd by all the Learned that Phoenicians and Hebrews are â—â—e same in several Authors The old Distinctioâ— was this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is those of Syria that inhabited the Contineâ—â— had the name of Syrians but those that border'd 〈◊〉 the Maritime Coasts were call'd Phoenicians wâ—â— were the same with the Canaanites When wâ— find Pliny professing Literas semper arbitror Assyriâ—â— fuisse we cannot but know that by Assyrian the Country of the Patriarâ—hs and even the Iewish Nâ—â—tion are pointed at When therefore he saith he is of Opinion and always was that Letteâ—â— were first of all Assyrian it is certain that he coâ—â—firms what I am now suggesting And when thâ— Gentile Historians tell us that the Invention 〈◊〉 Letters was from Cadmus it is to our presenâ— Purpose to observe who this Cadmus was He 〈◊〉 said to be a Tyrian or Phoenician whence hâ— hath the Title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Syrophoeniâ—cian Traffiker given him in Lucian's Council of thâ— Gods This was he that brought the use of Letters to the Greeks which shews that the Origininal of them was from Canaan from the Hebrews who were stiled Phoenicians Besides that the Greek Alphabet was taken from the Hebrew not only the Names but the Order and Figure of most of the Letters do plainly shew And when it is said by Plato Diodorus Siculus Tully and others that Mercurius and Thoth who were the same Person were the Inventers of Letters and Erudition Moses is meant for he is the true Mercurius as I have had occasion to prove by very convincing Arguments in another Place This seems to be referred to in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Muses who are the celebrated Authors of Learning and all Ingenious Arts for Plato who was the greatest Searcher into Antiquity of all the Philosophers acknowledgeth that this Word is borrowed from the Barbarians and 't is well known who are the Barbarians with the Greeks viz. the Hebrews which makes me think that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Corruption of Moses and that what is said of the Muses is to be understood of him and consequently that he was the First Inventer of Letters and of Learning Hence it is that the same Divine Philosopher in another Place expresly testifies that the Greeks received their Names and Letters from the Barbarians who were elder than they Lastly I will mention that Notable Passage in Plutarch who speaking of the Egyptians saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they think that Hermes was the Inventor of Grammar where by Grammar is meant all Good Letters and by Hermes we are to understand Moses who as hath been said already is universally own'd to be the Antient Hermes To this Excellent Man it pleased God to reveal the Art of Writing setting him an Illustrious Copy upon the two Tables with his own Hand so that next unto God himself he was the first Inventer of Letters or Written Characters He who when an Infant was wrapp'd up in the Egyptian Papyrus as you shall hear afterwards was most congruously the Principal Author of Writing on it and adorning that and other Materials with Letters The first Penman and Writer of the Bible had the Glory of this Discovery viz. to be the first Author of Writing These Sacred Records acquaint us also what were the First Ways of Writing or making Letters They let us know what Materials they of old wrote upon and what Instruments they wrote with Here we learn that the first way of Writing was Sculpture or Carving i. e. they cut their Letters in Stoâ—â— or Wood or some other hard and solid Matter We read that Moses or rather God himself 〈◊〉 graved his Laws on Stone Exod. 34. 1. Deut. 〈◊〉 and the People were commanded afterwards to write these very Laws after the same manner Deut. 27. 3 8. This is the First and Antientâ—â— Way of Writing that we read of Stones were their Books of old On these they engraved the Characters which they had learn'd The Egyptiâ—â—â— did thus saith Iamblichus before their Inventâ—â—â— of Paper The Babylonians writ their Laws 〈◊〉 stony sort of Substance saith Pliny Of such 〈◊〉 of Writing speaks Herodotus And all the 〈◊〉 Marble Monuments which Rome affords and arâ—â—â— this Day to be seen witness the Antiquity of 〈◊〉 Engraving On Wood and Trees it was usual to carve their Letters of old Thus they writ the Names of the Tribes on twelve Rods Numb 17. â— and Ezekiel was bid to write upon Sticks smaâ—â— Pieces of Wood Ezek. 37. 16. Writing on a Tâ—ble 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the LXX super buâ—â—â— according to the Vulgar Latin Isa. 30. 8. may refer to this I suppose This Writing in Wood was not unusual among some of the Gentiles So Shepherds and Lovers used to cut their Names on the Barks of Trees of old This is called Teeneris incidere amores Arboribus Some of the old Roman Laws were written in Tables of Oak and from sufficient Testimonies in Authors it might be proved that they cut Letters in Wooden Tables i. e. thin Slices of Wood which were call'd Codices But afterwards it was the Custom to cover these Tables with Wax and so to cut their Characters on it of which sort it is probable was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Writing-Table that Zacharias call'd for Luke 1. 63. These Waxen Boards were in use in the time of the Trojan War as appears from Homer Il. 6. And that they were frequent among the Romans and others is attested by Pliny Quintilian Plautus Martial and most of the Latin Writers Of engraving Letters in Gold there is an early Instance in Exod. 39. 30. where we are told that Holiness to the Lord was written on a Golden Plate and worn on the High Priest's Head So Dio relates that they antiently made Letters in Gold and wrote in Silver The drawing of legible Characters on Lead i. e. thin Leaves of that Metal is recorded in Iob 19. 24. of which there were afterwards Examples in Pagan Writers as in Pausanias who tell us that Hesiod's Poems were thus written And Publick Records and Decrees saith the other Pliny were wont to be transcribed into these Sheets of Lead because they were accounted Lasting and Durable For the same Reason the Twelve Tables of the
Olâ— Roman Laws that were fix'd up in publick were written on Plates of Brass as a great Number of good Latin Authors testify And â—ome to preserve what they writ imprinted Characters on Slices of Ivâ—ry thence call'd Libri Elephantini in Tacitus and Flavius Vopiscus Thus Sculpture was one antient way of Writing among Men of whiâ—â— the First Instances are to be found in the Holy Scripture And I doubt not but Aâ—oliab who wâ—â— the Chief Master of Engraving and that by the particular Inspiration of Heaven was the fiâ—â—â— Improver of this sort of Letters This was 〈◊〉 Primitive Writing of Mankind the First Lettâ—â—â— were cut and engraven which indeed may be fouâ—â— in the very Word for to grave is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is thence derived without doubt As hither to we have seen by Help of the Sacrâ—â— Records that Sculpture or Eâ—â—râ—tion was the anâ—â— entest sort of Characters so These likewise inâ—oâ— us that Painting was the next i. e. that Lettâ—â—â— were generally drawn and pouâ—trayed in some blaâ—â— or â—able kind of â—olouring And to this end iâ—â—stead of those Hard Materials which were madâ— use of in writing before there were others aâ—terwards found out of a more tractable Nature The Scripture doth not mention those that were 〈◊〉 seldom and little used as Leavâ—s of Trees espeâ—â—â—ally Palms which was the way â—f the Siâ—â—â— transmitting some of their Verses And that of old they wrote sometimes on Leaves not only of Trees but Flowers is more than once witnessed by Virgil and Ovid. Still to this Day we seem to retain the Memory of this antient way of Writing when we say a Leaf of Paper and Books in Folio Nor are the thin Coats or Rinds which were between the Bark and Body of Trees and were used in Writing of old as several relate and from whence came the Name of Liber at first mention'd by the Holy Writers because their Use continued but a little time and they were of little Service Much less is there any thing said of writing in Linen which yet Livy Pliny Vopiscus and others take notice of because this was used among the Indians and such remote People as the Sacred History had no occasion to speak of But those Materials for writing which were of constant Use and that among most Nations as Papyr and Parchment are either expresly mention'd or tacitely referr'd to The former was made of broad Rushes and Flags which grew in great abundance in Egypt of which the Prophet Isaiah foretelling the Confusion of that Country speaketh ch 19. v. 6 7. The Reeds and Flags shall wither the Paper-Reeds by the Brooks shall wither be driven away and be no more The Gnaroth the Materials for Writing which were so celebrated all the World over and which were the peculiar Commodity of Egypt and which brought in so great Revenues to that Nation these even these shall decay the Traffick of them shall cease Yea when 't is said that Moses was laid in an Ark of Bull-rushes Exod. 2. 3. a Great Critick tells us that the Papyrus is meant here and for this he quotes Lucan Conseritur bibulâ Memphitis cymba papyro And before him St. Ierom the most Critical of all the Fathers thought the Egyptian Rushes of which the first Paper was made are to be understood in this Place and therefore Gome which is the Word here used is rendred by him Papyrâ—â— And he it is likely had this from Iosepâ—us who acquaints us that the Ark in which Moses was secured was made of this great Flag growing on the Banks of Nile of which they made Leaves to write on and whence our Paper at this Day hath its Name It was divided into thin Flakes which were press'd and dried in the Sun and so were made serviceable to write upon in some tolerable manner Of this Pliny and several other Writers speak and thence Nile is call'd Papyriferus by Ovid. Parchment which was made of Sheep Skins or the thinner Skins of other Animals dress'd was another thing they writ upon The best of this sort was made at Pergamus and thence had its Name Pergamena but it was invented before Attalus King of Peragamus his time though the contrary hath been believ'd by some Men and was in use at the same time that the Egyptian Papyrus was only this was used for common Purposes and the other for more choice Writing and such as they designed should last a long time Therefore it is most probable that the Books of the Mosaick Law and the rest of the Old Testament were transcrib'd into this Moses writ the Words of the Law gnal sepher upon a Book Deut. 31. 24. i. e. on Parchment saith Ionathan the Chaldee Paraphrast on the place for so he and other Learned Jews understood the Text. This is meant by Megillah a Roll Ezra 6. 2. and Megillah sepher a Roll of a Book Jer. 36. 2. and Gillaion a Roll Isa. 8. 1. and a Scroll rolled together Isa. 34. 4. for it was Parchment which is of some Consistency not thin and weak Paper that was capable of being thus rolled up To this Herodotus refers when he saith that writing on Skins was used by the Barbarians meaning the Eastern People especially the Iews And Iosepâ—us avoucheth that the Books of the Old Testament were written in Sheets of Parchment exactly joined and fastned together of which Testimony of his I have spoken in another Place It is the general Opinion of Interpreters that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are meant Writing Parchments 2 Tim. 4. 13. but I have heretofore proposed another Sense of that Word and therefore I make no use of this Place here It is likely that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Scroll rolled together Rev. 6. 14. refers to this And though I will not aver that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translators render Paper 2 Ioh. v. 12. is to be understood Parchment yet it is not wholly improbable for this was the usual Word to signify any thing that they writ upon whether Egyptian Reeds or Leaves of Lead or Gold or Stone or Wood or any of the other writing Materials before specified The Matter whatever it was was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Charta from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this from the Hebrew Charath seulpsit exaravit for this was a general Term and signified any thing that had Characters engraven or written upon it But the Scripture hath not only taken notice of the Materials on which they wrote of old but of the Instruments with which they form'd their Letters on them I mean here such as were of common Use and therefore we must not expect that it should say any thing of the Rubrica mention'd by Persius and others which serv'd sometimes instead of Pen and Ink. With this they writ oâ— rather mark'd their Titles of Books whence that of Iuvenal
contain'd and here are those Choice Materials which no other Histories furnish us with But I should be endless if I should enlarge here by particularizing therefore I will not launch out but only commend to the Reader the Learned Endeavours of Strigelius in his Commentaries on the Books of Samuel Kings Chronicles where he will be amply convinc'd of the unparallell'd Diversity Multiplicity and Peculiar Excellency of the Historical Examples in Scripture The Antientest Poetry is in the Old Testament for as Moses was the first Historian so he is the first Poet that is â—xtant A Proof of this we have in that Eucharistick Song which he composed upon his passing the Red Sea and is recorded in Exod. 15. An Admirable Hymn it is and in Hexameter Verse if Iosephus may be Judg in this Matter and if a Christian Father may be credited who had more Hebrew than most of the Writers of the Church in his time yea more than all of them except Origen But whether this be true or no this is without Controversy that there is no Piece of Poetry in the World that hath the Priority of this of Moses for Orpheus who is reckon'd by the Pagans as the First Poet was according to the most favourable Computation of some of their Historians three hundred Years after Moses and Homer was towards six hundred Besides this Divine Hymn there are other Antient ones of the like nature recorded in the same Authentick Writings viz. Deborah's Song Iudg. 5. which hath many Noble Flights of Poetry and that of Hannah the Mother of Samuel 1 Sam. 2. 1 c. which hath Excellent Poetick Raptures And here by the way I will offer this Conjecture that perhaps from Miriam's bearing her part in Moses's Song Exod. 15â— 20 21. and from these other Womens Poetick Inspiration which came to be celebrated among the neighbouring Nations the Poets who as I have largely shew'd elsewhere have frequent References to the Old Testament took occasion to report that Poetry was of Female Extraction and that Calliope one of that Sex was the Author of their Faculty Other famous Instances there are here of this Sacred Art as David's Incomparable Elegy on the Death of Saul and Ionathan 2 Sam. 1. 16 c. that Gratulatory Hymn in the 12th Chapter of Isaiah Hezekiah's Song of Praise in the 38th of the same Prophet Habakkuk's Lofty Description of the Divine Majesty and Greatness in Poetick Numbers chap. 3. the Stile of which is far more sublime and majestick than any of Orpheus or Pindar's Odes I appeal to any Man of Skill and that hath a right Poetick Genius whether this be not true And as there are these single Hymns and Songs so there are Just Poems for of the Books of the Old Testament there are six that are composed and writ in Verse viz. the Books of Iob the Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Canticles Lamentations As to the Nature of the Hebrew Poesy and the Kinds of Verses which are in the Bible the Learned Mersennus and others have given us some Account of them but it is very short and mean and much of it is mere Surmise and therefore I will not trouble the Reader with it A late Writer hath attempted to prove that the Hebrew Verse or Poetry of the Old Testament is in Rhythm which I believe is true in many Places and if the Pronuntiation and Sound were the very same now that they were when these Poetick Books were composed we should observe the Cadence in them more frequently But he goes too far in asserting that all the Hebrew Poesy in Scripture is Rhythmed for they were not so exact at first though the Verses end with the same Sound sometimes yet generally they took a Liberty Upon Examination we may find this to be true and I may have occasion to say something further of it when I come to speak particularly of the Psalms But the other Assertion viz. that the Psalms and other Pieces of Hebrew Poetry are always Rhythmical necessarily infers a great many Faults and Mistakes in the Scripture it supposes several Places to be corrupted and mangled for we do not find all the Poetry of the Bible to be such at this day and consequently subverts the Truth and Authority of the Bible which is by no means to be allowed of All that I will add under this Head is that even among the Gentiles the first and antientest Writers were Poets Strabo undertakes to shew that Poetry was before Prose and that this is but an Imitation of that It can't be denied that the First Philosophers writ in Verse as Orpheus parmenides Empedocles Theognis Phocylides c. and thence as One of the Learnedest Men of our Age observes the Moral Precepts of the Philosophers were call'd of old 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Carmina The Grecian Oracles were delivered in Verse Concerning the Agathyrsi we are told by Aristotle that their Laws were all in Metre Concerning the Old Germans Tacitus relates that their very Records and Annals were in Verse And all this it is probable was in Emulation of the First Sacred Writers the Penmen of the Old Testament in whose Writings there are several things dictated in Measure and some entire Books are altogether Metrical for it was the Design of the Holy Ghost to delight as well as profit With Poetry let us join Musick it being of so near Affinity with it and the First Inventer of this also is to be known only from the Scripture which informs us that Iubal the Son of Lamech the sixth from Adam was the Father of such as handle the Harp and Organ Gen. 4. 21. From whose Name some have thought the Iubilee was called because it was proclaim'd with Musick The poets tell us that Apollo and Mercury were the first Authors of it by whom it is not improbable they meant Moses who first gives an Account of the Original of this Art and might well be represented by Apollo because of his Singular Wisdom and by Mercury because he was the First Interpreter of the Divine Will in his Writings and on other Accounts merited that Name as I have evidenc'd in another Place Perhaps the Story of Pythagoras's finding our Musical Notes from the Strokes of the Hammers upon the Smith's Anvil was suggested from this that the first Musical Instrumeâ—â—â— were made of Iron and Brass the Metals of the Smith and Brasier Or if I should guessâ— it a downright Mistake of Tuâ—al for Iubal Sons of the same Father a Smith for a Musician or that it was suggested from the Musick of their Nameâ— Tuâ—al and Iubal having some affinity in the Sound it would be hard to disprove it But that which is certain is this that as the First Inventers oâ— other things are recorded in Scripture so particularly is he that found out Musick and by the Harp and the Organ all other Musical Inâ—trumentâ— are meant whether Pulsative or Pneumatick And it is not improbable that the
History both domestieâ— and foreign All that are conversant in this way of Study complain and that justly of the erroneous Misrepresentations of Passages of all sorts among Historians and of our Darkness and Ignorance by reason of these But no such thing is to be fear'd or so much as suspected in the Sacred History because God himself speaks there and therefore we have the surâ—â— ground for our Faith that we can desire There is no Authority so firm as that which is Divine there is no Testimony so strong and valid as that which is from the Holy Spirit And such is that of the Holy Scriptures and consequently it most justly challengeth yea commandeth our Faith and Assent This is the singular Pre-eminence and Advantage which this Book hath above all others that the Penmen of it were directed by the unerring Spirit of God This alone is sufficient to determine and six us it being the most stable as well as the most proper Basis of our Belief even where things that are very Improbable are propounded to us to be assented to Besides as to the seeming Improbability of some things that are related in the Historical Part of the Bible this ought not to hinder us from giving Credit to them Many Persons are wont to look upon these Passages and Stories as Strange and almost Incredible which they observe are not sutable to the Manners Customs Arts and Conversation of the World as it is at present and thence they are enclined to think that there were no such things heretofore But these Men do not well consider nor distinguish between those times and these which are exceedingly Different And moreover if they suspend their Belief of some things which they read in the Old Testament because they see other things now things of a Different Nature they may as well disbelieve all the Other Histories of the Antients that are extant which yet we see they are very backward to do And they have good Reason on their Side because the World is not now as it was then and therefore we must not expect that the things which we read of in those times should be fully conformable and agreeable to what occurs in these latter Days For this Reason a very Solid and Judicious Writer hath defended the Antient History of the Greeks and Latins whereof whatever is strange is in Herodotus and Pliny shewing that though some fabulous Narrations and many gross Mistakes and Errors are intermingled the Strangeness of some Passages which we meet with in them proceeds from the Diversity of Times the Posture of the World having much changed since those things happened Let us make use of the same Reasoning in the present case and when we find several Strange Unusual and Surprizing Matters in the Writings of the Old Testament impute this to the Antientness of them and the great Discrepancy between those Days and these we now live in If we do so there will be no Impediment to our steady Belief of the Truth of them Nay if we weigh things well we shall see it is ridiculous to expect that the Guises and Manners of the World should be the same now that they were 4 or 5000 Years ago for there must needs be new things when the Numbers of Persons are so vastly increased when the Difference of Climes produces such Diversity of Dispositions when Casualty Necessity Industry Wit c. are the Occasions of so many new Occurrences Let this be remembred and seriously thought of and it will dispel our vain Scruples and Disbelief Or if there be any remaining the former Consideration will throughly extirpate them i. e. if we call to mind the Undoubted Certainty and Infallibility of the Scripture which is its peculiar Prerogative and Excellency CHAP. VII A particular Distribution of the several Books of the Old Testament Genesis the first of them together with the four following ones being written by Moses his ample Character or Panegyrick is attompted wherein there is a full Account of his Birth Education Flight from Court retired Life his Return to Egypt his conducting of the Israelites thence his immediate Converse with God in the Mount his delivering the Law his Divine Eloquence his Humility and Meekness his Sufferings his Miracles and his particular Fitness to write these Books A Summary of the several Heads contain'd in Genesis to which is added a brief but distinct View of the Six Days Works wherein is explained the Mosaick Draught of the Origine of all things and at the same time the bold Hypotheses of a late Writer designed to confront the First Chapter of the Bible are exposed and refuted The Contents of the Book of Exodus to which is adjoined a short Comment on the Ten Plagues of Egypt A Rehearsal of the remarkable Particulars treated of in Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy That Moses was the Pen-man and Author of the Pentateuch notwithstanding what some have lately objected against it To demonstrate yet further the Excellency of these Holy Writings I will enter upon the Third way of Proof which I proposed that is I will give you a Particular Account of the several Books contained in the Old and New Testament and I will shew all along the particular Usefulness and Excellency of them I begin first with the Old Testament which is divided by the Jews into three general Parts first Torah the Law which contains the five Books of Moses then Nebiim the Prophets which comprehends the Books of Ioshua Iudges first and second Book of Samuel the first and second of the Kings Isaiah Ieremiah Ezekiel the twelve Small Prophets all which make the second Volume then the Chetubim the Holy Writers in which are included the Psalms Proverbs Iob Canticles Ruth Lamentations Ecclesiastes Esther Daniel Ezra Nehemiah Chronicles and these made the third Volume The Books of this last Rank were written say the Jewish Doctors by the Inspiration of the Spirit but the Writers were not admitted into the Degree of Prophets because they had no Vision but their Senses remained perfect and entire all the while only the Holy Spirit stirr'd them up and dictated such and such things to them which they writ down For you must know that the Old Jews thought nothing to be right Prophecy but what was conveyed in Dreams or Visions But though this be a Rabbinical Conceit and hereby they strike David and some others out of the Number of the Prophets who were the Chief of them yet the Partition of the Old Testament as it may be rightly understood is not altogether to be rejected nay it seems to be allowed of by our Saviour himself Luke 24. 44. where he tells his Apostles that all things must be fulfilled which were written concerning him in the whole Old Testament viz. in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms under these last comprising all the other Parts of the Hagiographa Or you may divide the Books as they stand in their order in the
Septuagint and Latin Version and according to them in our English Bibles into these three sorts Historical Doctrinal and Prophetical The Historical Books are Narratives of things done and these are fifteen whereof Genesis is the first and Iob the last Or if you reckon the two Parts of the History of Samuel and the Kings and those likewise of the Chronicles as distinct Books then there are eighteen in all The Doctrinal Books are such as purposely and wholly instruct us in our Devotion and a Holy Life these are four the Psalms the Proverbs Ecclesiastes and Solomon's Song The Prophetick Books are those which consist chiefly in Predictions concerning the Deliverance of the Church the Punishment of its Enemies and the Coming of Christ in the Flesh. These were written either by the Greater Propbets as Isaiah Ieremiah Ezâ—kiel Daniel to which also appertain the Lamentations of Ieremiah or by the Lesser whereof the first is Hosea and Malachi the last Having thus given you a Distribution of the Several Books I come now to a Particular Survey of them the first whereof is Genesis which together with the other Parts of the Pentateuch was written by Moses who being the First Writer that we know of extant in the World and being every ways so Remarkable and Admirable a Person I think my self obliged before I proceed any further to present you with the Character of this Excellent Man that in what we shall deliver concerning this One Penman of Scripture you may guess how large we might be in commendation of the rest But because we cannot have leisure to do so in all the others that follow I will offer here a Specimen of it in this First Inspired Writer whom we have occasion to mention He was born about the Year of the World 2370 in Egypt of Hebrew Parents who presently read in his Face extraordinary Marks of Divinity and therefore were unwilling to discover his Birth to the Egyptians that he might not according to Pharaoh's Order be hurried into Nile and there drowned However in this River they resolve to expose him in an Ark of Bull-rushes and to commit both Him and the Care of this Little Vessel in which he was embarked to the Great Pilot of the World And behold it arrived at a safe Harbour and no meaner a Person than the King's Daughter received the little Passenger into her Embraces and caused him to be brought to Court and bred up as her own Son Here he became Learned in all the Wisdom of the Egyptians in all those Arts and Sciences wherein they used to instruct their Youth which they chiefly designed for the Service of their Country viz. in Arithmetick Geometry Musick Astronomy for these were Sciences that they thought were Natural to Mens Minds and were the first things taught not only by the Egyptians but the rest of the Antients in their Schools Hence it was written in great Letters over the Entry of Plato's School 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 None must be admitted into this Place but such as have been initiated into Geometry such as have had a taste of it at least Therefore this and the forenamed Arts were termed Mathematicks i. e. Learning or Discipline by way of Eminency In all these was this young Courtier brought up and skilled in all Philosophical Accomplishments and the Knowledg of Nature Besides he was more especially instructed in that Abstruse and Recondite Knowledg which the Egyptians were peculiarly Masters of namely their Hieroglyphick Cyphers their Mystical Symbols and Figures whereby they represented the choicest Truths to Mens Minds This way of Symbolical Learning furnish'd them with all kinds of Notions that were serviceable in the Life of Man they were taught hence the best Rules of Morality the profoundest Maxims in Politicks and the most useful Sentiments in Theology This was the Celebrated Wisdom of the Egyptians in which Moses was educated being sent by Pharaoh's Daughter to the best Academies and Schools of Learning and committed to the best Tutors and having moreover the Advantage of his own Excellent Parts and Quick Ingeny for he who was so Eminent as to his Bodily Features and Proportions had without doubt as Fair a Soul But 't is time now for Moses to leave the Court and to add to all his other Accomplishments that of Travelling And truly he was neceslitated to this for the Court could not bear him any longer because He could not bear it he every Day more and more disliked their Manners contemned their Gay Follies laugh'd at their empty Titles and refused to be call'd the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter He was now resolv'd to help and assist his oppressed Brethren though by that Attempt he should lose the Favour of the King and his Royal Patroness and with that all Possibility of being Great yea though he should incur the Danger of being Miserable above the degree of his former Happiness He chose rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God his Hebrew Brethren than to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a Season in Pharaoh's Court esteeming the Reproach of or for Christ greater Riches than the Treasures in Egypt In pursuance of this he visited his Brethren the Children of Israel who now groaned under their extreme Bondage and Slavery in that Country he boldly defended them when â—e saw them suffering wrong and avenged the Cause of the Oppressed and smote the Egyptians This made him taken notice of by the Egyptian Lords and Taskmasters who presently went and represented his Carriage to the Court and thereupon he was banished thence for his daring to take the part of any of those Hebrew Bondslaves Then fled Moses into the Land of Midian and was a Shepherd there forty Years just as many as he had been a Courtier This was the sudden Change of his Condition and he made it serviceable to the best Ends. He went out of the World as it were to come into it with the greater Vigour for his Retired Life fitted him for Publick Atchievements afterwards his Contemplative and Solitary way of living prepared him for Action his Low and Mean Estate was the Forerunner of his being call'd to an High one God bestows not on a Man Magnificence unless he first makes Trial of him in some Small thing say the Rabbies and they instance in Moses and David who kept Sheep Kings were antiently stiled Shepherds and sometimes were really such God calls Cyrus his Shepherd Isa. 44. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Epithet of a Prince in Homer which ' Plato explains by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Feeder and Nourisher of the Flock of Mankind The three Hebrew Verbs nahag nahal ragnah signify to lead or feed Sheep and to govern So do the Greek Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is both a Palace Luke 11. 21. John 18. 15. and a Sheepfold John 10. 1. The Word Shebet is both a Scepter and a Pastoral Rod. The Shepherd's Employment saith
True Philosophers There were notable Examples of this in Athens where Aristides Themistocles Miltiades Pericles Phocion Alcibiades and several others were as celebrated Philosphers as Commanders and Captains They were renowned for their Great Wit and Judgment and for as Great Valour and Conduct As wife Men they knew how to regulate themselves and their own Manners as skilful Rulers and Governours they knew how to rectify the Behaviour of others We are sure that Moses wanted not this double Advantage being versed both in the Principles of the Best Philosophy and the Wisest Government and being able to act according to both His Learning and Contemplation were reduced into Exercise he by them not only understood but practis'd the Arts of War and well Governing He knew how to give Laws to the People and knew how to lead them into the Field like Caesar afterwards who was both Scholar and Souldier the Master of Eloquence and of Arms. The great Variety of Life which he had gone through made him universally Knowing and sitted him for all sorts of Actions David is a like Instance in Scripture and I know not another He was like Moses a Shepherd a Courtier a King's Favourite and afterwards out of Favour a Fugitive a Warriour a Ruler a Prophet a Writer This Difference of Scenes rendered both of them Compleat Actors this Diversity of States furnish'd them with Political Wisdom which being added to that which was Divine enabled them to act so laudably in those Publick Stations to which they were advanced And for this reason our Moses is the more Acceptable Historian because he was one of such vast Knowledg and Wisdom and had pass'd through so many and various Stages of Life and especially because he was personally engaged in most of the things he writes We count it a good Qualification in those that pen Histories that they write things done in their own time and that they bore a Part in what they describe Thus Dictys Cretensis if we may begin with him writ the Trojan War wherein he himself had served Thucidides as he tells us in the beginning of his History was present at the things he wrote concerning the Peloponnesian War and saw and knew much of it Xenophon was both Historian and Captain and knew many of the Things he transmits to Posterity Diodorus Siculus as he acquaints us in the Entrance of his History travell'd a great Part of Asia and Europe to inform himself of the Things he relateth and that he might be an Eye-witness of most of them and it appears from what he saith elsewhere that he went into Africa Iulius Caesar's Commentaries which Name he was pleas'd out of Modesty to apply to the best History in the World of that sort are an Account of the Military Acts of his own Army He fought and writ his Battels were transcribed into his Book his Blood and his Ink were equally free his Sword and his Pen were alike famous Iosephus accompanied Titus to the Siege of Ierusalem and knew himself the Acts done in the War he writes Polybius travell'd to most of the Parts which he describes and saw those very things which he writes of Procopius sets down what he knew for he was present with Belisarius at the Wars which he treats of and was Eye-witness of what he relates Herodian writ the History of the Emperors of his own Time and so had the exacter Knowledg of their Actions Suetonius was Contemporary with the three last Emperors whose Lives he writes Among the Modern Historians Comines Guicciardine Sleidan Thuanus are commendable on this account they lived at the same time when most of the Things which they record were done and they were themselves actually concern'd in many of them Now if these who were interested in the Matters they deliver'd are thought to be well qualified on that Account for Historians then we ought to have the greater Regard to our Divina Writer who was engaged in so great a Part of the Things which he commits to Writing He describes those Battels at which he was present and records those Passages in which he had a Share and that a very considerable one so that having the Relation of these things from his Mouth we do not only read them but as 't were see them And here by the way we may see the unreasonableness of those Mens Cavils who think it a diminishing of the Authority of Moses's Writings that he so often records his Own Actions and Deportment as if they did not sound well nay could not be true from his own Mouth But it is certain that this very Thing commends his Writings and strengthens the Authority of them especially when we know that he was a Person of Integrity and would not tell a Lie We think not the worse of Iosephus's Life because 't was writ with his own Hand nor of the Emperor Antoninus's Books concerning Himself nor of St. Austin's Confessions wherein he gives an Account of his own Actions nor of Cardan or Iunius or Bp. Hall who writ their Own Lives nor of Montaign who in one Book more especially makes Himself the Subject and relates his own Temper Studies Fortunes c. And shall we think the worse of Moses because he sets down the Passages of his own Life in the Books which he hath written No this rather advanceth their Credit among wise and understanding Men who are satisfied that none was so fit to give an account of his own Actions as this Author himself both because he knew them better than any Man and because he was of that entire Faithfulness that he would relate nothing but what was exactly true And that he was thus faithful and impartial is evident from those Passages which relate to Himself which are frequent in these Writings where his own Infirmities Imperfections and Follies are registred where his unseemly Wrath and Passion where his gross Unbelief and Distrusting of God as at the Waters of Meribah especially and several other Miscarriages of his Life are set down This shews that he spared not Himself and that he was not guilty of Partiality this shews that he was devoted to Truth and not led by Applause and Vain Glory Whereas he might have composed his own Panegyrick and transmitted it to future Ages you see he chose the contrary and recorded his own Faults and Misdemeanours whence it is rational to conclude that he would not falsify in the least in any other Part of his Writings And as for that Aphorism of Machiavel He that writes an History must be of no Religion it is here disproved and consuted Moses was the most Absolute Historian and yet the most Religious and his being the latter capacitated him to be the former For no Man can so impartially deliver the Truth as he that speaks it from his own Breast and especially as in the present Case hath a practical Sense of those Divine Things which he delivers This is that Person who was the Author
I find it is yea flatly denied by Aben Ezra and Pererius and lately by Hobbs and Spinosa A very little Portion of them was writ by him saith Monsieur Simon who hath a new Notion of certain Publick Scribes or Registers that penn'd this and other Parts of the Old Testament which sort of Abbreviating Notaries he borrows from the Egyptians as he confesâ—es himself because there were such Officers in the Egyptian Court who had a Privilege to add to or take away from to amplify or abridg the Publick Records he thence groundlesly infers there were such among the Iews who made what Alterations they pleased in the Sacred Writings which Paradox of his I have consider'd and made some Reflections upon in a former Treatise This I may truly say that it is not necessary that we should know who was the Particular Penman of this or any other Book of the Holy Scripture because the Authority of them depends not on the Writers of them but on the Holy Ghost who endited them They are the Books of God that is their peculiar Character and Dignity and that alone makes them Authentick after they have been delivered to us by the unanimous Consent of the Church so that there is no absolute Necessity of our certain knowing who penn'd them Yet this must be said that it cannot with Reason be denied that the Authors of some of these Sacred Books are well known and particularly there are very convincing Proofs that Moses wrote the Books which I have been giving an Account of This may be evinc'd from our Saviour's Words Luke 16. 31. 24. 27. where by Moses as is most evident he means the Books of the Pentateuch and consequently thereby lets us know that Moses was the Writer of them And more expresly the Book of Exodus is call'd the Book of Moses by our same Infallible Master Mark 12. 26. And St. Paul tells us that when these Books are read Moses is read 2 Cor. 3. 19. And both our Saviour and this Apostle distinguish between Moses and the Prophets Luke 16. 29. Acts 26. 22. plainly signifying that as those Books which pass under the Prophets Names are theirs so these that are said to be Moses's were written by him I think this is very plain and needs not to be further insisted on As to the Objections of those Men before named against this I forbear to produce them and to return particular Answers to them because this is so lately done by Monsieur Clerk and because another Learned Frenchman hath laudably performed this Task Especially he hath with great Vigour and as great Success attack'd Spinosa a Iew as they tell us by Birth but neither Iew nor Christian by Profession but a Derider of both We may also find his Arguments which are generally borrow'd from Aben Ezra refuted with great Clearness by the Learned Professor of Diâ—inity at Paris who at the same time betakes himself to the Positive Part and renders it unquestionable that Moses himself was the Author of the Five Books that go under his Name Wherefore the particular Fancies of those few Objectors and those no Friends to the Sacred Text are not to be heeded by us As to that common Scruple which is so much insisted upon that in the last Book of the Pentateuch there is mention of Moses's Death and some things that happen'd after it whence they conclude that Moses wrote not those Books or at least not the last of them I take this to be a sufficient Answer that Moses being a Prophet might foresee and have revealed to him a particular Account of his own Death and so he committed it to writing by a Prophetick Spirit wherefore none can from thence prove that he was not the Penman of all this Book However we will not contend here for perhaps the Conclusion of this Book was affixed by Ioshua or afterwards by Ezra who was an Inspired Person likewise and who revised the Books of the Old Testament and inserted some things into them by the same Spirit that endited the rest Notwithstanding then the foresaid Objection which refers only to a few Passages in the End of the Book of Deuteronomy wâ— have Reason to assert that the whole Five Books excepting that little Addition in the Close were written by Moses these are his Authentick Records consisting chiefly of History which compriseth in it the Occurrences of about 2400 Years and Laws which were given by God Himself to his own People and will be of use to the End of the World Here is the Cabinet of the greatest Antiquity under Heaven here are the First and Oldest Monuments of the World CHAP. VIII A short Survey of the Books of Joshua Judges Ruth which is a Supplement to the History of the Iudges Samuel the Kings Chronicles Ezra which is a Continuation of the Chronicles Nehemiah Esther The Author Stile Composure Matter of the Book of Job discuss'd An Enquiry into the Penmen Subjects Kinds Titles Poetick Meter and Rhythm of the Psalms NExt unto this is that Excellent History written by Ioshua the Captain General of the Israelites and Moses's famous Successor whose very Name without doubt was as terrible to the Canaanites as those of Hunniades and Scanderbeg were afterwards to the Turks Here he admirably describes the Holy War the Martial Atchievements and Stratagems of the People of God against those Nations whose Lands they were to possess and at length their Victory over them Here are very particularly set down their Conquests over those Kings and Countries This Book is the Fulfilling of the Promises which were made to them concerning the entring into Canaan and enjoying that Land which is a Type of the Heavenly Canaan the everlasting Rest which remaineth to the People of God Heb. 4. 9. Here is the Actual Possession of that Promised Inheritance and the Division of it among the several Tribes by Lot The short is in the whole Book which I must not now give you by retail there are abundant Demonstrations of the Divine Providence repeated Instances of the Infinite Kindness of God to his Servants remarkable Examples of the Divine Vengeance on his Enemies yea and visible Proofs of his Severe Dealings with his own People when they refuse to obey his Will and when they act contrary to it Here is in the large Account which is given of Ioshua and his Actions an Exact Character of a Worthy Prince a Ruler a General who ought to signalize himself by his Exemplary Piety and Zeal for Religion by his constant Sobriety Justice and Charity by his undaunted Courage Valour and Prowess by his deep Wisdom Policy and Conduct And his Great and Wonderful Success which is so much required in a General crowned all The Whole contains the History of the Jews from Moses's Death till the Death of their Great Commander Ioshua in all about eighteen Years And 't is not to be wondered at that the Age Death and Burial of this latter are
a Consequent of them the many Disappointments and Crosses he met with the various Judgments and Plagues which were inflicted on him and his People by God The Books of the Kings are the History of the Kingdoms of Israel and Iudah under the Reigns of their several Kings The first contains the latter Part of the Life of David and his Death the Glory and Prosperity of that Nation under Solomon who succeeded him his erecting and consecrating of the Temple at Ierusalem his scandalous Defection from the true Religion the sudden Decay of the Jewish Nation after his Death when it was divided into two Kingdoms under Rehoboam who reign'd over the two Tribes of Iudah and Benjamin and under Ieroboam who was King over the other ten Tribes that revolted from the House of David The rest of it is spent in relating the Acts of four Kings of Iudah and eight of Israel The second Book which is a Continuation of the History of the Kings is a Relation of the Memorable Acts of sixteen Kings of Iudah and twelve of Israel and the End of both Kingdoms by the carrying of the Ten Tribes Captive into Assyria by Salmanasser and the other two into Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar the just Rewards of that People's Idolatry and Impenitency after so many Favours shew'd to them This and the former Book together comprehend the History of about four hundred Years The Chronicles or Iournals according to the Hebrew are the filling up of those Parts of the History which are omitted in the Books of the Kings And though we know not which of these Histories viz. of the Kings or the Chronicles I speak as to the main Body of the Books not one particular Passage as that in the Close of the Second Book of Chronicles where mention is made of the Deliverance of the Iews by Cyrus which might be added afterwards were written first for the Book of Kings refers to the Book of Chronicles and this again sends the Reader to that yet this we see that this of the Chronicles is more full and ample sometimes than that of the Kings what was left out or not so fully set down in the one is supplied in the other And thence these Books are call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Remains Supplements Additions by the Greek Interpreters The first Book of Chronicles relates the Rise and Propagation of the People of Israel from Adam which is the entire Subject of the first Nine Chapters which consist wholly of Genealogies and then afterwards most punctually and accurately gives an Account of the Reign of David The second Book as faithfully sets down the Progress and End of the Kingdom of Iudah even to the Year of their return from the Captivity in Babylon These Books of Chronicles together with those of the Kings and Samuel make up the Best and Choicest History in the World Here we are abundantly furnish'd with such Useful Notices Truths and Maxims as these all confirmed by Noted and Illustrious Examples and such Instances as are Certain and Unquestionable Crowned Heads are encircled with Cares and seldom find rest and repose though their Lives are more Splendid yet they are not less Calamitous than those of the Common People Good Kings are rare and the Number of them is inconsiderable in comparison of those that are Bad. The best Kings have their Faults and some of them of a very scandalous Nature There is little Piety in Princes Courts and as little Integrity and Honesty The People are easily induced to follow the Examples of their Governours and Religion and Manners too often vary according to the Wills of Superiours Good Kings are the greatest Blessing and Wicked Ones are the greatest Curse to a Nation Princes mistake their Measures when they either disobey God or oppress their People Tyrannical Princes procure their own Ruine The Sins and Vices of Rulers prove fatal to their Subjects Publick Enormities are punish'd with Publick and National Calamities Kings may be known by the Ministers they choose and make use of Those Counsels that are founded in Religion are most successful Evil Counsellours contrive their own Destruction Wars are the Effect and Consequence of fighting against God The Success of Arms depends upon the Divine Blessing The Church is never more shock'd than under Bad Princes Religion and Reformation are never effectually promoted unless the Great Ones have a Hand in them Divisions and Rents about Religion have immediate influence on Secular Affairs and when the Church is divided the State is so too The Revolutions in both are by the particular Disposal of the Wise Over-ruler of the World True Religion and Godliness are attended with Earthly Rewards and Blessings and the contrary bring down the greatest Plagues even in this World The worst Times afford some of the Best and most Holy Religious and Zealous Men. Whatever Changes and Revolutions happen in the Kingdoms of the Earth the Church of God remains secure Though there are great and frequent Defections yet there never is a total Extinction of it In a Word the Church is impregnable this Rock is immoveable And many other Propositions and Maxims of the like Nature which are of great Service in the Life of Man are to be deduced from these Excellent Histories Ezra is a Continuation of the aforesaid Book of Chronicles and compriseth the History of the Jews from the time that Cyrus made the Edict for their Return until the twentieth Year of Artaxerxes Longimanus which was about a hundred Years For the Jews return from Babylon was at two several Times viz. first in the Days of Cyrus the first Perâ—â—an Monarch under the Conduct of Zerubbabel their Captain and Ieshua their High Priest Here are recorded the Number of those that returned Cyrus's Proclamation for the rebuilding of the Temple the Laying of the Foundations of it the Retarding of the Work under the Reign of two of the Kings of Persia at last the Finishing of the Temple in Darius's Reign The second Return of the Jews was in the Reign of Artaxerxes under the Conduct of Ezra a Priest who had been a Courtier in the Persian Court and was sent into Iudea by Artaxerxes in the seventh Year of his Reign which was above eighty Years after the first Return in Cyrus's Time to expedite the Building of Ierusalem This Pious Reformer observing the Peoples 〈◊〉 with Strangers and Inâ—idels and their joining themselves to them in Marriage proclaim'd a â—olemn Fast and Pray'd and Mourn'd and Lamented their gross Miscarriages and with great Earnestness and Zeal exhorted them to Reformation and Amendment of their Ways that they might thereby avert God's Wrath and conciliate his Favour and Pardon This is that Ezra who was the Penman of this Book and who was also a Restorer of the Sacred Books of the Old Testament and collected and methodized them into certain Order and reviewed the Copies and amended all Errata's that were contracted in the time of the Captivity Nehemiah who
wrote the Book which bears his Name was a Jew Cup-bearer to the King of Persia and return'd into Iudea thirteen Years after Ezra There is another Nehemiah who came with those that returned at first from Babylon Ezra 2. 2. but he whom we now speak of came afterwards by Artaxerxes's Leave in the twentieth Year of his Reign and went back to Persia again twelve Years after Neh. 5. 14. This Writer begins where Ezra left of and continues the History of the Building of Ierusalem and of the Deportment of the Iews in those times from the twentieth Year of Artaxerxes to the Reign of Darius about fifty Years in all As Ezra chiefly related the Restoring of Religion and Erecting the Temple so this Author gives us an Account of the Building of the City and the Reformation of the Religion which had been restored In several Particulars he shews what were the Abuses and Corruptions of the People and how they were redressed even by his own Hand He tells us what Methods he took of regulating both their Ecclesiastical and Civil Affairs in short of Reforming both Church and State which were even then so early corrupted From the whole both here and in the Book of Ezra we are taught many useful Lessons but This above all that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church that they shall never have Power to extinguish this Little Flock Israel is not always a Captive in a strange Land Babylon sends back her Prisoners and Bondmen Her very Enemies by an extraordinary Direction of Heaven promote her Peace and Prosperity For we are informed from this Part of Sacred History that God stirr'd up even the Persian Monarchs to restore his People to Ierusalem and when they were there to help and assist them and to baffle all their Opposers The Book of Esther is a Particular History of what happen'd to the Jews in their Captivity in the Reign of Ahasuerus one of the Kings of Persia whether he was Artaxerxes Longimanus as some think or Artaxerxes Mnemon as most Authors both Antient and Modern say or Artaxerxes Ochus as Serarius holds or Xerxes the fourth Persian Monarch according to Scaliger or Darius the Son of Hystaspes or Cambyses for so various aâ—e the Opinions of Authors I will not here dispute Only we know that the Sacred Writings and the Profane intend the same Person sometimes though they give different Names The Story is this Haman a great Favourite and Minion of the King and advanced to great Honour by him was highly incens'd against Mordecai one of the Captive Jews because he refused to do him Reverence and to Bow to him Whereupon he resolv'd for his sake to compass the Destruction of all the Iews in those Territories and to that end gain'd a Decree from the King to put them all to the Sword But this wicked Design was happily frustrated by means of Esther a Jewish Captive Virgin who for her transcendent Beauty had a little time before been advanced to the Throne and now prevail'd with her Royal Husband to spare the Life of her dear Countrymen In this manner Haman's cursed Conspiracy was defeated he himself advanced to a Gibbet and that of his own preparing the Jews delivered from their Fears and Dangers Mordecai who discover'd this Bloody Design to Queen Esther and who had before that discover'd another Conspiracy viz. against the King which was recorded in the Chronicles and about this time read to him and was in a great measure serviceable by the Divine Providence to bring about this happy Frustration of Haman's Plot this Mordecai I say was preferr'd unto the greatest Honours in the Kingdom and by the by let me suggest that perhaps from his riding the King's Horse and thereby being preferr'd to Kingly Dignity the Story of Darius's being made King of Persia by the Neighing of his Horse had its Rise for as I have often had occasion in another Place to prove the Gentile Historians mistook one Person for another the Hearts and Mouths of all the Jews in the King's Provinces were filled with Joy and an Annual Festival was appointed to be kept in all succeeding Generations in remembrance of this singular and unexpected Deliverance vouchsafed to them This is the Sum of this Short History in which there are many Admirable and Surprizing Circumstances which though they could not be particularly related here commend it to the Reader It is certainly a most Remarkable Instance of God's Singular Providence and Goodness to his Church in discovering and defeating the Contrivances of her malicious and cruel Enemies in delivering her in her greatest Extremities and in bringing Vengeance and Ruine on the Heads of those who plot her Downfal As to the Author of this Book there is no Agreement among Writers though one would be enclined to think that it was Mordecai's by reading ch 9. v. 20. and ch 12. of Apocryphal Esther v. 4. The next Penman of the Old Testament is Iob whose Book might have been placed next to the Pentateuch if it be true as is generally believ'd that he lived about Moses's time Though some are of opinion that he lived a considerable time before the Israelites came out of Egypt and that he was before Moses It was writ by himself say Origen and Suidas but the Rabbins generally pronounce Moses the Author Others make Solomon the Author of this Book discovering as they think his manner of speaking in it The most probable Account is that the Materials of this Book were drawn up first by Ioâ— himself or one or all of his Pious Friends that were concern'd in the things spoken of here and that they coming to Moses's Hands as some of the Jewish Masters tell us or afterwards to Solomon's were made up into Hebrew Verse as we now find it For the greatest Part of the Book is of this Composure and indeed is the first Poetical Book we meet with in the Bible Whence we may infer something concerning the Nature of it viz. that as M. Luther well observ'd Iob and his Friends spake not all the very Words which are set down in this Book for Men do not use to speak in Verse in their Discourse one with another and especially in such a Lofty Stile of Poetry as we read here sometimes But this is true that both their Thoughts and Words were exactly agreeable to what is here written and Things actually and really happen'd as they are here represented only the Whole Argument being clothed in Verse the individual and express Words which they all the time used are not always written down neither indeed could be But we must by no means attend to the Talmudick Doctors who tell us that this Book is not a Relation of Matter of Fact but writ in a Parabolical way to exhibit to the World an Eminent Example of Patience Nor are the Words of the Parisaan Professor to be tolerated who saith the History is true but the
come to pass without the Divine Permission Grant and Superintendence This is that which is more especially aimed at in this Book we are taught here not to quarrel with our Maker not to find fault with Heaven This doth not become us in the least it is rather the Deportment of a Chinoise Priest who hath so much Power over his Gods that he is suffer'd to beat and whip them when they don't act as he thinks as he would have them We have likewise the Wretched State of Wicked Men and Hypocrites most graphically set forth in these Dialogues We have God's Infinite Justice and Unfearchable Wisdom fully asserted and vindicated We have the Mighty Power of God in some of his Creatures described by Himself in a Stile befitting his Majesty In the Close of all we have the happy Period of Innocence and Integrity The End of them is Peace God oftentimes rewards good and upright Men in this Life with a great Plenty of outward Blessings and Favours he is pleased to recompense them abundantly for all their past Calamities by doubling upon them all those Mercies which he before deprived them of God blessed the latter End of Job more than his Beginning He gave him twice as much as he had before All Blessings flow in now upon him in abundance first God accepts him and then he is caressed by his Kindred and Friends by his Bretbren and Sisters and Acquaintance he is presented with Gifts his Stock of Cattle wherein the chief Wealth of those Countries consisted is increas'd and he is blessed with a desirable Number of Children the Sons wise and the Daughters fair Finally after all the Storms were blown over he lived an hundred and forty Years in Peace and Plenty in his Country now Arabia the Happy he enjoy'd the Confluence of all kinds of Good Things relating both to himself and his Relations and at length died in a good old Age full of Days and full of the Blessings of the Almighty To conclude this Antient Book is infinitely worthy of the Studies of the Curious and Philosophical of the Lovers of Learning and Antiquity of those that value the Primitive Tongues Arts and Customs for here is an Excellent Mixture of all these which cannot but be a grateful Entertainment to Inquisitive Spirits Wherefore a Learned Gentleman of great and subtile Observation hath left us this Censure on the Book of Iob Whoever considers the Subject and Stile of it will hardly think it was written in an Age or Country that wanted either Books or Learning The Psalms are the next Poetick Book and they bear the Name of David the Chief Author of them Some indeed of the Antients held that he was the sole Author but they can scarcely be credited in that because the Title of the 90th Psalm and others tells us that they were composed by Moses Some of them it is thought were made by Asaph Heman Ethan Ieduthun who were in David's time but others think these were not Sacred Poets but only skilful Musicians or Masters of the Quire and did not endite these Psalms which bear their Names but only set them to Tunes and sung them Though a Modern Writer is of the Opinion that Heman and Ethan liv'd in the time of the Egyptian Bondage and penn'd the 88th and 89th Psalms on that occasion in the former condoling their present Distress in the latter prophesying of Deliverance The 92d Psalm was made by Adam saith the Targum and the Hebrew Doctors generally agree to it It is evident and scarcely denied by any that the 137th Psalm was writ in the time of the Jews Captivity in Babylon and therefore could not be made by David and other Psalms seem to be made after their Return the Authors of which are not known And some it is likely were endited by Solomen as the 45th which is a Song of Loves as the Title acquaints us and is of the same Strain with his other Nuptial Song inserted by it self into the Holy Scriptures It may be concluded then that the Book of Psalms is not the Issue of One Inspired Brain only but yet that the Greatest Part of it was endited and written by David who had an excellent Gift of Poetry and Psalmody of composing making and singing of Pious Songs Such are these Psalms which excepting a few of them were the Work of this Holy Man and therefore they are deservedly called David's Psalms the Denomination being taken from the greater Part. They are divided into five Lesser Books which you may know thus where you find a Psalm ending with Amen as the 41st 72d 89th 106th and the last Psalm there is the Period of the Book and another begins By this you may understand that Passage in Psal. 72. v. ult The Prayers of David the Son of Jesse are ended i. e. here is an End of the Second Book of David's Psalms the rest that follow are other Collections of them Of these some are Alphabetical i. e. composed according to the Order of the Hebrew Letters such is the 119th Psalm and is stiled by the Masora the Great Alphabet the eight first Verses beginning with the first Hebrew Letter the succeeding eight with the second and so throughout the whole Number of the Hebrew Letters and such are the 25th 34th 37th 111th 112th 145th all written in Alphabetic Order the Holy Ghost even inspiring the Psalmist's Fancy in this Particular It is likely the Acrosticks 〈◊〉 antient way of Wit used by one of the Sibylls and others of old the Initial Letters of which Verses made up certain Words were partly in imitation of this Some are stiled Psalms of Degrees or Ascents as those fifteen which immediately follow the 119th Psalm either because the Voice was lifted up more than ordinarily when they were sâ—ng or because of the Advantage of the Ground or Place where they were sung viz. the Steps in Solomon's Temple which were fifteen and which those who were appointed to sing these Psalms were wont to ascend Other Psalms are known by their Peculiar Titles as Maschil i. e. Psalms of Instruction Michtam i. e. Golden Psalms call'd so it is probable because of the Precious Matter couched in them And several other Distinctive Titles there are which are not so well understood as that of Psal. 22. Aâ—ieleth ha shachar which in the Margin is rendred the Hind of the Morning perhaps referring to our Saviour of whom this Psalm speaks who is call'd a Hind or young Hart Cant. 2. 9 17. Others interpret it the Strength of the Morning but they know not how to apply it Otherâ— the Morning-Star some the Instrument of Musâ—ck on which this Psalm and others were plaid And the like Obscure Words as Shiggaion Gittith Ieduthun Altashith Shushan eduth are prefix'd to many of these Sacred Hymns There is the Word Selah oftenâ— used sevenâ—y times at least in these Divine Poems but 't is not easy to assign the
as This of the Pious King and Prophet Here are all things that are proper to beget Religion and Piety in us here is every thing that is serviceable to nourish and sustain all our Vertues and Graces and that in the utmost height of them Before I pass to the next Book I will add a few Words concerning the Nature of the Poetry here used This is to be said with great Truth that these Poetical Measures are far different from those which we have been acquainted with in Other Writers But then it is not to be question'd that tho we are ignorant of the true Quality of these Poetick Numbers yet they are very Melodious and Lofty and not unworthy of the best Poets It is not to be doubted that there is a certain Artificial Meter observ'd in this Book which renders the several Odes and Hymns very delightful The Younger Scaliger denies and that with some Earnestness and Sharpness otherwise he would not shew himself his Father's own Son that there is any thing like this in this Book though at the same time he grants that the Proverbs and almost all Iob are Metrical But Iosephus and Philo two Learned Jews and who may reasonably be thought to be Competent Judges in this Matter attest the Meter of these Psalms as well as of the Books of Iob c. So do Origen Eusebius Ierom and some of the most Judicious Criticks among the Moderns But then they confess that the Meter is not so regular as that of succeeding Poets And who sees not that even these exceedingly vary in their Measures It is not denied that Sophocles and Euripides Plautus and Terence write in Verse but they can scarcely be said to do so in comparison of Homer and Virgil. There are some Hexameters Iambicks Saphicks and other known kinds of Verses in David's Psalms but they are very rare and seldom pure and unmix'd but notwithstanding this it is easy to perceive if we be observant and attentive that there are several Verses together that are Matrical The Arabian Criticks tell us that the Alcoran is written in a sort of Verse and sometimes in Rythme but every Reader cannot find this No more can an ordinary Eye or Ear discern the Numbers in the Hebrew Verse for the Hebrews way of measuring their Feet was different from that which is in use among the Greek and Latin Poets yet so as we may oftentimes perceive a certain Harmony of Syllables And as the Psalms are Metrical so some of them are Rhythmical This is clear in the very Entrance of these Divine Hymns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Again in Psal. 6. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is evident in Psal. 8. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is plain in Psal. 12. 4. 51. 16. 63. 3. 116. 7. 148. 1 2. And in abundance of other Places there is not only a certain Orderly Number of Syllables but the last Words of the Verses end alike in Sound CHAP. IX The Book of Proverbs why so call'd The transcendent Excellency of these Divine and Inspired Aphorisms Some Instances of the Different Application of the Similitudes used by this Author The Book of Ecclesiastes why so entituled The Admirable Subject of it succinctly displayed The particular Nature of the Canticle or Mystical Song of Solomon briefly set forth It is evinc'd from very cogent Arguments that Solomon died in the Favour of God and was saved The Books of the Four Great Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah with his Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel are described So are those of the Twelve Lesser Prophets Hosea c. WHO should succeed David but Solomon as in the Throne so in the Sacred Canon of the Bible And He like his Father was a Divine Poet his three Books viz. the Proverbs Ecclesiastes and his Song being written in Hebrew Verse The first of these Books is composed of Excellent Proverbs whence it hath its Name By this word Mishle which is here rendred Proverbs sometimes are signified I. Parables strictly so call'd which are no other than Apologues or Artificial Fables of which I have spoken under the Stile of Scripture but there are none such in this Book 2. By this Word is meant any Trite and Commonly received Saying any Vulgar Proverbial Speech as that in ch 26. v. 11. The Dog returneth to his Vomit But there are few of this sort here 3. Sarcastick Speeches Gibes Taunts as in 2 Chron. 7. 20. Psal. 69. 11. are intended by this Expression and this Book of Solomon is not wholly destitute of these 4. The Hebrew Word denotes such Speeches as are by way of Similitude Ezek. 18. 2. of which kind there are many in this Book as that in ch 11. 22. As a Iewel of Gold in a Swine's Snout so is a fair Woman without Discretion and in ch 25. 11. A Word fitly spoken is like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver This we find to be the frequent manner of the Wise Man's speaking in this Book he generally illustrates and amplifies his Doctrine by some fit Simily or Comparison so that thereby it is as it were twice deliver'd 5. Sayings that are mixed with some Obscurity and Intricacy such Speeches as require Sharpness of Wit and Understanding both for propounding and conceiving them are denoted by this Word in Scripture Thus an Intricate Question or Problem Mashal is set down in Psal. 49. 4 5. and in the rest of the Psalm there is an Answer to this Problem a Resolution of this Difficult Point Proverbial Sentences are sometimes Enigmatical and have a Meaning far different from what the Words directly signify Thus you 'l find some Sayings that carry a Mystical Sense with them in this Book as that in ch 9. 17. Stolen Waters are sweet and in ch 25. v. 27. It is not good to eat much Honey and such like Allegorical and Allusive Speeches which contain in them a higher Sense than the bare Words import This Proverbial manner of Speaking and Writing was in great Use and Esteem among the Hebrews and all the Eastern Countries whence it was that the Queen of Sheba came to prove Solomon with hard Questions 1 Kings 10. 1. Parables according to the Chaldâ—e Problems Riddles These were the Chidoth which the propounded to be solv'd by him Yea this way of Speaking may generally be taken notice of in the Writings of most of the Wise Men of Antient Times Pythagoras and Plato were much addicted to this Abstruse way and all their Followers were delighted in Mystical Representations of things 6. By this Word we are to understand all Wise and Excellent Sayings graviter dicta as the Latins call them Sentences of great Weight and Importance but plain and easy to be understood The Hebrews antiently call'd any Saying that had Graces and Wit in it Mashal but especially any Eminent Speech or Smart Saying for the Use of Life and Direction of Manners went under that Name A Moral or Religious Saying that was of singular
St. Ierom Ambrose Hilary Cyril Let us then forget his Faults when we study his Books wherein it is certain there are no Errata's he being an Interpreter of the Holy Ghost unto us and when he utter'd these things being a Friend and Favourite of God But suppose we knew certainly which we do not and cannot but have sufficient ground for the contrary that he was at last cast off yet I do not see how this doth necessarily invalidate his Writings God might if he pleas'd make use of a Bad Man to pen some Part of the Bible as he thought fit to call Iudas to the Apostleship and to be an Eminent Preacher of the Gospel Therefore though we should grant that Solomon was an Apostate yet this is no direct Argument against the Validity and Authority of his Writings But there being such great Probability not to say Reasons on the other side we need not fly to this Answer but on good ground perswade our selves that Solomon who was once 〈◊〉 with Sacred Wisdom never loâ—t it wholly and consequently that we ought not to be prejudiced against what he hath writ by reason of his gross Fallings and Miscarriages Next we are to speak of the Books of the Prophets Of those who propheâ—â—ed after the Diviâ—ion of the ten Tribes from the other two but before the Captivity of either Isaiah is the first and most eminent He was of the Blood Royal his Father Amoz being Brother to Azariah King of Iudâ—â— He was an old Prophet having been in that Employment under four Kings of Iudah as he tells us himself and all this time which was about threescore Years he faithfully discharged the Part of a True Prophet in an impartial reproving of the Vices and Disorders of the Age he lived in 〈◊〉 a free and open displaying the Judgments of God which were impendent on that Nation yet not forgetting to threaten and denounce Vengeance on those Foreign and Strange People who were instrumental in inâ—â—â—cting these Judgments and who for their crying Enormities deserv'd to be destroy'd viz. Aslyrians Egyptians Ethiopians Moabites Edomites Tyrians Arabians in a most Pathetick Exhortation to Repentance and in setting before them the Promises of Mercy and Dâ—liverance This last especially he is most famous for clearly foretelling the Deliverance of the Jews from their Captivity in Babylon by the Hand of Cyrus King of Persia and this he expresly mention'd an hundred Years before it came to pass But his Predictions concerning the Messias are the most remarkable of all He in plain Terms â—oretels not only the Coming of Christ in the Flesh but all the Great and Memorable Passages which belonged to him He speaks as clearly and distinctly of these as if our Saviour had blessed the World with his Presence at that very time when he wrote his Prophecy He seems to speak saith St. Ierom rather of things past than to come and he may be call'd an Evangelist rather than â— Prophet Which is the Reason without doubt of the so frequent Citations which are made of this Book in the New Testament for you may observe that Christ himself his Evangelists and Apostles have quoted about threescore Places out of it Iâ— reading of this Book then we read the Gospel it self we antedate the New Testament by the Writings of this Evangelical Prophet I have intimated before that he is the most Eloquent of all the Prophets He was the Hebrew Demosthenes as Grotius rightly stiles him the Purity of Hebraism is to be seen in him as in the other that of Atticism He useth many Schemes and Figures but none is more remarkable than that for which that Athenian Orator was so applauded saith Quintilian his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Excellent Art of adding Gravity Force and Vehemence to what he saith he continually Exaggerates and Amplifies the Matter which he undertakes He had above other Prophets an Advantage of improving his Stile by reason of his Noble Descent and conversing with Men of great Parts and Elocution But the maiâ— thing wherein he excels the rest of the Prophets is this that he saith more of our Lord Christ than all of them put together This is his Pecâ—liar Excellency that he makes so early a Discovery of the Advent of our Blessed Lord and of the Great Mysteries of the Gospel Ieremiah was another Antient Prophet he beginning to prophesy in the thirteenth Year of King Iosiah and continuing in that sacred Employment till the last Year of King Zedekiah He saw the Captivity of the Kingdom of Samaria and after that the total Destruction of the Kingdom of Iudah and of the Temple Part of this famous Prophecy yea most of it was after the Captivity of Israel and before that of Iudah from chap. 1. to ch 44. and part of it was in the time of the latter Captivity this Prophet being not carried captive with the other Jews but remaining in Iudea and afterwards carried into Egypt from chap. 44 to the end In the whole are comprized many things of great Worth and Moment for here wefind this Divine Prophet laying open the Sins of the Kingdom of Iudah with an unparallell'd Freedom and Boldness and reminding them of the Severe Judgments which had befallen the ten Tribes for the very same Offences and Miscarriages Here this Weeping Prophet this Iewish Heraclitus most passionately laments the miserable Condition which they were plunging themselves into and withal directs them how to prevent it namely by a speedy reforming of their Lives But at last he more peremptorily proclaims God's Wrath and Vengeance against them foreseeing and foretelling the Grievous Calamities which were approaching particularly the Seventy Years Captivity in Chaldaea which began as some think with the carrying away of those of Iudah He also disswades them from breaking Faith with the Chaldeans after they were conquered by them and sheweth how unsuccessful thâ—y should be in their revolting from them to the Egyptians But even then he foretels their happy Return and Deliverance and likewise the Just Recompence which Babylon Moab the Philistines and other Enemies of the Church should meet with in due time Here are also several Intimations concerning Christ the Blessed Messias and Redeemer and concerning his Kingdom and Government in the times of the Gospel Here are many Remarkable Visions and Types wherein are represented things of the highest Nature And lastly here are sundry Historical Passages of considerable Moment which relate to those times So that the whole Book is of Inestimable Worth and such as is not to be found any where but in the Sacred Volume His Lamentations which are in Hebrew Verse and are so contrived that in the four first Chapters every Verse excepting one begins with a Hebrew Letter in the Alphabetick Order were written on the Death of that Religious Prince Iosiah which appears from what is recorded in a Chron. 35. 25. Jeremiah lamented for Josiah and all the singing Men and
the singing Women spake of Josiah in their Lamentations to this Day and made 〈◊〉 Ordinance in Israel and behold they are written iâ— the Lamentations even those which this Prophet composed Which is also confirmed by the Jewish Historian who voucheth this Poem to be a Fuâ—â—ral Elegy on that Pious King To which St. Ierom adds that this Prophet laments the Loss of Iosias as the beginning of those Galamities which afterwards ensued and accordingly he proceeds to â—ewail the Miserable State of the Iews and particularly the Destruction of Ierusalem which was not then come to pass but is prophetically foretold it being not unusual with the Prophets to speak of things to come as if they were already past Unless we should say as some have that part of this Mournful Song was endited after the taking and sacking of Ierusalem and the carrying the People Captive and is a Passionate Bewailing of the Destruction of the Temple and the Horrid Consequences of it In which also the Holy Man humbly confesseth the Sins of the People and acknowledgeth the Divine Justice in all that beâ—el them to which he adjoineth a Serious Exhortation to Repentance and comforts them with Hopes of a Restoration So that the whole is an Exact Pattern of Devotion in times of Great and National Calamities and Publick Sufferings and instructs us how to demean our selves in such deplorable Circumstances Ezekiel was carried captive into Babylon with those that went thither in the second Captivity which was in the 8th Year of Nebuchadnezzar Reign about ten Years before the time of the last Captivity He prophesied here at the same time that Ieremiah did in Iudaea and afterwards in Egypt Many of the same things he foretold more especially the Destruction of the Temple and the fatal Issue of those that revolted from Babylon to Egypt and at last the Happy Return of the Jewâ— into their own Land He distinctly foretels the Plagues which should certainly be inâ—â—icted on Other Nations who were profes'd Enemies of the Church as the Edomites Moabites Ammonites Egyptians Tyrians and lastly the Assyrians and Babylonians In figurative and mystical Expressions he predicts the Messias and the flourishing Estate of his Kingdom i. e. the Christian Church Because the Prophet begins with Visions and Types and ends with the Measuring of the Mystical Temple therefore by reason of these Abstrusities and Mysteries the Beginning and End of this Book were forbid to be read by the Jews before they came to thirty Years of Age. But the greatest â—art of this Prophecy is plain and easily intelligible it having reference chiefly to the Manners of that degenerate Age wherein the Prophet observes and severely animadverts upon the General Corruption which had invaded them in those Days and which merited the severest Judgments that Heaven could send down upon them He exâ—ibits a Particular Catalogue of the Notorious Enormâ—ties which their Kings their Priests their Prophets their People were infamous for he labours to bring them to a Sense of these scandalous Practices and to make them heartily Relent for them â—inally like a Trne Watchman as he is stiled he â—â—â—â—hfully warneth them of their Imminent Danger and admonisheth them to prevent it if possible by abandoning their Evil Ways This is the Inspired Man that penn'd this Book and this is the â—ook which contains so many worthy and excellent â—â—ings in it Another of the Four Great Prophâ—ts is Daniel who was of the Progeny of the Kings of Iudah 〈◊〉 was contemporary with Ezekiol and was a Capâ—â—â—e in Babylon at the same time that he was There he prophesied and there he wrote and â—his Book is the Result of both the six first Chapâ—â—â—s of which are an History of the Kings of Babyâ—â—â— and of what beâ—el some of the Captive Jews under them Here we have Nebuchadnezzar's Râ—markable Dreams interpreted we have a Relatioâ— of the singular Courage of the three Hebrew Yoâ—â—â— Men that refused to fall down to his Image with the miraculous Deliverance of them out of the Flames Here is unfolded Belshazzar's Fatal Dooâ— contain'd in the Mystical Hand-writing on the Wall with his Death that soon follow'd upon it and the Succession of Darius to the Throne and the Translation of the Monarchy to the Medes It was under this Prince that our Noble Prophet was advanced to his greatest Height of Honour 〈◊〉 whereas he had been a great Courtier and Favosrrite in Nebuchadnezzar's time and in the close of Belshazzar's Reign was made the Third Ruler in the Kingdom now he is made the First being set 〈◊〉 all the Presidents and Princes of the Realm This made him envied and hated but he was hated and persecuted much more for his Religion by the Great Men of the Kingdom and even by a Decree of the King 's own signing committed to the Den of Lions there to be devoured of them But the Hand of Omnipotence immediately interposed and he came out thence safe and his Adversaries and Accusers were sent thither in his room who fared not after the same rate that he did After this he lived in great Esteem Honour and Prosperity not only in this King's Reign but under Cyrus 〈◊〉 Monarch of the Persian Race But as our Authoâ— in the former Part of this Book relates things pasâ— as an Historian so in the six last Chapters he is alâ— together Prophetical foretelling what shall befal thâ— Church in general and particularly the Iews yeâ—â— his Visions and Prophecies reach to future Eventâ— wherein even those that are out of the Church arâ— concerned What can be more valuable than hâ—â— Dream or Vision of the Four Secular Monarchies of the World and of the Fifth which was to be Spiritual viz. that of the Messias What is more famous and celebrated than his Discovery by the Angel Gabriel's Information of the Seventy Weeks viz. of Years i. e. 490 Years upon the expiring of which the Messias's Kingdom was to be set up What plain and signal Prophecies doth this Book afford concerning that Renowned Conqueror Alexander the Great and his subduing the Persian Empire as also concerning the Fierce Wars among his Great Captains and Commanders who succeeded him particularly how clearly and plainly are the Actions of Antiochus the Great and Antiochus Epiphanes his Son described by our Prophet long before these Persons were in being And many other Notable Occurrences relating to the most publick and famed Transactions on the Stage of the World are prophetically fore-signified and revealed by this Divine Seer insomuch that we may justly stile this Book the Apocalypse of the Old Testament to which that Other of the New so often refers and even borrows many things of great Moment Lastly we may particularly note concerning this Book that a great Part of it is written in the Chaldean Tongue viz. from the fourth Verse of the Second Chapter to the End of the Seventh the Reason of â—hich may be this because Daniel was now by his â—â—ng Abode
in that Country become as 't were a Chaldean and moreover he thought fit to write â— the Chaldean Language because he relates those â—â—ings here which are proper to the Kings of Babyâ—â—â— and the Affairs of that Place which could not 〈◊〉 better express'd than in this Tongue The Twelve Lesser Prophets so call'd because â—heir Writings are of a Smaller Bulk are accounted by the Jews as One Book and accordingly St. Stephen quoting a Passage out of Amos saith It is written in the Book of the Prophets Amos 7. 42. The First of these Holy Seers was Hosea who flourished in the Kingdom of Israel in the Days of Vzziah Iotham Ahaz and Hezekiah Kings of Iudah and of Iaroboam King of Israel so that he was Contemporary with Isaiah as appears from the first Verses of both Prophecies He directs his Prophecy wholly against the Kingdom of Israel which consisted of the Ten Tribes but is by him peculiarly stiled sometimes Ioseph sometimes Ephraim at other times Samaria Bethel Iacob and Israel as on the other hand the Kingdom of Iudah is call'd by him Benjamin and sometimes Ierusalem His main Design and Business through the whole Book is to set forth the gross Idolatry and other flagitious Practices of that degenerate People and to denounce the Judgments of God against them and particularly to foretel their Captivity in Assyria and withal to excite them to a due Apprehension of this Severity of God towards them and thereby to beget an unfeigned Remorse and Penitence in them that they may obtain the Pardon of their Sins and partake of the Divine Mercy and Favour All which is done with a most ravishing Ardency Affection and Zeal As to the Stilâ— indeed it may be observ'd that as Ezekiel was the Obscurest of the Greater Prophets so Hosea is of these Minour ones but this Obscurity and Difficulty are countervailed by that Rich Treasure which are hid under them and which will prove an Ample Reward to those who search into it and acquaint themselves with the transcendent Excellency both of the Stile and Matter of this Writer Ioel prophesied in the Kingdom of Iudah before the time of the Captivity though the particular Time is not as in most of the other Prophets mentioned But 't is probable he prophesied at the same time with Hosea who is set immediately before him So St. Ierom Theodoret Augustine and other Fathers think He foretelleth the coming up of a Northern Army viz. from Babylon which is North of Iudea Though some interpret it of an Army of Locusts and Caterpillars and other such mischievous and devouring Insects mentioned ch 1. v. 4 c. and consequently the Prophet predicteth the horrid Devastation Dearth and Famine in Iudea which should be caused by them I am for joining both these Interpretations together for I see it is the usual way of the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures especially the Prophetick ones to express two different Things and Occurrences by the same Words Here is then a double Army spoken of viz. that of the Chaldeans which in a short time afterwards invaded Iudea and laid it waste and also that of Noxious Vermin which was to be sent as a just Penalty and Infliction for their Abuse of the Fruits of the Earth and the great Plenty which they had enjoy'd Whereupon he most warmly stirs them up to Repentance and to that Purpose enjoineth a Fast and urgeth them to a strict Observance of it from the Hopes of Mâ—rcy and Forgiveness and the Removal of all those Iudgments which they labour under yea from the Expectation or rather the Assurance of a Blessing upon the whole Church This is briefly but most admirably set forth by this Man of God And as it refers to that direful Judgment of Famine and Destroying the Fruits of the Earth it may be made use of as a Seasonable Form and Rule of Devotion and Behaviour in the time of such a Calamity Amos who in his Youth had been a Herdsman in Tekoa a little Country-Town a Mile and a half off of Ierusalem is now sent to the Kine of Bashan the People of Samaria the Kingdom of Israel to reduce them to Repentance and Reformation of Life To which end he boldly remonstrates against the Crying Sins which were visible among them but especially against Idolatry Oppression Wantonness and Incorrigibleness He spares not those of Iudah but frankly reproves them for their Carnal Security Sensuality Injustice Confident Boasting And he scares both of them with frequent Threatnings and Menaces and is not afraid to tell them that their persisting in their Sins will end at last in the Ruine of the Kingdoms of Iudah and Israel which he confirms and illustrates by the Visions of a Plumb-line and of a Basket of Summer-Fruit It is further observable in this Prophecy that as it begins with Denuntiations of Judgment and Destruction against the Syrians the Philistines the Tyrians and other Enemies of the Church so it concludes with comfortable Promises of restoring the Tabernacle of David and erecting the Kingdom of Christ. He prophesied in the Days of Vzziah King of Iudah and Ieroboam the Son of Ioash to distinguish him from the other of that Name who was Son of Nebat so that he flourish'd at the same time with Hosea and Ioel. But there is some Difference as to the time for 't is added two Years before the Earthquake v. 1. that is towards the latter End of King Vzziah's Reign Obadiah's Prophecy is contain'd in one single Chapter and is partly a Divine Invective against the merciless Edomites who mocked and derided the Captive Israelites as they passed to Babylon and who with other Enemies their Confederates invaded and wronged these poor Strangers and made a great Ravage and divided the Spoil among them and it is partly a Prediction of the Deliverance and Salvation of Israel and of the Victory and Triumph of the whole Church over all her Enemies Some think this Obadiah was he that was King Ahab's Steward who hid the Prophets then 't is certain he was before these Other Prophets But there is no Foundation for this We may rather adhere to St. Ierom's Opinion who goes upon this Rule that when the time of the Prophecy is not mention'd it is to be referr'd to the same time that the preceding Prophecy was writ in Ionah's Prophecy was directed to the Ninevites as Obadiah's to the Edomites and relates how that Prophet being commanded by God to go to Nineveh but disobediently travelling another way was discover'd by a sudden Tempest arising and was cast into the Sea and swallowed by a Whale which after it had lodged him three Nights and three Days in its Belly disgorged him upon the dry Land Whereupon being made sensible of his past Danger and of his Miraculous Deliverance from it he betook himself to that Journey and Embassy which were first appointed him and arriving at that Great City the Metropolis of all Assyria he according to
wonderful Efficacy of the Holy Spirit in those Days the Rejection of the Unbelieving Jews the utter Destruction of their City Temple and whole Nation by the Romans for their rejecting and crucifying the Messias and other particular things belonging to the times of the Gospel which none of the Lesser Prophets speak of but this Malachi is the last of these Prophets yea of all the Prophets of that Dispensation After him ceased Vision and Prophecy in Israel until Christ's appearing when Zachary Simeon Mary Elizabeth Anna were illuminated with the Prophetick Spirit He prophesied about 300 Years before our Saviour's time reproving the Jews for their Ungrateful and Wicked Living after their Return from Babylon particularly he chargeth them with Rebellion Sacrilege Adultery Profaneness Infidelity but especially he reprehends the Priests for being Careless and Scandalous in their Ministry which one thing was sufficient to give Authority to others to be Vicious At the same time he forgets not to take notice of and incourage the Pious Remnâ—nt in that corrupted Age who feared the Lord and thought upon his Name whose Godly Converse and Associating with one another in that debauched time he assures them were registred in a Book of Remembrance by God himself This Prophet who had pointed before at the Messias to be exhibited for he expresly â—aith He shall suddenly come to his Temple now shuts up his Prophecy and indeed all the Prophecies of the Old Testament with an Exhortation to remember the Law i. e. to live according to its holy Rules and Injunctions and with a Promise of the Coming of the Lord who was to be usher'd in by Elijah the Prophet i. e. by Iohn the Baptist who came in the Spirit and Power of Elias Luke 1. 17. And so this Close of the Old Testament refers to the New to which I now hasten CHAP. X. An Account of the Writings of the Four Evangelists the peculiar Time Order Stile Design of their Gospels The Act of the Apostles shew'd to be an Incomparable History of the Primitive Church The Epistles of St. Paul particularly delineated He is proved to be the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews An Enquiry into the Nature of this Apostle's Stile and manner of Writing The excellent Matter and Design of the Epistles of St. James St. Peter St. John St. Jude An Historical Series or Order is not observ'd in the Book of the Revelation NEXT follow the Sacred Books of the New Testament the Evangelical Novels the New Laws of Christianity the True Authenticks which present us with the actual Discoveries of the Glorious Light of the Gospel and of the Blessed Author of it These were writ in Greek for the same Reason that Ioseph the Jew chose to write his Books not in his own Language but in this because as he saith himself in his Preface to the Iewish War he would have them read and understood by Greeks and Romans and all Persons So Aelian was a Roman yet writ his Books of Animals and Various History c. in Greek because this was the Universal Language at that time These Writings of the New Testament are either Histories or Epistles The Histories are the Four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles As for the former the Writings of the Four Evangelists there were none of them extant whilest Christ was on Earth for till his being taken up to Heaven which was the Consummation of all he had before done and suffer'd they could not make the Evangelical History perfect But afterwards some of the Apostles and Disciples resolving according to their Master's Order to go and preach in foreign Regions and to disperse the Christian Religion over all the World put forth the History of the Gospel in Writing before they went about this great Work St. Matthew was the first Inspired Person that committed the Evangelical Transactions to Writing which he did about eight Years after Christ's Passion A. D. 42. He alone of all the Evangelists say St. Ierom Eusebius St. Augustine Chrysostom and most of the Antient Writers of the Church wrote his Gospel first in Hebrew which partly appears from this that some of the Hebrew Words are explained by the Person who translated it into Greek who it is probable was St. Matthew himself as the Antients generally agree and so the Hebrew and Greek Copies are both of them the Originals Then St. Mark and St. Luke writ their Gospels the one about ten tho others say twenty the other about twenty some say thirty Years after our Saviour's Death and there are some that invert the Order and give the Priority to St. Luke But all agree that St. Iohn was the last of the Evangelists and wrote towards the latter end of the first Century But as for the Punctual Time when the Evangelists put forth the Gospels it is doubtful and I do not find any certain ground whereoâ— we may â—ix a satisfactory resolution of the Doubtâ—punc This may be observ'd that St. Matthew and St. Iohn were Eye-witnesses of what they wrote 〈◊〉 St. Mark and St. Luke had what they wrote from the relation of others Particularly St. Mark who was St. Peter's Companion composed his Gospel by his Order and Direction and with his especial Approbation saith Eusebius Again it is to be observ'd that tho every Evangelist relates nothing but the Truth yet no one of them relates the Whole Truth concerning Christ's Life and Actions Tho the Substance of the Gospel be contain'd in every one of these Writers yet some Particulars are found in one that do not occur in another which makes it necessary to consult them all and to compare them together As for St. Matthew and St. Mark we may take notice that they do not always observe the Order of Time and the true Sâ—ries of the Matter especially the former of these is not curious in this particular But as for thâ— other two Evangelists they are very punctual and inviolably observe the Order of things as they happen'd excepting only that Parenthesis for such it is in Luke 3. 19 20. concerning Herod Of all the Evangelists St. Luke is the fullest and gives the compleatest mosâ— circumstantial and orderly Relation of things which he himself takes notice of in his Preface to his Gospel in those Words to Theophilus It seâ—med good to me having had perfect Vnderstanding of all things from the very first to write unto thee in order And yet though his Gospel be ample and more methodical in the Narrative or History than the rest yet he is but brief in relating things that our Saviour did till the last Year of his Preaching St. Matthew having been full in them and in some other things he hath need of a supply from the rest of the Evangelists and more especially from St. Iohn whose Gospel from the Beginning of the 14th Chapter to the End of the 17th contains those Excellent Discourses of our Saviour before his Passion which were wholly
out of the Book of Iudges but proposed to be inserted there afterwards The plain Answer then is that the Book of the Wars of the Lord is the Book of Iudges together with that of Ioshua where are related the Particulars of the Holy War i. e. the War of the Jews against the Infidels and that in one of these it shall be particularly remembred and recorded what God did in the Red Sea and in the Brooks of Arnon c. and accordingly we find it inserted in the forecited Place in Iudges Thus you see it can't be proved hence that the Church hath lost any Part of the Book of God Another Book said by some to be lost is the Book of Iasher mention'd in Iosh. 10. 13. 2 Sam. 1. 18. But some of the most celebrated Hebrew Doctors say they have found it telling us that it is the Book of Genesis wherein are contain'd the Acts of Abraham Isaac Iacob and other Patriarchs who were by way of Excellence call'd Iasherim Recti Iusti. But surely that Man is easily satisfied who can acquiesce in this Dr. Lightfoot holds the Book of Iasher to be the same with that which I asserted the Book of the Wars of God to be But there is little Foundation for it for though the particular Narrative of the Sun 's standing still be in the Book of Iasher as we learn from the Text yet there is no intimation that all Ioshua's Wars or the Wars of the Israelites were registred there This Book was according to the Excellent Grotius an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Triumphal Poem in which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was for the Verse sake contracted into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But though this be very Ingenious yet it wants solidity and it is not probable that the Word would be twice mention'd i. e. both in the Book of Ioshua and in the 2d Book of Samuel in its Abbreviated Form The Learned Iewish Historian seems to me to bid fairest for Truth who â—aith by this Book are to be understood certain Records kept in some safe Place on purpose and afterwards in the Temple giving an Account of what happen'd among the Jews from Year to Year and particularly the Prodigy of the Sun 's standing still and the Directions and Laws about the Vse of the Bow i. e. setting up of Archery and maintaiâ—ing Military Exercises And if it be ask'd why the Title given to these Jewish Annals was the Book of Iasher i. e. Rects this may be rendered as a probable Reason viz. because it was by all Persons reckon'd as a very Faithful and Authentick Account of all those Events and Occurrences which it recorded it was composed with great Vprightnesâ— and Truth Thencâ— it was commonly known by the Name of Iasher's Book or Chronicle And if you remember that Iasher is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by thâ— Seventy in several Places of the Book of Ioâ— it will â—urther confirm what I say and induce us to believe that Iasher's Book is as much as a True Book a Book that is not counterfeited It was not the Work of any Inspired Person but was of the Nature of Common Civil Annals and consequently we cannot infer hence that any Book properly belonging to the Holy Scripture i. e. that was written by Inspiration of the Holy Ghost is at this Day missing Again some reckon the Acts of Uzziah written by Isaiah the Prophet 2 Chron. 26. 22. in the Cataâ—ogue of such Books of Scripture as are lost But they have little reason to do so for by thoâ—â— Words is plainly meant that Part of the Life and History of that King which we now have in the Prophecy of Isaiah for the first six Chapters are â— Relation of what was done in his Days They give an Account of several Passages which belong to the Church and State in that King's Reign And Isaiah is truly said in the foremention'd Place in the Chronicles to have written his Acts first and last because you will find that the Prophecy of Isaiah begins at the Days of Uzziah v. 1. and the sixth Chapter relates what happen'd in the Year that King Uzziah died v. 1. So that something of what was first and last in his Time is here recorded This I look upon as a very substantial and satisfactory Answer to the Scruple about that Place Also some would infer from 1 Chron. 29. 29. that all the Canonical Books of the Bible are not extant at this Day bâ—cause there is mention of the Book of Samuel the Seer and the Book of Nathan the Prophet and the Book of Gad the Seer in which it is said all David ' s Acts were written But no such Inference can rationally be made only this we gather which is the Solution of the Difficulty that Nathan and Gad as well as Samuel compiled the History that goes under the Name of this last and because it was made by them all three therefore it is represented here as three different Books But the true Account is that those two Books in the Old Testament which bear the Name of Samuel were written partly by him the greatest Part of the first Book relating things that happen'd in his time and partly by Nathan and partly by Gad two eminent Prophets in those Days and who survived Samuel Then as to 2 Chron. 9. 29. where we are told that Solomon's Acts were written not only in the Book Hebr. Dibrim the Words as the Book of Chronicles is call'd the Words of Days of Nathan of which before but in the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer which last are call'd Midrash the Story or Commentary of the Prophet Iddo Chap. 13. v. 22. And as to 2 Chron. 12. 15. where we read also of this Book of Iddo the Seer and of Shemaiah the Prophet in which it is said Rehoboam's Acts were written the Answer which I give relating to these Books in brief is this that few of them if any are different from those of the Kings but are only a Part of them though they are here spoken of as Distinct Books and that for this reason because that individual Part of the Story viz. concerning Solomon and Rehoboam is quoted which these particular Persons here named wrote You must know then that this Historical Part of the Old Testament was the Work of several Persons it was a Collection made by sundry Prophets and Holy Men as Samuel Nathan Gad Ahijah Iddo Shemaiah and the Books which they wrote are called the Books of Samuel and the Books of the Kings and are generally known by these Names but when those Parts of them which were particucularly inserted and written by Samuel himself or Nathan c. are quoted or referr'd to in the Books of the Chronicles they are mentioned as Distinct Books the meaning of which is that they are Distinct Parts of such a History and wrote by such Particular Persons who altogether made up that
Historical Part of the Bible Those Books then for so the Hebrews call any Writings which those Authors above-named wrote are not lost as some imagine â—â—t are still extant in the Bible for they are Parâ— of the Books of Samuel and the Kings This Answer is grounded on 1 Chron. 29. 29. The Acts of David the King first and last behold they are written in the Book or History of Samuel and in the Book of Nathan the Prophet c. which shews that the foresaid Books were a Collection made by several Prophets viz. Samuel Nathan Gad c. This I think is very plain and the foresaid Objection is wholly removed by it Then as to the rest of those Books which are said to be lost as the Sayings of the Seers 2 Chron. 33. 19. and the Book of the Acts of Solomon 1 Kings 11. 41. and the Book of Jehu the Son of Hanani 2 Chron. 20. 34. or any other which the Objectors mention it is granted by some very Sober Writers not only Foreigners but of our own Country that these Books are really lost but they deny that this is any Argument of the Imperfection of Scripture because these Books were not absolutely necessary neither are we certain that they were Divinely endited And this was the Opinion of the Antients as well as the Moderns Yea St. Chrysostom and some others of the Fathers who speak of these Books say positively that they were not written by Inspiration from Heaven To this Purpose St. Augustine hath this useful Distinction the Penmen of the Sacred Scripture saith he write some things as they are Men with Historical Care and Diligence other things they write as Prophets by Inspiration from God This then may satisfy us that all that was written by the Prophets and even by those Holy Men who were Authors of some Part of the Bible was not Canonical and Divine because they writ some things not as Inspired Persons but as meer Historians Some of this sort of Writings are referr'd to in the forecited Places and though they be not extant now yet the Scripture is not hereby rendered Imperfect because these were not such Parts of it as were Essential to it or were of Divine Inspiration The like may be said when in the Book of Kings there is frequent reference to the Book of Chronicles those of the Bible are not always meant being not then penned Besides that many things that are referr'd unto there are not found in these Books Wherefore it is probable that these were Additional Writings not belonging to the Body of the Canonical Scripture nor written by Persons that were Inspired and consequently though they are lost yet the Canon of the Bible is not impaired And indeed we find that those of the Protestant Perswasion as Whitaker Willet c. and among Foreigners Calvin Beza c. who acknowledg the loss of these Books do at the same time strongly assert the Perfection of the Holy Scriptures which they very consistently may do because they hold these Books to be no part of the Canon of the Bible Again if what we have said be not fully satisfactory this may be further added that the Complaint of the Loss of some Books of Holy Writ proceeds from the mistaking of the Word Sepher which is translated a Book but among the Hebrews is oftentimes no more than a Rehearsal or Commemoration of something a brief Narrative or Memoir a setting down any thing in Writing as you 'l find in these following Places Num. 5. 23. Iosh. â—8 9. 1 Sam. 10. 25. Esth. 9. 20. Isa. 30. 8. Ier. 32. 12 14. And sometimes it is nothing but a meer Genealogy as Gen. 5. 1. The book of the Generations of Adam So St. Matthew begins his Gospel The Book of the Generation of Iesus Christ Mat. 1. 1. i. e. his Genealogy or Pedigree a brief Enumeration of the Persons he descended from which is the proper Denotation of the Word Sepher from Saphar numerare recensere whence Siphra or Ciphra a Word that is used in most Languages Some not attending to this have fancied that a great many Books of the Sacred Writ are embezzled because they do not find such Formal Books as those of Iehu or of the Acts of Solomon c. now belonging to the Bible This arises from a misunderstanding of the Hebrew Word which signifies generally any Short kind of Writing or Memorandum This with the Answer before given will solve all Doubts concerning the Places afore alledged As to the common Objection concerning the Loss of Solomon's Books which are said to be mentioned in 1 Kings 4. 32 33. I answer 1. That when some call them Books it is more than they can prove it is not said that Solomon wrote but that he Spake of Trees and spake of Beasts c. i. e. he learnedly discoursed of these several Subjects upon occasion and Spake such a Number of Proverbs Here can be no Loss of Books then But 2. Suppose he committed these Disquisitions and Discourses to Writing and they are now lost it may be consumed when Nebuchadnezzar burnt Ierusalem or by some other Means imbezzled afterwards yet still this is nothing to the purpose because they were no Part of Canonical Scripture His Universal History of Vegetables from the Cedar even to the Hysop that grows out of the Wall and his Books of the Nature of all Animals in the Sea on the Land and in the Air appertained to Philosophy and might indeed have serv'd to have set up a Royal Society and have been advantageous to the Men who are employ'd in the Study of Nature for these questionless were full of Admirable Philosophy according to that great and matchless Measure of Wisdom which God had endued him with Thus far the Loss of those Writings is great but none but Philosophers ought to bewail it Tho I must suggest this by the way that perhaps there is no ground of complaining for them neither for it may be these Books of Plants and Animals were extant till Alexander the Great 's Days and being perused and understood by Aristotle and Theophrastus by the Help of an Interpreter they were transcribed by them and so set down as we find them in their Writings which have gain'd them so great Fame and Renown This may be the more credible especially as to Aristotle because we read that he was a Great Plagiary and burnt or otherwise made away those Writings from whence he borrowed his Notions If this be true it is likely we have these Books of Solomon extant still in those forenamed Authors we read his Natural History concerning Vegetables and Animals But as touching the three thousand Proverbs which he spake it is most reasonable to believe that most of them were only spoken not written down and as for those that were penn'd we have them at this Day in the Book of Proverbs which is Part of the Canon of Scripture There we have those Proverbs which the Holy
Ghost saw to be most profitable and necessary for the Church That one would think should content us So as to his Songs which were a thousand and five as we read in the fore-mentioned Place there is but One of them that hath arrived at our Hands and was thought worthy to be inserted into the Sacred Writings unless we reckon the Forty fifth Psalm to be a Song of his This then adds to the Excellency of these Writings of Solomon which we have that they are Choice Pieces selected even by the Holy Ghost who was the Prime Author of them This surely may satisfy us that the Books or Writings of this Wise Prince which were most Excellent and which were dictated by the Spirit are transmitted to us and are Part of the Bible Thus there is nothing lost that belongs to the Canonical Scripture of the Old Testament And whereas it is Objected that some Places are quoted in the New Testament as taken out of the Old and yet are not to be found there as Mat. 2. 23. Iames 4. 5. Iude v. 14. I answer as to the first that from those Words That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets He shall be called a Nazarene no Man can gather that some of the Canonical Books of Scripture are missing because if you take the Prophets here for Prophetick Men who spoke only and did not write then there were no Books of theirs to be lost Or if by Prophets you understand the Penmen of the Bible it may be shew'd that what they foretold is still extant in their Writings For though those individual Words He shall be call'd a Nazarene are not found among the Prophecies of the Old Testament yet the Purport and Sense of them are there and the Places to which they have reference are very obvious as I have shewed in that particular Interpretation of the Words which I have offered to the Publick in my Enquiry into some Remarkable Texts of the New Testament Thence I hope it will appear that the Objectors have no ground for what they alledg and also that the Iews Cavil against this Place of St. Matthew where they say he quotes a Text out of the Prophets which is not to be found in any of them is void of all Reason Another Place which is wont to be mention'd on this Occasion is Iam. 4. 5. Do you think that the Sâ—ripture saith in vain The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to Envy Which Words are no where to be found in Scripture therefore say they some Part of the Holy Writings is lost And Sir N. Knatchbull seems to say that this is Passage taken out of the Writings of the Prophets which â—re missing at this Day In answer to this some say that Gen. 6. 3. is the Place of Scripture here referr'd to but after they have taken a great dealâ—of Pains to make this out their labour is in vain for surely no Man of free and unprejudiced Thoughts will be perswaded that those Wordâ— My Spirit shall not always strive with Man are of the same Import with these The Spirit that dwelleâ—â— in us lusteth to Envy This Exposition is built upon a mistaken Notion of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contendet which our Translators truly rendâ—â— shall strive some fancying that it is to be derivâ—â— from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sheath and then forsooth the Soul or Spirit is a Sword Lowis Chappel and some Others as groundlesly make these Words an Interrogation Doth the Spirit that dwelleth in us lust to Envy and think they refer to Numb 11. 29. Enviest thou for my sake The Question say they is a Negâ—tion and is as much as if it had been said Doth the Scripture and the Holy Spirit teach you to contend to be envious and quarrelsom No. But this likewise is forced and strained and an impartial Eye cannot possibly see any Affinity between the two Places of Scripture besides that there is one Interrogation to introduce another which confounds the Stile The plain and unforced Answer is this that St. Iames doth not here quote any Particular Place of Scripture as if there were such express Words in the Old Testament as are here set down by him He only tells us what is generally deliver'd in Scripture viz. that Man's Nature is depraved and corrupted that it is enclined to Envy as well as to other Lusts and Unlawful Affections Or If any â—ne Particular Place be referr'd to more than another it is probable it is that of Gen. 6. 5. or ch 8. v. 21. where we are told that the Imaginations or the Purposes and Desires of Mens Hearts are evil from their Youth yea they are only evil and that contiâ—ually The Words then are not to be understood of the Divine Spirit but of that Corrupt Spirit which is in Men not the Spirit which is of God â—â—t the Spirit of the World as the Apostle Paul distinguisheth 1 Cor. 2. 12. This Spirit lusteth to Envy and prompts Men to all other Vices And 〈◊〉 for the next Words He giveth more Grace they refer not to the Spirit here spoken of but to God who though he be not named in this Verse is twice in the immediately foregoing one He giveth 〈◊〉 Grace he according to his good Pleasure restrains Mens Lusts and envious Desires and teâ—cheth them Humility Submission and all other Divine Vertues Or according to a late Worthy Critick it i. e. the Scripture giveth more Grace for that it saith c. In this Holy Book there are Examples of some Persons in whom this Spirit of Envy was restrained When the Apostle then here saith Do you think that the Scripture saith in vain c. we must not wonder that those very Words are not found in any Part of the Old Testament for the Apostle only speaks here of what may be deduced from these Sacred Writings or what is said in them to the same purpose though in other Words There are many Places of Scripture which speak of the Lusts of that corrupt Spirit which is in us whereby we are stirr'd up to Envy and Strife From several Texts we may gather that Man's Nature is prone to these and the like Passions This I take to be the true Account of the Words In the same manner we are to understand Luâ—â— 11. 49. Therefore said the Wisdom of God I will send them Prophets and Apostles c. There is no partâ—cular Text that hath these Words but there are several Prophecies to this Purpose So Ephes. 5. 14. He saith Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give the Light is not meanâ—â— of any such particular and individual Words 〈◊〉 of the Spirit 's speaking in the Gospel to that Effect though I know Dr. Hammond and others refer i◠〈◊〉 Isa. 60. 1. and some Interpreters to Isa. 51. 9. 〈◊〉 you will not find these or such Words in either of those Places That Passage in
understand them aright I propound these ensuing Rules and Directions First It is requisite that we furnish our selves with other Learning to make our selves capable of understanding the Bible All Arts require a Master and Teacher even the lowest and mechanical All Trades and Sciences are to be learn'd none presumes to meddle with them till they have been instructed in them And yet we may observe that all degrees of Persons pretend to interpret the Scriptures though they were never instructed never prepared as St. Ierom complain'd of old A great many imagine that the Weakest Brains can comprehend the Contents of this Book and without all other knowledg attain to the meaning of them But this is a gross Mistake and is one cause of Mens wresting and corrupting the Scriptures They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 3. 16. unlearned and unwilling to be taught for so the Word imports they neglect the means of Knowledg they use not the proper Helps conducing to it Or whatever they were in St. Peter's Time we are sure that now a competent Measure of Humane Learning is required to understand these Writings For though they surpass all Humane Wisdom yet it is as true that they have strictures of all Arts and Sciences in them and are written in the Learned Languages and as I have shew'd formerly contain in them all sorts of Words Phrases and Idioms Wherefore there is a Necessity of the Arts and Tongues for understanding this Book In the Writings of Moses and the Prophets of the Apostles and Evangelists there are the Rites Customs Manners Opinions Sayings Proverbs of almost all Nations in the World especially of the Antient Hebrews Wherefore a Knowledg of their Writings and Antient Monuments a Converse with History and Antiquities are absolutely requisite especially for explaining the difficult Places And to have a true Notion of several Passages in the Epistles of the Apostles Ecclesiastical History in needful which gives us nitice of the Hereticks of that time or of those concerning whom the Apostles prophetically speak The Writings of the Fathers are to be consulted and that with great application of Mind that we may not mistake the Interpretations which those Learned and Pious Men give of the respective Places of Scripture that we may be ediâ—ied by their Religious Comments but not imbibe any of their Errors This which I now say principally concerns the Guides and Ministers of the Church who are supposed to be Men of Learning and Scholarship and truly a great Part of the Bible is more especially fitted for such It is their province to expound and teach this Holy Book which is it self a Library and is of that Nature that it cannot be rightly understood and explain'd without acquaintance with the Antient Writers of the Church without skill in the Tongues Rhetdrick Logick Philosophy History Criticism for as it is furnish'd with all Literature so it requires all to unfold it aright As for the Apostles tho some of them had no knowledg in Arts and Sciences yet that Defect was abundantly recompensed by the extraordinary Gifts and Endowments of the Holy Ghost So most of the Primitive Christians in the Apostles Days who were not Hebrews understood the Language in which the Old Testament was written by their Gift of Tongues And as for the Greek of the New Testament it was universally known and so was in a manner the native Tongue both to the Jews and others of that time But Men are not now instructed in Strange Languages by the Spirit nor are they born with Hebrew or Greek neither are they Inspired with Arts and Humane Knowledg and consequently Study and Reading and Long Exercise are indispensably requisite Clement of Alexandria would have his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. his Perfect and Compleat Theologuâ— be skill'd in Humane Literature and Philosophy Inshort to be a Consummate Divine and thorowly knowing in the Bible it is necessary that he be a Man of Universal Learning Secondly that we may read and understand the Scriptures it is requisite that we be exceeding Attentive Observing Considerate that we be very Inquisitive Thoughtful and Diligent This Rule may be explain'd in several Particulars 1. We must use great Thoughtfulness Diligence and Care in penetrating into the Design and Sense of those Inspired Writings St. Chrysostom delivers the Rule thus we must not only examine the meer naked Words and insist upon them simply and absolutely consider'd but we must chiefly attend to the Mind and Intent of the Writer Sometimes instead of an Absolute meaning of the Words in Scripture they are to be taken Comparatively or with Limitation they must be restrain'd to the Matter in Hand As to Instance No Man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1. Cor. 12. 3. i. e. no Man can say so from his Heart There is that Reserve implied Where I am ye eannot come John 7. 34. i. e. ye can't come yet but afterwards you shall All that came before me are Thieves and Robbers John 1 o. 8. i. e. all False Prophets for he means them are such It is reported that there is such Fornication among you as is not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his Father's Wife 1 Cor. 5. 1. This sort of Fornication was not only named but practis'd among the Gentiles for there are several Examples in Pagan Story of marrying the Father's Wife therefore here must be meant the more Sober Sort of Gentiles And so in many other Places things which seem to be absolutely spoken are to be understood in a restrained Sense 2. It is necessary that we be very thoughtful and inquisitive about the Context the Dependance the Connection of those Places which we search into We are to be exceeding mindful what the Words refer to what Coherence they have with what went before and what follows To Know the true Sense of them we must carefully observe the Subject-matter for this is certain that Propositions are true or not true according to this You will meet with several Instances of this in my former Discourses on the Holy Scriptures and therefore I will forbear to mention any here Only I offer this at present as a General Rule for guiding us to the true and genuine meaning of Scripture 3. This Attentiveness and Care must be exercis'd in Comparing one Place with another or with divers others if there be occasion For as an Intelligent Person rightly suggests all Truth being consonant to it self and all being penn'd by one and the self-same Spirit it cannot be but that an industrious and judicious Comparing of Place with Place must be a singular help for the right understanding of the Scriptures This One Rule if well and duly observ'd will carry us through most of the Difficulties of the Bible For this we may depend upon that the Scripture is its own Interpreter that the best Comment on this Book is it self Wherefore let
be great Moral and Religious Qualifications likewise for this is the Book of God and therefore we must come to it with agreeable Inclinations Wills and Affections Men complain that there is a great Contention about the interpreting of Scripture and Different Parties can't agree whence they proceed to blame the Obscurity and Uncertainty of the Scripture it self But herein these Persons themselves are very blameable for this Disagreement in the interpreting of Sacred Writ arises not wholly from the Obscurity of it nor doth it proceed from the Uncertainty of it as some would suggest but from Mens Depraved Minds and Passions Wherefore our main Care ought to be 1st To free our selves from all Wilful Prejudice and Perverseness which have been the first and original Causes of misunderstanding the Scriptures Thus the Infernal Spirit when he tempted our Saviour most perversly quoted Psal. 91. 11. and misapplied it to his purpose And from him Hereticks and Seducers have learnt to cite and make use of Scripture to evil Designs viz. to uphold some Error or Vice What an Antient Writer of the Church saith of one sort of Heretical Teachers that they interpret the Sense of the Holy Writ according to their own Pleasure is true of them all their constant Practice is to strain and distort these Sacred Writings to construe them according to their own Fancies and to make them like an Echo speak what they please Their great Work in consulting and turning over this Volume is to find something they may misinterpret for their own Ends. Their Affection to a particular Cause makes them believe and assert any thing though never so improbable and then they alledg Scripture to back it though it be wholly foreign to the purpose These Persons are of the Number of those Depravers of Truth who as One of the Antient Fathers gives us their Character do not accommodate their Minds to the Scripture but pervert and draw the Mind of the Scripture to their own Wills This glossing and expounding of the Bible according to Mens corrupt Fancies is as M. Luther hath expressed it like straining Milk through a Colesack it blackens and deâ—iles the pure Word of God it depraves and falsifies the Mind of the Spirit Those Men are to be abhorr'd that submit not their Thoughts and Conceptions to this Sacred Standard who compel the Scripture to serve their Private Opinions who make no conscience of putting a Text upon the Rack to make it speak what it intended not of miserably torturing it that they may force it to confess what it never meant These Persons should be reminded how great a Sin it is to distort and deprave the Holy Writ and designedly to draw it to another Sense than it naturally bears And the Penalty is as grievous as the Crime for as the Apostle St. Peter informs us this Generation of Men wrest the Scripture unto their own Destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. Wherefore let none presume to be guilty in this Nature and dare to follow their own sinister Imagiâ—ations in the interpreting of the Inspired Writings but let them attend to that Advice of a Pious and Learned Author We should be more willing to take a Sense from Scripture than to bring one to it Let us strive to know the naked and pure Meaning of the Spirit and in order to that read the Bible with an Unprejudiced and Sincere Mind which is an Excellent Interpreter Whereas 't is a certain Truth that Perverse Minds will pervert the Scriptures 2dly We ought to read these Divine Writings with great Modesty and Humility Let it not trouble us that some Parts of them are not level to our Understandings And where we cannot solve some things let us not arrogantly pretend to do it It is no Disgrace to confess our Ignorance here I can assure you this hath been done by the Learnedest Heads There is a Learned Ignorance as St. Augustin terms it and we need not be ashamed to be Masters of it These four things mention'd in Eccles 12. 6. I understand not saith Castellio I scarcely understand the thousandth Part of this Book saith he concerning the Apocalypse And 't is frequent with this Learned Man to say I know not the Meaning of this Place That Man is impudently rash who dares profess that he understands one single Book of the Bible in all its Parts saith Luther I own it that I am so blind that I cannot see any thing at all in that dark Place of Scripture Amos 5. 26. saith the Great Selden But the contrary Temper and Spirit have swell'd some with proud Conceits of their understanding some Passages of this Book when they have no true Apprehension of them in the least and accordingly they have endeavour'd in a supercilious manner to impose their crude Sense upon others not craving but commanding Assent to what they have propounded These bold Men forget what the Wise King saith It is the Glory of God to conceal a Matter to speak sometimes in so dark and hidden a manner that there is need of great searching studying and enquiring into the things that are said and yet at last they remain abstruse and unintelligible It hath pleased God the Wise Governour of the World that the Scripture should have Difficulties and Obscurities in it that there should be some things hard to be understood But as Socrates said of Heraclitus's Writings What he understood of them was very good and so he believed that to be which he understood not the like may we with more Reason pronounce concerning the Sacred Scriptures The Matters which we have Knowledg of which are the main Body and Substance of the Book are Excellent and Divine and so there is Reason to conclude that those Parts of it which are hidden from us are of the same Nature There is no occasion to find fault with the Sovereign Wisdom of God but it is our apparent Duty to lay aside Pride and to exercise Humility which will capacitate us to understand even those Great Mysteries and Abstrusities when we have with much Diligence and frequent Study search'd into them 3dly We must think our selves concern'd to purge our Hearts and Lives from all Deâ—ilements of Vice For 't is certain that a quick Brain a subtile Head and a nimble Wit are not so much required to the understanding of Divine Truth as an Honest Mind and a Religious Practice To Men of polluted Consciences and profane Manners the Scriptures seem dark and mysterious but to those of sanctified Minds and holy Lives they are as to the most part plain and clear These Qualifications render them as bright as a Sun-beam What the Turks are said to write on the back-side of the Alcoran Let none touch this Book but he that is pure may with great Reason and Justice be written on the Holy Book of Scripture and that only for a Pure Life is the best Commentator on these Writings A wonderful measure of
Knowledg and Insight into these Divine Truths which are here contain'd is the Effect of observing and practising the Holy Precepts of this Book This then we ought to urge upon our selves to come to the reading of Scripture with defecate and purged Minds with Love to what it dictates and with Obedience to it This should be our principal Care to live well and to walk according to this Excellent Rule All our Religion and the whole Conduct of our Actions in this World depend upon the Scriptures therefore let us be directed and govern'd by the Infallible Maxims Precepts Promises and Threatnings of this Book We see Men live by Custom by the Dictates of Others or by their Own Opinions which oftentimes prove erroneous and lead them into unwarrantable Practices But they would not be thus misguided if they consulted These Lively Oracles of God this sure Word of Prophecy if they regulated their Actions by this Exact Canon And hereby we are certain to improve our Knowledg in this Holy Book for by living according to it we shall the better understand it by minding the Practical Contents of it we shall have a full Discovery of its Principles and Doctrines Lastly That we may attain to a right understanding of the Sense of Scripture that we may have a due Perception of the Meaning of what is deliver'd here let us most earnestly invoke the Divine Aid and Assistance He that reads this Book without Prayer can never expect to be bless'd with a compleat Knowledg of it For it is the sole Work of the Divine Spirit to illuminate our Minds effectually There is required the special Help of this Heavenly Instructor to direct us into Truth wherefore he is call'd the Spirit of Truth and the Vnction from the Holy One whereby we know all things The same Spirit that endited these Holy Writings must enlighten our Minds to understand them Which I find thus expressed in the Words of our Church The Revelation of the Holy Ghost inspireth the true meaning of the Scripture into us in truth we cannot without it attain true Saving-knowledg And a Learned and Pious Son of our Mother gives his Suffrage in these Words Wicked Men however learned do not know the Scriptures because they feel them not and because they are not understood but with the same Spirit that writ them Seeing then a Spiritual Illumination is requisite in order to the comprehending of Scripture-Truths we ought with great Fervour and Zeal to request it we ought with a singular Devotion to repair to this Infallible Teacher and with mighty Importunity beseech him to open our Eyes that we may behold wondrous things out of the Divine Law and to conduct our Reasons aright in our Enquiry into this Sacred Volume And He that commands us to implore his Help will certainly vouchsafe it to all sincere and devout Supplicants The Eyes of our Understanding shall be irradiated with a Celestial Beam and we shall feel an internal Operation of the Spirit on our Hearts communicating Light and Wisdom By the Assistance of this Blessed Guide we shall not miscarry in our Searches and Endeavours This Divine Book shall be laid open to us and we shall have its Mysteries and Depths disclosed to us so far as is convenient for us and no rational Man ought to desire any more Yea as it is with some of those that have studied for the Phâ—losophick Elixar though they attain not to it yet in their impetuous Search after it they find out many Excellent Things admirably useful for Mankind which are a Recompence of their Labours so though we may fall short of some Grand Secrets which are treasured up in this Inspired Volume yet we shall not faâ—l of some Choice Discoveries that will make us amends for our most laborious Enquiries We shall mightily improve our Knowledg and we shall likewise be under the special Benediction of Heaven The Rabbins tell us that when R. Ionathan writ his Targum on the Bible if at any time the least Fly lit upon his Paper it was presently consumed with Fire from Heaven But though this be Romantick and after the rate of the Rabbins yet it is a sober Trutlâ— that God will protect us in reading and studying the Holy Scriptures Whilest we are thus employed nothing shall disturb or hurt us the Divine Arm will defend and prosper us and we shall peruse this Book with that happy Success which we pray'd for In short by continual conversing with this Book which is the only one that hath no Errata's we shall know how to correct all the Failures of our Notions and of our Lives we shall enrich our Minds with a Stock of Excellent Principles and we shall be throughly furnish'd unto all good Works we shall be conducted to the highest Improvements of Knowledg and Sanctity in this Life and to the most Conâ—â—mmate Happiness in another FINIS Books written by the Reverend Mr. John Edwards AN Enquiry into several 〈◊〉 Texts of the Old and New Testament which contain some Difficulty in them with a Probable Resolution of them In two Volumes in 8â— A Discourse concerning the Authority Stile and Perfection of the Books of the Old and New Testament Vol. I. with a Continued Illustration of several Difficult Texts throughout the whole Work A Discourse conâ—â—rning the Authority Stile and Perfection of the Books of the Old and New Testament Vol. II. wherein the Author 's former Undertaking is further prosecuted viz. An Enquiry into several Remarkable Texts which contain some Difficulty in them A Discoeurs concerning the Authority Stile and Perfection of the Books of the Old and New Testament Vol. III. treating of the Excellency and Perfection of the Holy Scriptures and illustrating several difficult Texts occurring in this Undertaking All sold by Ionathan Robinson Iohn Taylor and Iohn Wyat. * Plataic †Panegyr Plataic ‡ Plataic * Orat. 2. ad Nicocl †Panegyr Orat. ‖ Orat. ad Philip. ‡ Panegyr ad Philip. Epist. ad Philip. Epist. ad Mitylen * Panegyr Orat. †Plataic Orat. 1. ‖ Orat. ad Philip. * Panegyr Orat. Plataic Orat. bis †Olynth 1. ‖ Philip. 1. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. in Protrept †Gen. 9. 27. * Deut. 28. 49 c. †1 Kings 13. 2. * Antiqu. 1. 11. c. 1. †Dr. Jackson * Dan. 2. †Temporum conscius totius Mundi Polyhistor Epist. ad Paulin. * Ver. 2. †Ver. 20. ‖ Ver. 5. * Ibid. * John 21. 18. †Ver. 22. * Earum rerum quae foâ—â—uitae putantur praedictio atque praesentio De Divinat l. 1. * Lib. 3. c. 8. * Colloqu Mensal * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. cont Celâ— l. 6. * Lib. 1. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid. Pelus Ep. l. 5. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just. Mart. Dialog cum Tryph. †Arnob. lib. 1. ‖ Sozom. l. 1. c. 11. ‖‖ Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 2.