re-establishment in the said Country about the year of the World 3600. Here we read the Conquest of Palestina under the Conduct of Joshua how it was divided amongst the Tribes after they had destroyed drove out or subdued the Inhabitants thereof how often they were brought into bondage by the bordering Nations whose rise and pretensions Moses sets down Here we have recorded the several Names and actions of the Judges which God from time to time raised to the Israelites to restore them to their first estate Here we have an account of the establishment of a Kingly Government amongst them which happened about the year 2909 as likewise of the division of this people into two Kingdomes which for three Ages together were most opposite in their interests and made great wars against each other as well as against their neighbouring States We find here the utter ruin of the most puissant of these two States viz. That of Israel by the Arms of the Kings of Assyria about the year of the World 3283 and after that the destruction of that of Judah by Nebuchadnezar King of the Chaldeans Anno Mundi 3283. And last of all we have an account of the Jews Restoration by Cyrus King of Persia and the State of the Jews under his Successors The Third thing observable is That in the remaining Books of the Old Testament we find several historical Relations relating to both Kingdomes with several prophecies relating to their decay and restoration as likewise many Discourses of Morality and Piety and that all these relations and prophecies appear to have been writ at such a time and with those circumstances which have a natural reference to what the other Books recite to us and an essential Relation to the Books and Laws of Moses which we find to be the foundation of all these prophesies relations and whatsoever else we find there concerning their Government or Religion The Fourth is That the Books of the New Testament contain an exact relation of the Life of Jesus Christ who appeared to the World under the Reign of Tiberius of the establishment of his Religion in the World together with some disputes with the Jews who refused to own him for the Messiah promised by the Prophets and lastly Prophesies declaring what in in process of time was to happen both to the Jews and Christians until the end of the World. These Books take the Truth of Moses's Writings every where for granted as also of all the other Sacred Writings of the Old Testament both Historical Prophetical and Moral These Four particulars do in a manner give us an intire Idea of the Holy Scripture and we shall scarcely stand in need of ought else to manifest the Truth of those Writings if we consider those undisputable matters of fact I am now to speak of and will but make some very natural reflexions upon them The First is That the Christians notwithstanding their being divided into several Sects and Parties presently after our Saviours time have and do still in all places every first day of the Week read the Books of the New Testament translated into their respective Languages so that it appears absolutely impossible that any spurious Writings should have been slipt in amongst them The Second is That as the Christians have had the Books of the Old Testament amongst them in Greek these 1600. years so the Heathens had them in that Language 300. years before being translated by order of one of the Ptolomy's Kings of Egypt whither a considerable party of the Jews were carried after that Alexander the Great had conquered the greatest part of Asia having overthrown the Empire of Persia to which the Jews were in subjection The Third is That tho' the Jews had not all the Books of the Old Testament from the beginning of their Commonwealth they that followed the Party of Jeroboam and formed the Kingdom of Israel having only had the Five Books of Moses amongst them yet notwithstanding their irreconcilable hatred against the House of David they have most religiously preserved the said Books from Anno Mundi 3030. in which the divisions of the two Kingdoms happen'd even until this day The Fourth and last is That as the Jews every where at this day read the Books of Moses and of the Prophets each Sabbath day which is also observed by the Samaritanes and the Christians read them every first day of the week so the Jews have always continued to read them for a long series of Ages as esteeming it a great part of the sanctification of the Sabbath Besides which they also solemnly read them every seventh year in obedience to a Law of Moses as being one of the principal parts of their Religion I say that the sole consideration of these matters of fact which are indisputable are sufficient to prove in general the truth of the Books of the Old and New Testament First then I affirm that it is as ridiculous to maintain that the Books of the Old and New Testament translated into so many Languages cited by an infinite number of Authors and which have been the subject of various disputes from the very times of the Apostles or soon after should be supposititious as to aver that the Books of Justinian or Mahomets Alcoran have been falsly obtruded on the World under their names I speak now only of the Books themselves not of the truth of the History they contain Secondly It is ridiculous to suppose that the Books of the Old Testament were forged since the time of Ptolomy Philadelphus forasmuch as they have been in the hands of the Heathens themselves ever since that time Thirdly It is as inconsistent to suppose them contrived since the time of the separation of the ten Tribes from Judah because we find the Books of Moses among the Samaritanes who have preserved them ever since their Revolt without any other change but what is incident to all Manuscripts that pass through many hands I grant indeed that the Samaritans have none of the other Books of the Old Testament but this being to be look'd upon only as an effect of their departure from the Kingdom of Judah it cannot in the least shake the certainty we have of those Books For first the three other Tribes had them and preserv'd them with the greatest care esteeming them of Divine Authority Secondly there were also reasons of State which made the Kings of Israel not to regard the divisions made by Joshuah of the Land of Canaan nor the authority of the Priesthood which Reasons of State hereafter mentioned where the cause why the ten Tribes would not allow the same authority to some of those Books which were written before their Revolt as those of Samuel and the writings of David and Solomon which they did to the Pentateuch of Moses Most of the others we know were pen'd since the Division of the two Kingdomes and so did more particularly respect the Kingdom of Judah and some them after the
we read in the eighth Chapter of Genesis about the Deluge doth refer to this custom where we find Noah sending forth the Dove and the Raven on the seventh day which plainly hints to us his observing of that day for it seems that Noah having in an especial manner on that solemn day implored the assistance of God in the Assembly of his Family he expected a particular Blessing from it And we cannot but make some Reflexion on that which we read in the XXIX of Genesis concerning the term of a Week set apart to the Nuptials of Leah Gen. XXIX 27. where at the twenty seventh Verse Laban thus expresses himself Fulfil her Week and we will give thee this also for the Service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other Years This Week here doth so plainly signifie a Week of days that it cannot be more naturally express'd and indeed all generally understand by this Week of the Marriage Feast of Leah that term of time which in succeeding Ages hath been customary to allot to Nuptial Festivals as appears from the Book of Esther where the Wedding Feast of Vasthi lasted seven days this term of seven days having so long since been Consecrated to Nuptial Rejoycings The same we may also gather from the time which was ordinarily allotted to mourning for the Dead to which we find the Patriarchs allotted a term proportion'd to that of their rejoicing For as we see that the Egyptians mourned ten Weeks for Jacob because of his Quality as being the Father of Joseph so we find that Joseph and those that accompanied him mourned seven days at his Enterment in the Land of Canaan And as we find that this Custom was perpetually afterwards observ'd by the Jews as appears from Ecclesiasticus XXII 12. so likewise we find the same observed by the Asiaticks as may be seen in the History of Ammianus Marcellinus at the beginning of his nineteenth Book De fide Resur in obitu Sat. p. 321. Seven days were fulfilled after that the Lord had smote the River Jalkut in h. l. and from them it passed to the Christians as we find in St. Ambrose Thirdly It appears from Exod. VII 25. that God observed seven days after he had smote the River to change the Waters thereof into Blood from whence the Jews conclude that the three Plagues Viz. that of Blood of Frogs and of Lice abode on the Land of Egypt six days and were withdrawn on the seventh which is the Sabbath We may also gather if we calculate the time exactly that the Jews in Egypt observed the Sabbath We find from the History of their departure out of Egypt that the same happened on a Thursday being the fifteenth of the Month Nisan and the day in which they sung those Hymns of Deliverance was the Sabbath which God had particularly set apart for this Week It is also evident from Exod. XVI that the keeping of the Sabbath was observ'd by the Israelites before the Law was given on Mount Sinai For we find God speaking there concerning the Sabbath not as of a thing newly instituted but as of an antient Law which they wer e not to transgress by gathering the Manna on that day for he orders them to gather a double portion the sixth day and not to gather any on the seventh We see that the Israelites resting on the seventh day is here supposed a known and customary thing prescribed to them by a Law of old They who went forth to gather Manna on the seventh day are represented as Transgressors of a known Law as appears from the words of the Lord to Moses How long refuse ye to keep my Commandments and my Laws Moses also speaks of the Sabbath which was to be the next day as of a thing customary and received amongst them To morrow saith he at v. 23. is the rest of the Sabbath of holiness unto the Lord words which would have been unintelligible to the Israelites and express'd a Law altogether impracticable in case they had been destitute of any further knowledge concerning it and had not been acquainted that it was the very day in which the great work of Creation had been finished My fourth Observation I take from the very words of the Decalogue where first of all we find God speaking in this manner Remember the Sabbath day which words clearly import Exod. XX. 8. that the Law he gave was not a new Law but indeed as old as the World and which had been observed by their Forefathers It seems probable also that God expresses himself in these terms because the Tyranny of Pharaoh had forc'd them to break this Law by obliging them to deliver their Tale of Bricks every day without excepting the Sabbath which before he had allowed them to keep This is explained very distinctly in the fifth of Exodus and seems to have been the occasion of Moses's demanding Straw of Pharaoh for the Israelites to go and Sacrifice in answer to which demand Exod. V. 5. Pharaoh expresses himself in terms which shew that formerly they had observed a rest on that day However it be yet thus much is apparent that God commands them to make their Bond Servants to observe the Sabbath because the Egyptians by their example inclin'd them not to be very careful in exempting them from all labour on that day Moreover in the second place we are to take notice that in the last words of the fourth Commandment God speaks of it as of a thing formerly appointed and determin'd by him saying For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it which words have a manifest and undeniable reference to that which happen'd the seventh day after the Creation and to the Law then given to Man concerning it We may gather from the fourth Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews that the sense which we have put upon the third Verse of the second of Genesis is the same which the Jews have always had of it The Apostle discoursing from those words of David Psal XCV To whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest doth suppose a threefold rest the first of which is the rest of the Sabbath of which mention is made in the second of Genesis where we have the first institution of it the second was the rest in the Land of Canaan promised to the Jews upon their enduring all those Tryals in the Wilderness the third the rest in Heaven of which the two foregoing were but the Figures He argues therefore that these words of David could not be understood concerning the Sabbath day forasmuch as from the beginning of the World Men entred into that rest of the Sabbath and he proves this by that passage in Genesis of which he only cites the first words viz. That God rested the seventh day from all his works as supposing that the Jews
to whom he wrote had no need of having the following words quoted to them which tell us that God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it that is he Consecrated the same to his worship and service forasmuch as nothing was more publickly and universally known amongst them the Observation of the Sabbath being a thing generally received even before the giving of the Law. And indeed the Philo the Jew be of opinion that the practice of Solemnizing that day had suffer'd some interruption and that for this reason the Law of the Sabbath was given to Moses yet it is well known first of all Euseb praep Evang. l. 13. c. 12. that Aristobulus the Peripatetick in a Treatise dedicated by him to Ptolemy surnamed Philadelphus cites several Passages of Homer Hesiod and Linus Heathen Poets which mention the seventh day as a Festival and Solemn day because all things were finished in the same In the next place it is notorious that if some of the Fathers as Justin Martyr and Tertullian writing against the Jews have deny'd that the Patriarchs observed the seventh day they did so rather with regard to the rigor of that Law which forbad all manner of work on that day upon pain of Death which was superadded by God to the first Law of the Sabbath than to the Observation of the Sabbath as it was a day appointed to make a Solemn Commemoration of the Creation of the World. In a word we are to take notice that the difference which God makes between the Sabbath observ'd by the Patriarchs and that which he appointed to the Jews did consist in two things First in that God did impose an absolute necessity upon the Jews to abstain from all manner of work even to the very dressing of Meat necessary for the support of Life We find this distinction clearly express'd in the Law which God gave concerning the first and seventh day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread for he absolutely forbids all manner of work on these two days as much as on the Sabbath even the preparing of necessary food which he permits the five other days forbidding only Servil Laborious Works Secondly In that the working on that day by the Law is made punishable with death which was not so before which Innovation and new rigour of the Law established by God was authorized by the punishing of him who had gathered Sticks on the Sabbath day whereas we find that before the Law was given upon Mount Sinai God did not command those Jews to be punished with death who went forth the seventh day to gather Manna according to their ancient Custom of dressing their Meat on that day Let me add this further that tho the Apostles had abolished the rigour of the Law concerning the Sabbath introduced by Moses yet they themselves observed it which practise of theirs in all probability gave occasion to the Christians for almost four Centuries to keep the Sabbath as well as the first day of the Week Solemnizing both those days the one as a Commemoration of the Creation of the World and the other of the Resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ But what ever Judgment may be past on this last Remark it is very evident from Genesis and Exodus First that the Law of the Sabbath was observed before Moses Secondly that this Observation was by the first Patriarchs propagated among the Heathens also as well as the Idea of the Creation or as the practice of Sacrificing with the other parts of Religious Worship the Original whereof may be seen in the Book of Genesis as we shall make appear in our following Discourse After all this we must conclude against the Atheist that either Moses must imprudently have laid a Snare for himself in forging a matter of fact of which not only the Jews but all the World were able to convince him since there were none amongst them but must needs be Conscious whether they had observed the Sabbath in Commemoration of the Creation as he relates it or no or else that the Creation of the World being a matter of fact so generally known and the Memorial of it Solemnized every seventh day by all those who preceded him must needs be an uncontested and immoveable truth which I shall farther evince by those Observations which I shall raise from the dependance and connexion which the Matters related by Moses in Genesis have with the Creation and the Promise of the Messiah This is my business at present in performing of which I shall make it appear that nothing can be imagin'd more rational and coherent than the Relations of Moses in which the Atheists imagine that they discover so great Absurdities CHAP. VIII That Adam was convinced of his Creation by Reason and Authority THo' it might be thought more natural in these our Disquisitions about the History of Genesis to begin with those matters which happened near the time of Moses and from them to pass to those at a greater distance yet I have chosen rather to follow the Thread of Moses his Discourse hoping that this Method will afford more light to these our Reflexions At least it will spare me the trouble of frequent Repetitions which in the other way I should be necessarily oblig'd to I begin then with this That Adam was convinced of his Creation both by Reason and Authority The Creation of Adam being a thing of that nature that he must first be convinced of it himself before he could perswade his Posterity to entertain the belief of it it is worth our enquiry to know what ways he had to assure himself that he was indeed Created in that manner as Moses relates And forasmuch as the certainty of this Tradition depends upon the Authority of Adam whom Moses supposes to have been the first Deliverer of it It is plain that we must be assured that Adam could not deceive himself in this matter as it is evident enough that he would not deceive his Children when he took care to instruct them concerning it As to his own Existence he could not but be as strongly perswaded of it as we are of ours all the difficulty lying in the manner how he came to exist Now there were two ways by which Adam might inform himself of this viz. by Reason and the Testimony of Authority He could easily find out this Secret by a rational Reflexion Or he might also be perswaded of it by God himself who had Created him not to mention now any information which he might have from the Angels who were Witnesses of his Creation It appears that Adam whose Tradition Moses has recorded supposes that he had learnt of God himself the manner of his own Formation God speaks to Adam and Sanctifies the seventh day that is obliges Adam to keep the Memorial of his Creation he ties him by a Law to Commemorate his Creation fifty two times a Year and to render him continual thanks for the Being he had received But forasmuch as
examine their Principles and confute them which is the easiest thing in the World the Wisest Men having formerly acknowledged as they also own to this very day that there is but one God. And indeed it seems that the greatest part of Philosophers did own a plurality of Gods only in compliance with the Opinions of the people which it was dangerous to contradict And as for the Jews forasmuch as they agree with the Christians and Mahometans about the Vnity of God we are only to prove to them the truth of that which is the very Essence of the Christian Religion in opposition to their prejudices One may prove this against the Jews without any trouble because they are agreed in most of those Principles which the Christian Religion supposes So likewise it is easily established against the Mahometans who grant the truth of Christian Religion in general but pretend that it ought to give place to Mahometanism as the Law ought to give place to the Gospel preach'd by Jesus Christ My design is not to prosecute every one of these ways in particular There are Books enough in the World which solidly prove the necessity of Religion against all sorts of Atheists as well those who are so through ignorance as those who profess themselves such from Love to Libertinism and to pass for Men of a mighty reach There are also several Famous Authors who have made it evident that Reason alone is sufficient to overthrow all Pagan Religions whatsoever I am resolved to follow a more compendious and sure Method that is to demonstrate the Truth of the Christian Religion considered by it self In short It is impossible considering the opposition there is between the Christian Religion and all other Religions in the World that the Christian Religion should be the true but that all others must be false in those Articles wherein they essentially differ from it And on the other hand one cannot explain those Arguments which clearly evince the truth of Christianity without convicting all other Religions of falsehood because they are destitute of those proofs which are peculiar to the Christian Religion I know very well that there are several ways which lead to the end which I propose Men that think much wish that a perfect Conformity of the Christian Religion with the Conscience of Man might be demonstrated from Reflexions on the Heart of Man and the Dictates of it which to them would be a convincing and demonstrative proof Others apply themselves to a speculative examination of the Doctrines and Proofs of the Christian Religion to shew their Conformity with the Notions of Reason I will not deny but that both these employ themselves usually in this sort of study and that Truth finds a considerable support from their Meditations But how useful soever they may be I have rather chosen to follow another course as thinking it of more advantage solidly to establish the Facts which the Christian Religion proposeth which appears to me to be more proper to perswade all sorts of Readers and better levell'd to the ordinary Capacity of those who newly enter upon the examination of this Truth And as the necessity of Revelation is generally owned by Heathens and by all other Nations of the World I thought it a thing altogether unnecessary to enter upon the examination of several abstracted Questions such as these Whether there be any natural knowledge of God whether Men are naturally inclined to be Religious and the like When I shall have firmly proved that God revealed himself that he prescribed a Service to the first Men who left the Rules of it to all their Posterity from whence all the Religion that ever was or is yet in the Heathen World was derived I shall have prevented many very unprofitable Disputes and which can only perplex the mind by their obscurity I have therefore confin'd my self to certain Considerations which do so establish the truth of the Books of the Old and New Testament as by their Vnion they firmly prove the truth of the Christian Religion I hope that it will not be thought needful for me to demonstrate that the Mahometan Religion ought not to abolish the Christian as the Christians pretend that the Christian Religion abrogated the Ceremonial part of the Jewish Worship As soon as an understanding Reader shall make some Reflexions upon the nature of the Arguments which demonstrate the Truth of the Christian Religion he may easily perceive that God never framed the Model of that Religion which the Mahometans would obtrude upon us THE CONTENTS OF THE CHAPTERS OF THE First Part of the First Volume Chap. 1. COncerning the Fundamentals of the Christian Religion Page 1 Chap. 2. That the Christian Religion is founded upon Proofs of Matter of Fact 5 Chap. 3. Some General Remarks in order to establish the Truth of Holy Scripture 8 Chap. 4. That the Testimony of Moses concerning the Creation of the World and the Promise of the Messiah is unquestionable 16 Chap. 5. That Moses is the Author of the Book of Genesis 23 Chap. 6. That the Book of Genesis could not be forged under the Name of Moses 27 Chap. 7. That it appears from Genesis that the Sabbath was constantly observed from the beginning of the World until Moses 34 Chap. 8. That Adam was convinced of his Creation by Reason and Authority 44 Chap. 9. That Adam was confirmed by his own Experience in the perswasion he had entertain'd concerning his Creation 49 Chap. 10. That the Children of Adam had reason to be convinc'd of the Creation 52 Chap. 11. That the Children of Adam were actually convinced of the Truth of the Creation and the Promise of the Messiah 54 Chap. 12. That Noah was fully perswaded of the Creation of the World and the Promise of the Messiah 61 Chap. 13. That the Children of Noah were convinced of the truth of these Matters 64 Chap. 14. That the Posterity of Noah 's Children were perswaded of the truth of the Creation and first Promise 67 Chap. 15. That we find the Family of Abraham and his Posterity till Jacob fully perswaded of those Truths 71 Chap. 16. That this very perswasion seems to have been kept up amongst the Posterity of Jacob until Moses 's time 81 Chap. 17. That the Tradition which gives us an Account of the perswasion which the Ancients had of the truth of the Creation of the World and of the Promise of the Messiah before Moses cannot be suspected 86 Chap. 18. An Explication of Moses 's way of Writing where it is shew'd that in writing the Book of Genesis he mentioned nothing but what was then generally known 89 Chap. 19. An Answer to an Objection which may be drawn from the Histories of the Egyptians and Chaldeans concerning the Antiquity of the World. 95 Chap. 20. An Answer to the Objection which may be drawn out of the History of China against the Mosaick Hypothesis concerning the newness of the World. 106 Chap. 21. Wherein the
by Moses BUt least any Body should think it strange that I should build the truth of Moses's Prophecies upon the Testimony of the Jews I will restrain its authority of it within just and certain Bounds First Although the Jews bear Witness in their Sacred Books that the greatest part of Moses's Prophecies are already fulfill'd yet they say some are not As for instance those which relate to the Messiah's coming But their obstinate blindness is not a just prejudice against such an important truth to be convinced of which we need only to compare Moses's Words with the Actions of Jesus Christ Thus for what relates to the Destruction of Jerusalem we need only compare Moses's Prophesie of it with the Description Josephus their own Historian hath made of the same in his History of the Siege and ruine of that City and of the dissipation of all the Nations of the Jews But without the Jews Testimony in what regards the accomplishment of those Prophesies whereof the execution was deferred for a very long time it is easie to convince any the most Incredulous Man of their Truth and Divinity if he please but to make this one Reflexion which is that when Moses relates amongst the Oracles of the Patriarch Jacob a particular Prophesie concerning the Messiah's coming and when he mentions that of Balaam concerning the rising of that Divine Star he subjoins also at the same time that concerning the Vocation of the Gentiles to the Faith and brings it in as a certain sign and consequence of the Messiah's being come into the World. Now if we examine the meaning of Moses's Predictions about the Vocation of the Gentiles which the Prophets that came after him did better explain and illustrate we shall be apt from thence to conclude that he in effect foretold that God in the days of the Messiah would follow quite another Method than that which he had used before until the time of Moses viz. That whereas God might seem to restrain then the Priviledge of his Covenant to one people alone which was in effect to restrain the honour of the Messiah's Birth to one sole Nation of the World to one sole Tribe of that Nation to one sole Family of that Tribe to one sole Branch of that Family and so to one sole person of that Branch He would after the Messiah's coming take a contrary Method and call all men to Salvation in him Now that being supposed the truth of all Moses's Prophesies cannot be question'd And whatever the Jews Opinion be concerning the accomplishment of some of them It is sufficient for us that they have carefully and faithfully preserved the Books wherein those Prophecies which we see so exactly fulfilled are contained For we cannot reasonably suspect Moses or any other Jew of forging the Prophesies which foretold the calling of the Gentiles not Moses seeing all his Laws do tend as I shall shew hereafter more at large to establish that restriction I was just now speaking of which was to continue to the Messiah's coming Not the Jews seeing that none of them can still endure to hear of the removal of that Restriction by the calling of the Gentiles and that they are all possest with such a Spirit of Envy and Jealousie against all other Nations that they perfectly hate and abominate them But besides we cannot desire a better nor a more authentick accomplishment of those Oracles which are so opposite to the Jewish Principles and Prejudices than that which we our selves are Witnesses of The same Reflexion belongs to the other Prophesies of Moses concerning the total Dissipation of the Jewish State as also to the dreadful accomplishment of them in our days The most resolved Obstinacy can suggest but one Objection in this matter which is that either the Christians or the Jews have falsified Moses's Writings and inserted those Prophesies which we now find there concerning the Vocation of the Gentiles and the dispersion of the Jews after those things were come to pass But First The Books of Moses which both Christians and Jews have are Written in Hebrew and penn'd in such a Stile as evidences their Antiquity and as would be inimitable now Secondly That these Books have been all Translated into Greek almost 300 years before Jesus Christ and about 350 years before the destruction of Jerusalem Neither the Jews nor yet the Christians were any longer sole Masters of them when the Heathens had them also in their hands Besides those who were Converted to Christianity from Judaism and Heathenism did not only find these Prophesies of Moses in the hands of Jews and Heathens long before the Conversion of the Gentiles and the Destruction of Jerusalem but did also make use of them to evince against the Jews that the Messiah was already come Thus I think I have sufficiently demonstrated the Truth and Divinity of all Moses's Prophesies which we find in Exodus and the following Books CHAP. IX That it appears by the nature of his Relations that Moses had the Messias in view when he wrote the Book of Genesis I Have shew'd in my former Reflexions upon Genesis that those who lived before Moses's time had a distinct knowledge that God would certainly raise up a Deliverer amongst them although they were not certain of the manner of his appearance And I have besides I think sufficiently proved that the various Idea's which the Ancients entertained of him upon the first Promise made by God of his coming were the occasion of several Criminal Actions committed by the Patriarchs and by those of other Nations who had the same pretensions with them I am now to prove that Moses himself had the same knowledge and lived in the same expectation with the Ancients that preceded him It is of more importance to be shewn and that henceforth no Body may wonder if I pretend that the greatest part of the Laws he gave to the Jews both in reference to Civil and Religious Matters and the greatest part of his Prophesies as also those others mentioned by Prophets that lived after him in that Jewish Common-wealth do all suppose a distinct relation to the promised Messiah And to make this evident I beg leave to offer to the Reader 's Consideration some general Reflexions upon Moses's History in Genesis First It cannot be denied that Moses was one of the greatest and wisest Historians that ever was There cannot be a greater design nor a more difficult Task than his was to write the History of 2400 years He gives an account of the Creation of the World in general and in particular of that of Man of his sin of the Promise God made him after the Fall of the Flood of the Original of all the Nations that were in his time His way and manner of Writing is also very extraordinary The Majesty of his Stile is tempered with an admirable plainness he describes all sorts of Passions to the Life he is admirable in his Characters of the Men he speaks
be very short I will confine my self to some general Reflexions upon those Books of the Old Testament which were writ since Moses but such as I hope will be sufficient to satisfie an equitable and intelligent Reader THE CONTENTS OF THE CHAPTERS OF THE First Part of the Second Volume Chap. 1. THat there is in the Historical Writings of the Old Testament an uninterrrupted Series of Events which have a natural and necessary dependance for more than Ten Ages Page 1. Chap. 2. That there is a strict Connexion between the Sacred History and the oldest Monuments which we have of prophane History 8 Chap. 3. That there is an uninterrupted Series of Events foretold by the Sacred Oracles of which we may see a very great number accomplished in every Age. 15 Chap. 4. That how common soever Oracles may have been amongst the Pagans yet nothing amongst them can justly be compared with those which are found amongst the Jews 24 Chap. 5. That the Books in which we may find these Oracles were never forged 28 Chap. 6. That the manner of Writing the Prophetical Books of the Old Testament shews that those Oracles could not have been forged after their Completion 35 Chap. 7. For what reason the Oracles which relate to the Messiah were interwoven with other things which seem to be very widely distant 45 Chap. 8. General Rules for the understanding of ancient Oracles and for the Application of them to the Messiah 51 Chap. 9. Of those Oracles concerning the Messiah which are to be found in the Book of Genesis 60 Chap. 10. Of the Oracles which concern the Messiah in the Book of Psalms 71 Chap. 11. Considerations upon the Sufferings of the Messiah and upon his glorious Ascension into Heaven foretold by David in the XXII and CX Psalms 80 Chap. 12. That the Messiah was to have a Forerunner and what was to be his Character 89 Chap. 13. That the Messiah was to be born before the dissolution of the Jewish State and the destruction of the second Temple 93 Chap. 14. That the Messiah was to be born of a Virgin of the House of David 101 Chap. 15. That the Messiah was to be born at Bethlehem of the Family of David which at that time was reduc'd to a private state 107 Chap. 16. That the Messiah was to work great Miracles for the establishing of his Mission and of the Truth of his Doctrine 111 Chap. 17. That the Messiah was to be an illustrious Prophet 114 Chap. 18. That the Messiah was to propound a new Covenant from God with all men 119 Chap. 19. That the Jews by a dreadful effect of their blindness were to reject the Messiah 125 Chap. 20. That the Messiah was to dye and an Account of the several Circumstances of his Death 130 Chap. 21. That the Messiah was soon after to rise again 136 Chap. 22. That the Messiah was to ascend into Heaven and send down from thence the miraculous Gifts of Prophecy Languages c. 140 Chap. 23. That the Gentiles in the time of the Messiah were to be called to the knowledge of the true God. 144 Chap. 24. That the Jews were to be rejected in the time of the Messiah 152 Chap. 25. Of the time which succeeded the publishing of these Prophecies till the Coming of the Messiah 157 The Contents of the Chapters of the Second Part of the Second Volume Chap. 1. That there appears a very just Connexion between the Idea's of the Old Testament and those of the New the latter borrowing light from the former Page 175 Chap. 2. That the Idea's of the Messiah continued very fresh in the Minds of the Jews at the time of the Coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ 183 Chap. 3. That the Commonwealth of the Jews did still subsist and follow the Model which God had formed in order to the certain knowing of the Messiah 189 Chap. 4. That all the Distinctions necessary for discovering of the Messiah still continued in the State of the Jews at the time of our Lord. 197 Chap. 5. That the time pointed out by the Prophets for the Coming of the Messiah is the very time in which Jesus Christ appeared to the World. 202 Chap. 6. That Jesus Christ had precisely such a Forerunner as the Prophets had described to precede the Messiah 207 Chap. 7. That Jesus Christ was born of the Family of David then reduced to a mean Condition as had been aforetold by the Prophets 213 Chap. 8. That Jesus Christ was conceived by the Virgin Mary without any Operation of Man. 222 Chap. 9. That Jesus Christ lived and preached after the same manner as the Prophets had foretold the Messiah should do 229 Chap. 10. That the Miracles wrought by our Saviour clearly prove that he is the Messiah 237 Chap. 11. That the Predictions of our Lord Jesus Christ clearly prove him to be the Messiah 242 Chap. 12. That Jesus Christ died precisely in the same manner as it was foretold that the Messiah should dye 250 Chap. 13. That Jesus Christ was raised again the third day according to the Prophets and afterwards ascended into Heaven 258 Chap. 14. That Jesus Christ sent to his Apostles and to the primitive Christians the miraculous Gifts of his Holy Spirit as he had promised in the Ancient Prophecies 270 Chap. 15. That according to the Prophecies the Apostles of Jesus Christ have called the Gentiles to the profession of the Christian Religion 277 Chap. 16. That the Christian Religion is founded on proofs of Fact and that consequently nothing in the World is so certain as the truth of it 284 Chap. 17. That it cannot be questioned Whether the Books of the New Testament were written by the Apostles 292 Chap. 18. That one cannot doubt of the faithfulness of the witness of the Apostles concerning those Facts which they relate 298 Chap. 19. More Reasons to manifest the faithfulness of the Apostles 304 Chap. 20. That the whole Model of the Religion and Commonwealth of the Jews is at this day so entirely destroyed that the Messiah could no more be known 311 Chap. 21. That the greatness of the Mysteries of the Christian Religion and the Division which is amongst Christians cannot be any prejudice to the proofs of the truth of the Christian Religion 317 REFLEXIONS UPON THE Historical and Prophetical BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT To Establish the Truth OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION CHAPTER I. That there is in the Historical Writings of the Old Testament an uninterrupted Series of Events which have a natural and necessary dependance for more than Ten Ages THE first general Proof which I make use of to establish the Truth of the Historical Books of the Old Testament after Moses may be lawfully drawn from the uninterrupted Series of Events which are related by those Authors who have written the History of the State and Church of Israel We may observe several considerable Epocha's of this History which takes in about One thousand and forty years
instituted during the Captivity We must blind our selves of purpose to conceive that any Impostor could forge Books which have so exact a Relation and such certain Characteristicks to fix them to the time in which every Author lived and to the Circumstances wherein he wrote We must of necessity grant That before such an Impostor could bring about such a Design he must have made himself Master of the whole Prophane History to fix so exactly the History of the Jewish Nation and of those Oracles which have been given in Circumstances which are unintelligible without the help of Prophane Histories of different Nations I come now to Facts which cannot be contested It is sufficient that those Facts be acknowledged as true to establish in general the Truth of those Books whereof we teach I. It cannot be denied that the Jews preserve these Oracles to this day with great fidelity II. It cannot be denied that they are in the hands of Christians who preserve them as well as the Jews since they have been separated from them that is for almost Seventeen Ages III. It cannot be denied that these Prophecies have been exactly read by the Jews because of those Oracles upon which they believe to this day that the whole happiness of their Nation is founded IV. It cannot be denied that the Jews have read these Books exactly to refute the Disciples of Jesus Christ who have pretended from the first Age of their appearing that Jesus Christ is the Messiah mark'd out by these Oracles In short whereas the Christians pretend to prove by the accomplishment of the ancient Oracles that Jesus Christ was the Messiah It is known that the Jews endeavour to this day to wrest the sense of these Oracles and to shew that there are many things which are not literally accomplished and which by consequence cannot be apply'd to Jesus Christ V. It cannot be deny'd that most of the Controversies of the Jews with the Christians only regard the Application of the Text of the Prophetical Authors The Christians explain them in a Mystical Sense the Jews maintain that they ought to be explained Literally VI. It cannot be deny'd that about 300 years before the Birth of our Saviour the Prophetical Books were translated and put into the Hands of the Egyptians having been carried to and translated at Alexandria by a publick Order of the whole Nation for the satisfaction of a King of Egypt The History of that Version which put those Sacred Books into the Hands of the Greeks and the Jews who dwelt in Egypt is the most famous thing in the World and which made those Books perfectly known Here we have now these Books in Hebrew and in Greek that is to say in the Primitive Language of the Jews and the Vulgar Language of the Empire which Alexander founded It is known that from that time the Christians took care to make great numbers of Translations into all the Vulgar Tongues after the preaching of the Gospel and that they preserved those ancient Books as the first Elements of their Religion Now it will be sufficient to acknowledge those Truths to consider That those Oracles were true which foretold things which happened almost four Ages after their Prediction Thus for Instance the Destruction of Jerusalem the Overthrow of the Jewish State the calling of the Gentiles to the Service of the God of Israel the Destruction of the Syrian and Egyptian Monarchies are all contained in the Books of Daniel Haggai Zachariah and Malachi Now there is not more difficulty to conceive that such Authors as Isaiah Amos Joel should have foretold the same thing Eight or Nine hundred years before than there is to believe that they were foretold by those who liv'd but little above Four Ages before they actually came to pass There is therefore no difficulty in conceiving that these ancient Oracles were proposed as we see them and in those times to which we find them fixed But we ought to go further into this matter and to establish the same thing by the consideration of the things themselves I confess that we might have a suspicion of those Oracles which are not related upon the Faith of a publick Volume As for Instance those of Elijah Elisha and Uriah the Son of Shemaiah who seem never to have published any thing But here we are to observe 1. That usually the Authors who publish the Oracles are not the same with those who tell us of their accomplishment 2. That the Oracles of which we now speak were upon Subjects perfectly known and upon very illustrious Exigencies What more illustrious than the Destruction of Ahab's Family foretold by Elijah What more extraordinary than the manner of Jezebel's Death foretold by the same Prophet In short we ought to take notice I. That these Oracles were written for the most part in compleat Volumes We have Sixteen Prophets sufficiently distinguish'd by their proper Volumes II. Each of these Authors has a very different Character from the rest so that some as Daniel for instance write in a peculiar Language one part of his Book being in Chaldee III. Every one has some relation to the rest So those who liv'd together often treat of the same things So Isaiah for instance Joel Amos Hosea But they had separate Idea's and particular Oracles and a turn which perfectly distinguishes them one from another IV. One needs only read their Works to find that they wrote in different places Amos was of Juda and went to prohecy in Israel that appears plainly Ezechiel and Daniel prophesied in Chaldea that 's seen by reading their Works V. There is a natural dependance between the Books of Moses and those of the Prophets in general For the Prophets were continually reproaching the Kings and People with the Crimes which they committed against the Law of God proposed by Moses VI. There is a natural dependance between the Writings of the former and of the latter Prophets Dan. IX 2. So Jeremiah is quoted by Daniel as foretelling the time when the Desolations of Jerusalem were to have an end this he proposes not as if he had learnt it by a Revelation but as a thing which he had found out by an attentive examination of the Prophecy of Jeremiah VII There is an exact Connexion of these Oracles with the History of the time which is often interwoven with the Prophecies One see 's it in the Books of Isaiah Jeremiah and Daniel the other Historical Books not being altogether so particular as these Prophetical Books are VIII In short one see 's that these Books are interwoven with Oracles concerning ancient Events and People which have now no Existence so thaâ— that hinders us from suspecting any Forgery I shall not repeat here the common Arguments which establish the Credit of these Books I brought in most of them when I established the Authority of the Books of Moses I shall only make some Reflexions here to establish the same Truth CHAP. VI. That the
who apply these very Passages to the Ministry of John the Baptist Thus we find that St. Matthew and St. Matth. III. 1 Mark I. 2 Mark make a manifest Allusion to these two Prophecies Zachary also the Father of John the Baptist applyes that of Isaiah to his Son and his Authority is the more considerable because he was a Priest 2. By an attentive considering the Passages themselves 3. By the common consent of the Jewish Church who by a generally received and undoubted Tradition that Elijah the Tishbite the Septuagint in their Translation of that place of Malachy telling us as much was to be the Forerunner of the Messiah and we find that in the time of our Saviour the Multitude and his Disciples supposed the same thing And the Jews at this day have the same perswasion viz. That Elias is to come before the Appearance of the Messiah from which Tradition of the Jews the Christians of old did and many at this day do believe That Elias shall resume the Functions of his Ministry before the last coming of Jesus Christ to Judge the Quick and the Dead 2. We may observe That the Character of the Forerunner of the Messiah being that which the Jews had much in their eye it was needful for it to be as notable and extraordinary as was that of the Prophet Elias whose Ministry was without dispute the most remarkable and illustrious of all the Prophets since Moses which gave the Prophet Malachy occasion to call him Elias much upon a like account as the Prophet Ezekiel calls the Messiah Ezek. XXXIV 23 24. David But above all things we must carefully observe the several Marks the Prophets give us of this Forerunner The Prophet Isaiah gives us these following particulars 1. That his Ministry was to be very signal and attended with general Respect and Veneration 2. That he was to preach in the Wilderness 3. That he was to call Sinners to Repentance 4. That he was to confound those who were most eminent in Authority and to comfort the Poor and Humble 5. That he was immediately to precede the Messiah 6. That his Ministry was to usher in that grand Revelation of the Glory of God in the presence of all Flesh i. e. before all Nations of the Earth who were to be called by the Messiah to his Religion according to the express Declaration of the Prophets The Prophet Malachy doth most distinctly represent to us 1. That the Mission of this Forerunner was not far off Behold saith he I send my Messenger He speaks of it as of a thing at the Door Now it is evident and the Jews themselves own it That from the Time of Malachy there was never a Prophet till the Appearance of John the Baptist. 2. It tells us that this Elias was to call Sinners to Repentance and to prepare the way before the face of the Lord. 3. That he was immediately to precede the Messias this he expresses by saying And the Lord whom ye seek shall suddainly come to his Temple even the Angel of the Covenant whom ye delight in It is evident that he speaks here of the Messiah whom he calls Psalm II. not only the Angel or Messenger of the Covenant but also the Lord The Lord forasmuch as God had promised him as a King to the House of David and the Angel of the Covenant because God by him was to make a new Covenant with the Nations of the Earth as Jeremy declares Chap. XXXI CHAP. XIII That the Messiah was to be born before the dissolution of the Jewish State and the Destruction of the Second Temple THE preceding Mark of the Messiah leads us to this we are now to speak of and affords it considerable Light. I will not repeat here what I have already set down concerning that Prophecy Gen. XLIX verse 10. concerning the Time when our Saviour was to appear in the World It is evident at first sight That that Prophecy evidences Three things 1. That the Scepter was to be in the House of Judah before ever the Shiloh was to come 2. That the Scepter was to give way to an inferiour Dignity which the Prophet sets forth by the word Lawgiver and which did take place till the time of Zerubbabel and his Successors 3. There was a necessity that this last Dignity also was to come to an end which happened not till the Advancement of Herod the Great to the Throne of Judea And it is easie to confirm this Truth by other Oracles which give a further Light to this our Explication We have several that are very remarkable upon this account The first is that of Daniel Chap. II. verse 40 41 42 to 46. where he first takes notice of the Succession of several Monarchies until that of the Messiah 2. The Time in which the Messiah was to appear I confess he do's not determine the Time very precisely mentioning only the Monarchy during which he was to be manifested but to make amends for this when he comes to explain the particulars of this Prophecy which before he had propos'd in general terms he doth not only point at the time of his Appearance but the very Year of his Death and he do's it with that exactness that it is impossible to be mistaken about it See what he saith in the IX Chapter of his Revelations Verse 24 25 26 27. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy People and upon thy Holy City to finish the Transgression and to make an end of Sins and to make Reconciliation for Iniquity and to bring in Everlasting Righteousness and to Seal up the Vision and Prophecy and to Anoint the most Holy. Verse 25. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the Commandment to restore and build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be Seven weeks and threescore and two weeks the Streets shall be built again and the Wall even in troublous times Verse 26. And after the Threescore and two weeks shall MESSIAH be cut off but not for himself And the People of the Prince that shall come shall destroy the City and the Sanctuary and the end thereof shall be with a Flood and unto the end of the War desolations are determined Verse 27. And he shall confirm the Covenant with many for one week and in the midst of the week he shall cause the Sacrifice and Oblation to cease and for the over-spreading of Abomination he shall make it desolate even until the Consummation and that determined shall be poured on the desolate For the understanding of this Prophecy which is so exact and all the Events it refers to so particularized it is to be observed 1. That by the Weeks Daniel here speaks of Seven Years are designed according to the Stile of the Law Levit. XXV 8. when it speaks of the Year of Jubilee so that Seventy Weeks make out 490 Years which is acknowledged by the most Learned amongst the Jews Jachiades Abarbanel and Manasseh
Countrey his People and the Temple in the manner which is recorded in the Book of Kings How could a sufficient number of Copies of it be dispersed over all his Kingdom in an instant to inform the People about the Ceremonials of the Passover which soon after was so Solemnly celebrated by them Or how is it possible that the Levites the Priests and People could have been all of the suddain instructed in all the points to be observed in the performing of that Holy Solemnity It is apparent that the Sacred Historian did for no other reason take notice of this Circumstance that the Book found was of Moses own hand Writing but to make it appear that their devout respect for this Book was not wholly stifled as having been by them carefully hid from the fury of their Idolatrous Kings and laid up in some secret place of the Temple where now they had so happily found it again Over and above what hath been said already we are to observe that how great soever the wickedness of the Kings of Juda and Israel was as well as that of their Subjects yet the same generally consisted in nothing else but the imitation of the Worship of their Neighbour Natitions as to some particulars which tho they were forbid by the Law yet they left the far greater part of their Religion in full force This we have an instance of in the time of Ahab where we find Elijah reproaching the Israelites with the Monstrous Alliance they had made betwixt the Worship of God and that of Baal which Queen Jesabel had introduc'd All this clearly proves that the Book of Genesis which is the first of the Books of Moses was never forged under his Name since it was always owned as the Writing of that Famous Author and is still so acknowledged by the Jews at this day CHAP. VII That it appears from Genesis that the Sabbath was constantly observed from the beginning of the World until Moses THe other Objection of the Atheists supposing that Moses was the Author of Genesis as we have now proved is this that it seems absurd to give credit to the Relations of a Person who lived so many Ages distant from the things he recites To answer this Objection we must first of all declare to them by what means the Memory of the Fact which Moses relates was preserv'd so lively and entire as to give Moses so distinct a knowledge of them and that it was not in his power to forge or add any thing of his own it being a thing known to the whole World as well as himself There is no way whereby we can more solidly evince that it is impossible the Creation of the World should be forged by Moses than by making it appear that the Law of the Sabbath hath a natural Relation to the Creation of the World and that it hath been always constantly observed from that time until Moses The same also will help us clearly to conceive after what manner the Memory of the Promise of the Messiah hath been preserv'd so distinct amongst those that lived since the Creation until Moses We are no sooner inform'd that the Sabbath is a solemn day ordain'd at first to celebrate and perpetuate the Memory of the Creation but we judge it impossible that so important an event commemorated every seventh day by vertue of a Divine Law should be an imposture But forasmuch as this impossibility is grounded on these two Propositions the one that God gave this Law of the Sabbath to the first Man the other that the same was observed by his Posterity ever since till the time of Moses and that God only renew'd it in the Law given from Mount Sinai these are the Truths I am now to clear and it is of more importance to be proved because tho the generality of Authors Ancient and Modern Jews as well as Christians are of this Opinion yet there are some of the Christian Fathers who seem to deny that the Sabbath was ever observ'd by the Patriarchs But it will be an easie matter to prove from Moses that the Antiquity of the Sabbath is such as I assert and at the same time to demonstrate the truth of the Creation as well as of the Promise of the Messiah which in a manner immediately follow'd it Moses in the second Chapter of Genesis Gen. II. 3. expresses himself thus And God blessed the seventh day and Sanctified it because that in it he had rested from all his work which he had Created Which words clearly evince a Solemn Consecration of the seventh day to God's Service by its being made a Commemoration of his finishing the Creation of the Heavens and the Earth But because it may be said that the intent of Moses in this place was only to set down the reason why God set apart this day of all others to his Service by the Law at Mount Sinai we are to take notice that this appointment was made for Man's sake already placed in the Garden of Eden This we may gather from the order Moses observes For he sets down first the Formation of Man on the sixth day and his being plac'd in Paradise which he gives a more particular account of in the second Chapter and after these he relates God's resting from his Works and the Consecration of the Sabbath with the reason of that Law which he impos'd on Man and then adds These are the Generations of the Heavens and of the Earth when they were Created in the day that the Lord God made the Heaven and the Earth All that precedes these words is only a Relation of what pass'd in the seven first days and that which Moses sets down concerning Gods blessing of the seventh day and his Consecrating it ought as well to be accounted a Law appointing the seventh day for his Service as those other Blessings given to the Creatures according to their kinds are acknowledged as inviolable Laws of God by virtue whereof they subsist and are perpetuated each according to their kind by the way of Generation In the second place it is very remarkable that the Patriarchs maintain'd a Publick Worship at least since the time of Seth which it was necessary should be determined to some certain day and since we find that even at this time they distinguish'd between Beasts clean and unclean with respect to their Sacrifices which they could not do but from Revelation we have much more reason to conclude that God had set apart a time for own Worship and Service And indeed there are many evident signs that even then the 7 day was observed Kimchi Praefat in Psalmos I will not here peremptorily assert that antient Tradition of the Jews which tells us that the ninety second Psalm whose Title is a Psalm for the Sabbath was made by Adam himself who was made on the Evening of the Sabbath But this I dare assert that it is apparent Gen. VIII 10.12 that what
were either false or forged This Eusebius has clearly proved de Praepar Evangelicâ Lib. IX cap. 5. The Proverb of the Sibyll's or Delphick Priestess's favouring of Philip is commonly known It was easie for these Heathen Princes to biass their People with such Predictions Lib. IV. de Praeparat Evangel Lib. IV. initiò But what Eusebius says puts the thing beyond all Question for he expresly shews That when the Priests were put to the Rack they confessed the whole contrivance of those Oracles which they pronounced to abuse the Credulity of the People V. We ought to observe That we cannot find great numbers of Oracles upon the same Subject whereas one see 's that the Prophets follow'd as it were Moses's Model of the State of the Common-wealth of the Jews and that they frequently concur in foretelling the same Facts from one Generation to another VI. We ought to remember that these Oracles were not kept within the Limits of one single State or Nation VII It may be said that they were not publickly known having been only proposed in private places before a very few and in short that they were not actually known to the most part of the Neighbouring People whereas one see 's that the Jewish Prophets gave their Oracles in the most solemn Assemblies and when they were committed to Writing they were known to all those who had any Commerce with that Nation So that Isaiah's Prophecies were questionless known to Nebuchadnezzar and Cyrus who look'd upon himself as designed by God to restore their Liberty to the Jews We may make the same Judgment of the Book of Daniel which was known to Alexander without all question as one may collect from the favourable Reception the Jews found from him VIII We ought to observe That these pretended Oracles were given for the most part in favour of those Princes who could satisfie the greediness of the Priests Whereas the Prophets among the Jews lived in the most dis-interested manner in the World and usually pronounced nothing but Reproaches and Menaces of cruel Calamities to those Princes who had the Government in their Hands Their Ministry consisted in a couragious opposition to the Corruptions in their Laws and their Religion and in censuring their Princes and Governours with a singular Intrepidity and indeed we see that most of them met with the punishment of their Boldness and made trial of the most cruel Tortures IX Last of all We ought to take notice that as the Oracles which are mentioned in Heathen Authors were only of Facts of small importance to those People amongst whom it is said that they were pronounced so we do not find that they thought themselves much concerned in their preservation whereas one see 's that the Jewish Nation were so perswaded of the Truth of these Oracles with which they were entrusted that nothing to this very day could ever oblige them to discontinue the reading of them whatever Disputes they may otherwise have with the Christians who make use of them to establish their Pretentions notwithstanding all the Claims of the Synagogue When this is laid down it would seem as if I might reasonably conclude That the wonderful variety of Oracles which are to be found amongst the Jews cannot be at all weakned by those Oracles of which we find so frequent mention in Pagan Writers But we ought to go further in explaining two things which will perfectly clear this matter One is That the Historical and Prophetical Books of the Old Testament after Moses can be no Forgeries The other is That in truth those Oracles which we find inserted in those Books could not possibly have been forged after their Completion CHAP. V. That the Books in which we may find these Oracles were never forged I Have observed formerly That it is absolutely necessary that the Authority of those Books in which these Oracles are inserted be established before we can build upon the Authority of the Oracles And indeed if we cannot clearly shew that these Books were written and publickly known before the Things happened which are said to be Accomplishments of those preceding Oracles it would be natural to call in question the Authority of these Oracles But it is very easie to satisfie an equitable Reader herein and to establish in general or severally the Existence of these Prophetical Writings before the times in which those Facts happened which we propose as the Accomplishment of those Prophecies I shall make use of two sorts of Reflexions to establish my Proposition The First consists in general Considerations upon the Books themselves The Second has respect to particular Facts which are uncontested and whence the same Truth very naturally results I. We ought to observe That whereas in Genesis Moses makes use of no other Epocha to fix the time of any Event but the years of the Life of some famous Patriarch As for Instance He fixes the Flood to the 600 year of Noah's Age Exod. XIX Numb XXXIII 38. in Exodus and Numbers he uses the time of their coming out of Egypt for his Epocha in the Books of the following Authors the years from their departure out of Egypt were carefully set down 'till the Fourth year of King Solomon's Reign which was 480 years after their departure This was a Character to fix the time of all those who lived after that Epoch◠II. The Building of the Temple began a new Epocha amongst the Jews as appears from II Chron. VIII 1. tho' they began after that time to reckon by the years of the Kings of Juda and Israel as appears by the Books of the first Prophets Which is a Character sufficiently certain to distinguish those who liv'd after Solomon with the time when they liv'd III. It 's plain That the Babylonish Captivity and afterwards their subjection to the Persian Empire obliged them to fix their Events and to date their Prophecies by the years of the Governments of those Foreign Kings See Daniel Ezechiel Zechariah and Haggai So the Author of the Book of Maccabees refers to the years of the Seleucidae Now that we may the better perceive the force of this Observation we must remember three things 1. That the Authors who lived after the carrying away of the Jews into Babylon make use of some Chaldee Terms which are not to be found in the foregoing Prophets For we may see in the Books of Haggai Ezech. XL. 1. Daniel X. Zach I. Hagg. I. Zechariah and Malachi the same style with Ezra Nehemiah and Daniel 2. The Authors of these Books give names to the Months which they had not before the Captivity The Jews only called their Months Talm. Rosch Hassanah c. 1. First and Second c. and so they gave Names which were unheard of before 3. The Authors of these Prophecies take particular notice of any newly instituted Fasts thus we see that the Prophet Haggai mentioned those Fasts of which we have nothing in the Law but which were
delivered one that was possessed in the Synagogue at Capernaum he healed S. Peter's Mother in Law he caused a vast number of Fish to be caught he cured a Leper with a word and with a touch he healed one sick of the Palsey he cured a Woman of an inveterate Issue of Blood and raised the Daughter of a Ruler of the Synagogue from the Dead he cured the impotent Man at the Pool of Bethesda he cured him that had a wither'd hand he deliver'd a possessed person that was blind and dumb he recover'd the Centurion's Servant and rais'd to life the Son of the Widow of Naim Neither are these that follow any less considerable he restores sight to two blind men he casts forth a dumb Devil he asswages a Tempest by his word he delivers two possessed persons and permits the Devil to go into the Herd of Swine of the Gadarenes he feeds above Five thousand persons with two Loaves and five Fishes he walks upon the Sea and calmeth a second Tempest he casts forth a Devil from a Daughter of a Woman of a Canaan who was possessed he cures one deaf and dumb he feeds Four thousand persons with seven Loaves he restores sight to a blind man of Bethsaida he casts out a Devil after his Disciples had in vain attempted it he restores sight to one born blind he cured a crooked woman he cures one of the Dropsie on the Sabbath day he raises Lazarus from the Grave after he had been dead four days he heals ten Lepers afterwards he restores sight to a blind man at his entring into Jericho and cures the lame and blind in the Temple it self There are several Characters which assure us of the faithfulness of the Evangelists in these their Relations 1. They wrote these things to convert the Jews before the destruction of Jerusalem 2. They markt the Circumstances very exactly and none could be ignorant of them since they all went thrice a year up to Jerusalem 3. The Facts which they relate were lasting and such as might be examined 4. They speak of Facts which they suppose that Jesus Christ was willing should be beyond all contest that they might be the better examined 5. They speak of those Facts which they maintain to be the accomplishment of the Oracles concerning the Messiah whom the Jews expected But there are not fewer Characters of Truth in the Miracles of our Saviour to buoy them up The first is That most of the Diseases which Jesus Christ cured are described as absolutely incurable this Observation is of great moment as well to discover to us the infinite power exerted by Jesus Christ as to make known the extaordinary wisdom of the Apostles who being men without learning did notwithstanding set down the symptomes of the Diseases which their Master cured far beyond what might be expected from their Natural Capacities The second Reflexion belongs to the Subjects upon whom these Miracles were wrought for we scarce find any of them except his curing S. Peter's Mother in Law to be wrought upon persons who had least relation to Jesus Christ He heals the Servant of the High Priest the Son of the Ruler of a Synagogue the Son of a Roman Centurion and several others A third Reflexion may be drawn from the places where they were done and from the witnesses that were present In short They were wrought in publick places in the midst of Cities and Synagogues some in Judea some in Galilee some at Jerusalem at Naim Sidon c. they were submitted to the examination of the most implacable Enemies of Jesus Christ the People of the Jews the Samaritans and the Gentiles who dwelt in Palestina One may add also That these Miracles were of very different kinds wrought in several places and with very considerable Circumstances at the most solemn Feasts the Passover and Pentecost One ought to consider also That Palestine was full of those whom our Saviour had cured and that all the Jews who came up three times in a year to Jerusalem could not but take notice of them One ought afterwards to observe That Jesus Christ communicated to his Disciples the power of working Miracles in the second year of his Ministry which none else had ever done before And lastly it must be observed That these Miracles were lasting The three dead men whom our Saviour raised to life again were very young and who in all probability lived longer than decrepit old men were in the sight of all Judea and other sick and infirm persons that he had healed enjoyed life and health 2. In short the Relation of Christ's Miracles which Pilate sent to Tiberius sufficiently testifies that they were Facts generally known And 3. That the certainty of them could so little be contested that the Jews rather chose to accuse him of doing them by some Magical secret than to dispute the truth of them These Reflexions sufficiently confirm the truth of the Evangelists relation and of the Miracles of Jesus Christ To agree to what has been said we need not refute the folly of those who have compared the Miracles falsly attributed to Apollonius Tyanaeus with those of Jesus Christ One hardly knows at this day whether ever there was such a man as Apollonius whereas ever since the Apostles there have been Christians who have read the History of the Miracles of Jesus Christ and who have believed them after a due examination Which of Apollonius's his Disciples was ever so bold as to say to Heathens as Tertullian did in the second Century in his Apologetick Bring to us what possessed persons you please and we will heal them in the Name of Jesus Christ But we ought also to add one thing more That these Miracles of Jesus Christ were exactly such as ought to have been made to prove him to be the Messiah 1. They were exactly such as Isaiah had foretold concerning the Messiah Chap. XXXV as may be seen by comparing them with the Text. One ought only to observe That this Character is so peculiar that it distinguishes the Messiah from all the other Prophets who went before him for none of those to whom God had given power to work Miracles had either given sight to the blind or power to the lame to walk 2. They perfectly came up to the end of his Ministry as he was the Messiah For it was his design to assure his Disciples of the immortality which he promised to them and these Cures and these Resurrections which were wrought only by his word were sufficient to convince them as well of the Soveraign power he had to execute his Promises as of his goodness which was necessary to confirm the Faith of his Followers 3. Some of his Miracles were such as evinced his likeness to Moses he changes Water into Wine at Cana he feeds many thousands in the Desert he walks on the Water and makes one of his Disciples to walk with him as Moses changed the Waters to Blood and had caused
that it was Jesus Christ himself The Angels repeat to the Women the command which Jesus Christ before his death had given to his Disciples to go into Galilee Jesus Christ appearing to Mary Magdelen repeats the same to her and gives her a particular Commission for S. Peter to comfort him in his Affliction for having denied his Master Appearing to his Disciples as they went to Emmaus he refers them to the Prophecies which spoke of his Death and Resurrection and moreover when he broke Bread with them they hear the same Prayers which he ordinarily used at the blessing of it He appears to them the same day the fifth time and shews them his feet and his hands he repeats the Grant of the Authority which the Father had given him he breathes upon them saying Receive the Holy Ghost a week after he lets Thomas touch him he appears afterward to seven of his Apostles upon the Lake of Tiberias where he confirms S. Peter in his charge from which his denying of Christ might seem to have excluded him after he had wrought a Miracle in the draught of the Fishes which was like some Miracles which he had wrought before his death Afterwards he appears upon the same Mountain in Galilee where in all probability he had been transfigured before and is there seen of Five hundred of his Disciples at once And last of all he appears to them at Jerusalem after their return from Galilee and from thence goes with them to Bethany where after he had told them of the absolute power which God had given them he commands them to go and Baptize in his Name he foretels the Miracles which they should work and the Gifts which they should receive at Jerusalem All these so very different Circumstances were only design'd to assure their Eyes their Hands their Minds their Consciences that it was the same Jesus whom they had always followed It is worth our taking notice of the diversity of these Circumstances for the certainty of this Fact which absolutely prevent all pretences of doubtfulness Jesus Christ appears ten several times after his death he appears five times on the very day of his Resurrection he appears at several hours to different persons in several places but always to persons to whom he was familiarly known to those who were not at all credulous the first news they had of his Resurrection seem'd only to raise their Scruples if the testimony of their Senses which saw him and touched him had not removed all suspicions Jesus Christ appears to them in places where he had wrought many Miracles and where he had often before conversed with them But one may make another more important Reflexion upon the time and the day wherein our Saviour rose again Of the ten several times in which he appeared to his Disciples he appeared five times on the day of his Resurrection he appeared to them eight days after and after that the eighth day which he signalized by his frequent appearing to his Disciples was consecrated to celebrate the memory of this Event every week One finds certain tokens hereof in the Writings of the Apostles and it is known that all Christians after them did inviolably observe this Law. Now let any one consider whether it would have been possible to introduce this Custom in the time of the Apostles if the Resurrection of Christ had not been a Fact confessed of all hands Can any one conceive that the Apostles and their Disciples who were witnesses of the death of Jesus Christ and who celebrated the memory thereof by a Sacrament could have been so stupid to establish a Custom which would put People upon examining the Fact and have convinced them in a little time since none of those that followed them would have submitted to this practise if they had not been convinced by their Eyes and their other Senses and by a thousand other proofs of the truth of so capital a Fact which was so much disputed by the Jews of which they were obliged to make a solemn commemoration two and fifty times every year as long as they liv'd Let us add to this Remark which we have elsewhere urged with reference to the Creation another Reflexion upon a Fact which the Evangelists tell us They tell us that tho' the Resurrection of Christ was accompanied with very peculiar Circumstances sufficient to convince both Jews and Gentiles of the truth of it being usher'd in with an Earthquake with Apparitions of Angels to the Souldiers that guarded the Sepulchre of Jesus and were frighted thereby yet the Council of the Jews contrived with the Souldiers a most impudent lye to out-face it and accordingly the Souldiers coming before Pilate tell him that the Disciples had stoln away the Body of Jesus whilst they slept and his Disciples tell us that since this hath been the common Opinion of the Jews I will not so much as take notice here of the palpable falsity of this Deposition for if the Souldiers were asleep how could they depose concerning a Fact which was done at that time If they were not asleep why did not they hinder the Disciples from taking the Body of their Master away How could they affirm that Thieves had taken him away when the Linnen Clothes wherein his Body was shrouded being left in the Grave and the Napkin that was about his head being folded up in a place by it self do absolutely evince that he was not taken away by persons that were in fear of a surprize What probability is there in short to suspect that his Disciples who forsook Jesus Christ whilst he was yet alive who fled from him at that time should undertake such a hazardous Attempt to have his Body only Neither will I insist upon a Representation of the Apostles sincerity which made them give us in their Histories a plain account of the report which was spread against the belief of the Resurrection of Jesus before ever that the Disciples had attested the same But I observe another very particular Character in their Relation which is that it was impossible for them to establish this Fact of the Resurrection without accusing thereby the whole Council of the Jews of the most shameful and crying imposture that ever was to write a thing of this nature against the Heads of that Religion was to sacrifice themselves to the hatred of the Publick and to expose themselves to inevitable ruin In short let us imagine whether after a charge of this nature it was easie for the Apostles to publish their Books and preach publickly that Jesus Christ was risen from the dead And yet this was what they did with a surprizing diligence when they inserted this terrible Accusation into their Books and Sermons which alone is sufficient to demonstrate that they were infinitely convinced of the Resurrection and also in a condition to convince all Gainsayers as we shall shew hereafter One may add to this proof the Conversion of S. Paul and the
he who had made himself so famous by his Sorceries becomes a Disciple S. Luke in a History of the Actions of thirty years relates the continual Miracles wrought by the Apostles and particularly by S. Paul whom he constantly followed It seems to me that if one considers the History it self and the person who made it that it will appear to be a true and faithful Relation however there are other testimonies which invincibly establish the same Truth 1. The Gospel was in effect established in most of the Provinces and great Cities of the Roman Empire S. Paul writes to the Christians of Thessalonica Corinth and Ephesus to the Galatians Colossians c. which is an evident Argument that there were Christians every where that is Disciples of these twelve Fishermen who understood nothing but their native Syriack Language How then were all these Nations converted without supposing the truth of the Miracle at the Pentecost 2. The Apostles speak to them of these miraculous Gifts as of a common thing S. Paul employing some part of his first Epistle to the Corinthians to regulate those disorders which arose in the Church by reason of the abuse of those Gifts S. James speaks of the power that the Priests had to cure the sick and S. Paul wishes for an opportunity of going to Rome to communicate those Gifts to the Romans 3. They take occasion to raise the Dignity of the Gospel above that of the Law in calling it the Ministry of the Spirit in opposition to the Letter of the Law notwithstanding the Tables of the Law had been given to Moses in so very illustrious a manner It is of great moment here to consider Three things which alone are sufficient to confirm the truth of the Christian Religion The first is That this Mission of the Spirit is alone sufficient to convince Mankind of the Divinity of Jesus Christ God gave to Adam a power of speaking one Language and afterwards he divided the same to make a confusion amongst the Builders of Babel and Jesus Christ doth the same thing to confirm the Glory and Belief of his Divinity God vouchsafes the power of Miracles to some Jesus Christ communicates it to a far greater number Miracles not having been so generally wrought because no People ever had that power in all the foregoing Ages The Father wrought so few Miracles that he might leave to the Son this means of making himself known The Son had the glory of pouring forth the Holy Ghost in a greater abundance than the Father thereby to supply the shame of his humiliation This is the true Reason why the Scripture saith That the Spirit was not yet given because Jesus Christ was not yet glorified The second is That from this Miracle one ought to infer these two Conclusions The first is That God was fully pacified by the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ the Apostles constantly representing the Passion of our Saviour as a Sacrifice offer'd by him The other is That from that time forward Mankind was conscerated to God as his Temple Jesus Christ in his prayer before his Death expresses himself much in the same manner as Solomon did at his Dedication of the first Temple and Fire from Heaven falls down on his Sacrifice Jesus Christ consecrates his Apostles to be the living Stones of his Temple and causes the heavenly Flames to fall down upon them as had formerly been granted at Solomon's Dedication of the first Temple The third is That the Jews themselves cannot conceive a more glorious or magnificent Accomplishment of the ancient Oracles concerning the effusion of the Holy Spirit at the time of the Messiah than what we find related by S. Luke whereof the whole World may see the visible Effects in the Calling of the Gentiles to the Christian Religion from whence one may rationally conclude That Jesus Christ must be acknowledged for the Messiah whom God had promised CHAP. XV. That according to the Prophecies the Apostles of Jesus Christ have called the Gentiles to the profession of the Christian Religion WE have already seen what was the design of God and that the distinction which he made of the Jews from other Nations was only that the Messiah might by that means be the more certainly known in whom all Mankind had a right as being promised to Adam God renew'd the Idea of this truth in a very lively manner when he assured Abraham before he gave him the Law of Circumcision That in his Seed all Nations should be blessed Jacob enlightned by the Spirit of Prophecy on his Death-bed plainly takes this truth for granted when he says that the Messiah whom he calls Shiloh was to be the expectation of the Gentiles Gen. XLIX Why doth he not say That he was to be the expectation of the Jews but because he supposeth that they were to be rejected and the Gentiles called in their stead One see 's in the Psalms and in the Prophets until Malachi inclusively a thousand Declarations of this future Calling of the Gentiles to the Faith of the Messiah and tho' the most part of the Idea's which the Prophets make use of seem to be very figurative describing the Messiah as a Conquerour who was to subdue the whole World to his Dominion by the force of Arms yet we find a great many others interwoven with them which only relate to the Profession of the Religion of the Messiah and which not being capable of any other Sense sufficiently determine the others so as not to perplex the Reader with those seeming Obscurities But Jesus Christ very distinctly declares this in divers places and above all in the XXIV of S. Matthew This Gospel saith he shall be preached throughout all the World. Now nothing could ever be more exactly fulfilled than these ancient Oracles have been let the Jews cavil as long as they please about our application of many of the Prophecies of the Old Testament to our Saviour let them put a sense upon the Scriptures which treat of this Subject contrary to what the Jews who were contemporary with Jesus Christ ever did and to the most of those with whom the first Christians as Justin Tertullian and others from time to time disputed yet at least they cannot deny but that the thing has been exactly fulfilled It is clearer than the day that nothing could be more exact All Christians from one end of the World to another worship the God of Israel according to the Prophecy of Malachi Jesus Christ subjected them to the Moral part of the Law of Moses The Mahometans themselves have learnt of the Christians to acknowledge no other God but the God of Israel The multitude of false Gods which the World worshipped are vanished from all places where Christianity has been planted and very few are left in comparison of those which are already destroy'd so that we must consider the thing as already gone very far In truth while things continue thus one may reasonably maintain against the