all the Explications which many learned Men have given of those places whereby to show that there is not any of those Explications that clears the Difficulty But to do this would require a Book for every place for there is so great variety of Opinions upon these Passages that there may be reckon'd up ten or twelve Interpretations of one single place One Learned Man has made a Volume in Quarto of an hundred and ninety two Pages upon that single place concerning the Death of Iudas But if the most of these Interpretations be consider'd without prepossession they will be found to be very much strain'd Words are never wanting And it is no easy matter to silence a Man of an indifferent Capacity who undertakes to defend an Opinion that cannot be demonstratively disprov'd Let me therefore on this occasion intreat the Reader to examine some of those places that have given the Learned the most trouble and then let him ask himself whether he would admit of those Reconcilements that he finds in the Commentators if the Question concern'd other Authors than those of the Bible Assuredly he would reject them and would say that it were better to confess that there is some Contrariety in small things than to render the whole History doubtful by persisting obstinately in defence of things of no consequence If this were done in what concerns the Death of Iudas which is brought for an Example I am well assur'd there is no Opinion would appear more reasonable than that of Salmasius in his third Letter to Bartholin concerning the Cross. It is manifest says he that it was usual with the Evangelists not to take much heed of minute Circumstances when they were in the right as to the principal History Nor do I see how otherwise that wherein Matthew and Luke differ concerning the Death of Judas can be reconcil'd Objection 8. Whereas it is doubted whether it were well done to admit the History of Esther in the Hebrew Canon because there are some Circumstances in it which seem to be pure Invention Ought not those Circumstances to have been cited And supposing they were such may it not be said with Mr. Simon Pag. 129. of his Answer that the Book might be a Parable and not the less Canonical for that Answer I might save my self the labour of answering this objection because I have affirmed nothing in this matter On the contrary I said that I would not examine the Opinion of those who believe the History of Esther to be a feigned History Neither will I make my self at present a Party in the Dispute But since it is desir'd I will barely recite the Reasons for which some reject this Book In the first place Mordecai and Esther Whom the Author represents as pious Persons and particulaly favour'd by Heaven agree to do a thing forbidden by the Law It is where Mordecai counsels Esther to indeavour to please Ahasuerus which she consents to though Moses had expresly forbidden them to make Alliance with the Heathens In the second place All the Circumstances of this Story are very observable Esther pleases the King who proclaims her Queen of the Medes and Persians but does not oblige her to tell him from what Extraction she is sprung Mordecai discovers a Conspiracy against Ahasuerus and advertises him of it by the means of the Queen without receiving nevertheless any Recompence only the Conspirators were hang'd and the whole matter recorded Haman grows in great favour at Court insomuch that all the World bowed and reverenced him Mordecai thinks not fit to do it Haman cannot bear his Neglect and having learn'd that he is a Jew resolves to make the whole Jewish Nation perish for his sake He offers King Ahasuerus ten thousand Talents if he will consent to that Nation 's Destruction The King presently consents without taking the Money and gives Haman his Ring who makes use of it in sealing the Letters wherein it is order'd to lay violent Hands on all the Jews not sparing Women nor little Children Messengers are dispatch'd to carry theses Letters all over the Kingdom and the Edict is publish'd at Shushan Esther who had not yet told what Extraction she was of is inform'd that Mordecai was at the King's Gate all in Sackcloath She sends him Raiment which he refuses and expects a second Message before he tells what makes him so sad Esther having learn'd the matter is afraid to appear before the King because it was fobidden by the Laws of the Kingdom unless the King by reaching out his Scepter of Gold dispensed with it but being blam'd by Mordecai she resolves to run the hazerd after a Fast of three days observ'd by her self her Ladies of Honour and all the Jews in Shushan Esther appears before the King He sees her and reaches out his Scepter of Gold that she might come near him She invites the King and Haman to a Banquet in her Apartment They go and the King at the Banquet asks the Queen what she would have him grant her She invites Ahasuerus and Haman again the next day Haman puff'd up with his good Fortune boasts of his Happiness to his Wife and all his Friends but complains at the same time extreamly of Mordecai the Jew for not doing him Reverence His Wife advises him to cause a Gibbet to be made fifty Foot high and to speak unto the King on the Morrow that Mordecai might be hanged thereon Haman goes to Bed thereupon secure that the next day he should be reveng'd of the Insolence of the Jew But the King who could not sleep that Night causes the Records of State to be read to him where he finds the good Office that Jew had done him for which on Inquiry he was told that no Reward had been given him Haman comes to Court early in the Morning to speak to the King that Mordecai might be hang'd But he is no sooner in the Presence than the King calls to him and asks him what should be done to the Man whom the King would extreamly honour Haman who fancy'd it was himself that the King was minded so to honour answers in a way that tended to the advantage of the Person that was to be honoured Immediately the King commands him what a Thunderbolt for an ambitious and revengeful Person to go do it to Mordecai the Jew He retires home in Confusion to bewail his Misfortune with his Friends who tell him plainly that the Jew will be too hard for him Presently the King's Chamberlains come to call him to the Banquet in the Queen's Apartment At the Banquet Esther tells the King there was a Design to destroy her and her People The King in a Passion asks who it was design'd it and being told it was Haman he goes out in Wrath into the Garden Haman on the other side stays with the Queen and throws himself upon her Bed indeavouring to pacify her Wrath. The King returns while he was in that Rosture
and Protestants who injudiciously oppose the Opinions of their Adversaries and as ill defend their own to be guilty of ill Design If a Man would make an exact Catalogue of all the Catholick Authors who have made impertinent Answers to the Protestants and have used as impertinent Objections against them it would amount to several Volumes in Folio and the number of Protestant Authors who have succeeded no better would be little less Nevertheless I do not believe there is any Body so unjust as to pretend That the generality of those Authors on both sides have been Cheats who maintained what they did not Believe or opposed what they did You Sir have too much knowledg of the Frame and Constitution of Man's Mind to be ignorant that it is capable of believing in good earnest the most ridiculous things in the World and which is yet more astonishing of giving its Assent at the same time to two things directly opposite If you should on purpose invent the most ridiculous Religion imaginable there would be People found in Asia whose Opinions would not appear more rational You have read Mr. Bernier's Travels and the History of the Bramins What do you think of the Heathens of the great Mogul's Country and of those famous Indian Philosophers Do you think there is none among them that believes the monstrous Principles of their Theology For my part I am perswaded there are very few that see the absurdity of it You will say perhaps That those Nations are under a blindness which is next to down-right Foolishness and that the Europeans are not to be judged of by Indians But are there not in your Opinion some even among the Christians who believe things absurd and against all sort of appearance The Protestants at least do pass that censure upon many of the Roman Catholic Doctrines as Transubstantiation the Infallibility of the Pope or Council c. And the Catholicks are not wanting to make like reproaches to Protestants The Catholicks believe That many Units make more than a single one and do so much believe it that he would pass for a Fool amongst them as well as amongst other Christians that would undertake to deny it and nevertheless they believe that a Million of Humane Bodies separate from one another make but One. This is a visible Contradiction Yet you know this is their Opinion concerning the Body of Christ. There are some that assuredly believe That God is not the Author of Sin c. Who at the same time assert That he created Man with a Design to let him fall into Sin as a means to make his Justice Eminent in punishing the greatest part and his Mercy in pardoning some few It is evident that to say God ordered Sin should be on purpose to accomplish thereby his Ends is to make him the Author of it But this is the frailty of Man's Mind he sees not these Contradictions because he has been so long accustomed to shut his Eyes when they are presented to him A Man may then not only defend an ill Opinion that he believes but also believe things absurd and even contrary to one another without being aware And that 's the Reason our Friends suspect not Mr. N. to be a Deist though some may think his Opinions favour those that are so called But that you may be able to judg I send you here an abridgment of what he says which one of my Friends imparted to me a while ago There are says Mr. N. three sorts of things in Holy Writ Prophecies Histories and Doctrines which are not ascribed to particular Revelation To begin with the First God made himself known to the Prophets after several manners but it seems as if they might be reduced to these three They had Visions by Day or by Night they heard Voices or they were inwardly Inspired It is not our business here to examine these things in themselves We only enquire after what manner they have written that which they learnt by these Visions bythese Voices or by these Inspirations Prophecies have been written by God's express Command by the Prophets themselves or by others For we cannot tell whether the Prophets themselves have always Written or Dictated them or whether their Disciples have Collected and Written them as exactly as their memory would serve However it be we cannot doubt but God made known to the Prophets that which we find in their Books and that we ought to believe St. Peter when he says Prophecy came not in old time by the Will of Man but holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost To tell us that which appeared to them in Visions whether it be they themselves that writ it or others that heard them tell it there needed nothing but a good memory A Man has no need of inspiration to relate faithfully what he has seen especially when the impression it made upon him was strong as commonly happen'd to those to whom God sent any Vision Hence it is observed that every Prophet has his particular Stile by which it appears that they related what they had seen as they used to relate other things Their Stile was the same when they spake by the Order of God with that which they us'd in their ordinary Discourse The same Judgment is to be made concerning the recital of the words they heard There needed no more but a good Memory to retain them But we cannot be Assured that they have always recited exactly the very words they heard and not sometimes thought it sufficient only to tell us the sense When God told them the Name of some Person it was necessary they should retain the Syllables of that Name as when God ordered Isaiah to foretel that Cyrus should give the Jews liberty to return into Palestine it behoved Isaiah to remember those two Syllables Co-res But there is no likelihood that in the rest of his Discourse Isaiah has related word for word what he heard The diversity of Stile does moreover prove that the Prophets expressed after their own manner the sense of what they heard There is for example much difference between the Stiles of Isaiah and Amos. Isaiah's manner of writing is high and lofty On the contrary that of Amos is low and vulgar and we find in it divers popular Expressions and many Proverbs which sufficiently testify that this Prophet who was a Shepherd expressed after his own way what God had said to him This is the Opinion of St. Ierom in the Preface of his Commentary on this Prophet The Prophet Amos saith he was skilled in Knowledg not in Language for the same Holy Spirit spoke in him that spoke by all the Prophets This Doctrine attributes clearly the expression to the Prophets and the thing it self to the Holy Spirit which appears also by the Remark he makes on Chap. III. saying We told you that he uses the Terms of his own Profession and because a
of Prophetic Inspiration I am not the first that has made such-like Observations St. Ierom in his Dialogue against the Pelagians Lib. 3. brings in Atticus who bears the part of an Orthodox Doctor speaking of St. Paul Do you think St. Paul at that time when he writ The Cloak which I left at Troas when thou comest bring with thee and the Books but especially the Parchments did think of the Heavenly Mysteries and not of those things which are useful to Humane Life and necessary to the Body c The Apostle is struck by an Officer and he falls foul upon the High Priest that commanded him to be smitten God shall smite thee thou whited Wall Where is that patience of our Saviour who as a Lamb led to the Slaughter open'd not his Mouth but answered mildly to him that struck him If I have spoken Ill convince me of the ill but if Well why do you strike me We do not detract from the Apostle but we declare the Glory of our Lord who suffering in the Flesh overcame the difficulties and weaknesses of the Flesh. Not to mention what he says in another place Alexander the Copper-smith did me much Evil the Lord the Righteous Iudg will reward him in that day It is true St. Ierom elsewhere disapproves a part of that which here he makes his Orthodox Doctor speak but it is plain at least that one might speak it without being guilty of Heresy Lastly When we examine the Discourses which we have of Christ's Disciples before divers Judges we may easily perceive that they speak with much Piety and Courage but it seems not that they say any thing which one might not as well say without Inspiration If we read the Histories of those that have been put to death for Religion in the last Ages we shall find many that were not Prophets making excellent Discourses at their Trials without being prepar'd before-hand St. Stephen was full of the Gospel-Spirit when he made the Harangue we read Acts VII It seems nevertheless that he therein mix'd divers Circumstances of History which were nothing to the purpose of the matter he spoke about and which neither can tolerably be reconcil'd with the History of the Old Testament And indeed very learned Men have been of Opinion that St. Stephen's Memory fail'd him Mr. Cappel in his Spicilegium on Vers. 16. says It is certain that in this place we should read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it might not be said Abraham but his Grandchild Jacob bought this Monument Or we may say that Stephen by the fault of his Memory confounded two Facts that were somewhat alike to wit the Purchase made by Abraham whereof Gen. XXIII with that made by Jacob Gen. XXXIII 19. However it is no ways incongruous that by the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of God we should understand the Spirit of Holiness and Constancy which the Gospel gives or such a disposition of Mind as is an Effect of our Faith We know it is a manner of speaking common in the Old and New Testament and that the Hebrews call the Spirit of Iealousy the Spirit of Stupidity the Spirit of Fear the Spirit of Courage the Spirit of Meekness c. the different dispositions of Mind that render a Man Jealous Stupid Fearful Couragious Meek c. The Criticks have observ'd this long ago But I must needs desire you once again to take notice that when I say the Disciples of Christ had not Prophetic Inspirations for answering before the Tribunal of Judges to the Accusations brought against them I do not mean thereby that it never so fell out but only that ordinarily they spoke without particular Inspiration I conceive indeed that if one of them had appeared before a Judg whose Language he naturally understood not it would have been necessary that God should have dictated to him the proper words he was to make use of And I doubt not but God has often done even that in favour of such of the Apostles as have preach'd the Gospel to barbarous Nations beyond the Limits of the Roman Empire and perhaps too sometimes amongst the Romans and Greeks However it be it seems to me that if what I have been saying be consider'd it must be granted that the Passages of St. Luke and St. Matthew where Christ promises his Spirit to his Disciples are not strong enough to render the common Opinion indisputable This Sir is about half the Writing which was given me concerning the thoughts of Mr. N. on this Subject It is too long to make an end of transcribing it at present But you shall have the rest by the next Post upon condition you will promise me to peruse it carefully and give me your sense of it It were extreamly to be wished that some able and judicious Person would undertake to handle this Matter thorowly in opposition to our Author but without Heat and Passion This Opinion is maintain'd by so many Proofs and Arguments that seem so strong that tho I know it may be render'd very odious and that very malicious Consequences may be drawn from it yet I must confess I do not know by what Principles it can be overthrown And that which gives this Author yet more advantage is That this Matter has been so little handled that all the Writings upon the Scripture to this day afford us scarce any light therein A Man must fetch all out of his own Stock to answer him And it is no small trouble to have one's Mind continually exercised in clearing up the Difficulties of a Subject so little known and giving clear Principles in so obscure a Matter I would be glad Sir that there were any in your Province or elsewhere that would undertake to clear it for I know none of my Friends here that will ingage in it If you could prevail with some learned and moderate Divine to take that task in hand without railing as Divines too often do when they know not how to answer their Antagonist you would infinitely oblige those who have read this little Writing I am c. THE SECOND LETTER I Am not surpriz'd Sir at your desire to see the latter part of that Writing whereof I sent you the former by last Post before your are willing to give me your Judgment on it A matter so important and so delicate requires to be considered with much Attentiveness We must lay aside then once again the Examination of the critical History to resume it next Post. For I cannot transcribe the rest of the Writing of Mr. N. and entertain you at the same time upon any other Subject Mr. whom you mention is well qualified to instruct his Flock in matters of Piety but has not I doubt Learning sufficient nor Parts strong enough to master the Difficulties that attend the answering directly and by positive Arguments a Writing which some other very able Divines dare not meddle with It were better in my
I have first observ'd that several great Men and who have pass'd for good Christians have held this Opinion without losing the Reputation they had of Piety There is not a Man of Worth and Honour among the Protestants who will dare to say that Erasmus and Grotius were Libertines and yet both of them defended openly this same Opinion But because there are some Divines who esteem none but those that have been of the Society they live in I will repeat some reremarkable words of a Divine famous amongst the Presbyterians in England and even amongst those on this side the Water It is Mr. Richard Baxter who speaks thus in an English Book translated not long since into Dutch and intituled The Saints everlasting Rest. 22. Though all Scripture be of Divine Authority yet he who believeth but some one Book that containeth the Substance of the Doctrine of Salvation may be sav'd much more they that have doubted but of some particular Books 23. They that take the Scripture to be but the Writings of godly honest Men and so to be only a means of making known Christ having a gradual Precedency to the Writings of other godly Men and do believe in Christ upon those strong Grounds which are drawn from his Doctrine Miracles c. rather than upon the Testimony of the Writing it being purely infallible and divine may yet have a divine and saving Faith 24. Much more those that believe the whole Writing to be of Divine Inspiration where it handleth the Substance but doubt whether God infallibly guided them in every Circumstance And in the next Page 32. The Circumstantials are many of them divine yet so as they have in them something humane as the bringing of St. Paul 's Cloke and the Parchments and as it seems his Counsel about Marriage c. 33. Much more is there something human in the Method and Phrase which is not so immediately divine as the Doctrine 34. Yet is there nothing sinfully humane and therefore nothing false in all 35. But all innocent Imperfection here is in the Method and Phrase which of we deny we must renounce most of our Logick and Rhetorick Nothing can be more expresly said for the Justification of our Friend Those who have a value for Mr. Baxter must forgo their Esteem of him or else not condemn so lightly those who in his Judgment may have a saving Faith together with some Opinions different from those commonly receiv'd It may likewise be observ'd that many of those who have writ of the Truth of the Christian Religion have prov'd it without supposing the particular Inspiration of the Historians of the New Testament to be such as it is ordinarily taken to be as Grotius whose Book has been alike esteem'd by all Parties Which shows that our Belief is not founded upon this Supposition and that consequently one may be a good Christian without admitting it But it is better to represent this by an Example which will give you a more lively Impression of what I aim at I will therefore now indeavour in as few words as is possible to give you the Idea of a Method that seems to me very strong and very proper to convince a Libertine of the Truth of our Religion without once mentioning any thing of particular Inspiration I do not pretend thereby to condemn all other Methods that may be used to the like purpose but it seems to me that this is the simplest of all and subject to the fewest Difficulties You will allow me Sir this small Digression which may perhaps not be unuseful in a time when there are every where so many that doubt of the Truth of the Christian Religion The first and the greatest Objection the Libertines make us is That our Judgments are pre-possess'd which hinders us from being undeceiv'd We say the same of them and maintain that it is nothing but sensual Inclinations that raise those Difficulties in their Minds which would vanish if they examin'd them without Passion It is not just that either they or we should take for granted our Pre-possessions as Principles demonstrated or which need not be demonstrated Let us then act on both sides as if we had not yet espous'd any party and let us urge nothing that is not founded upon Principles which both sides acknowledg It is agreed that there are certain Characters by which we may be assur'd whether a thing has been done or no and by which we may distinguish the Truth or Falshood of a History If we do not agree in that we are Pyrrhoniens or to give it a better Name altogether senseless for none but a Mad-Man can doubt of the Truth of all the Histories in the World But farther we must also agree in another thing which is no less certain It is that there are certain Matters of Fact the Truth whereof is better conceiv'd than it can be prov'd and which are of such a nature that unless a Man be in a proper Disposition of Mind he can hardly be induc'd to believe them For Example If any one should tell us here that the Inquisition of Spain and Italy has approv'd the Works of Calvin and allow'd the People to read them in Spanish and Italian although it is impossible for us to believe it and that we are firmly perswaded of the contrary we should not be able to convince a Person who should be obstinate in maintaining it until we had given him evident Proofs thereof In like manner if there were false Witnesses ready to swear that one of our Friends whose Vertue had been well known to us for divers Years and who but just then was gone out of our Company went then immediately in cold Blood to assassinate a Person unknown to him for no other reason but only to make an Anatomical Dissection of his Body it is certain we should not believe them although it might not be in our Power to prove judicially the contrary It is easy to imagine a thousand Examples of such like Truths which we apprehend better than we can prove That being suppos'd if we come to the Christian Religion there occurs at the very first a difficulty in discerning what are the Doctrines of this Religion for Christians have great Controversies among themselves about their Belief There would be no end of going about to examine all these Controversies Let us therefore suspend our Judgment thereupon and see first wherein all Christians are agreed They all agree for Example that most of the Books of the New Testament are the Writings of those Authors whose Name they bear and who writ them more than sixteen hundred Years ago that the History therein is true and that we ought to obey the Commandments therein contain'd This Obedience may be reduc'd to these general Heads a rendering to God the Service due to him a trusting in his Promises and a keeping his Commandments in what concerns both our selves and our Neighbour But this supposes a Belief of
most cruel Punishments whilst they saw that their Masters would not undergo any at all for it Now we see by the Passage of Tacitus which we cited that at the beginning of Christianity a great number of People declared themselves Christians tho they saw that the bare public Profession of that Religion would expose them to the Punishments due to Incendiaries and to Nero's Fury The reason of this must necessarily be that some of the first Preachers of the Gospel as their Disciples assure us gave Examples to others Without that it is impossible to conceive they could draw so many after them and especially so many who endur'd such horrible Torments for the Religion they learn'd from them From all this I draw no other Consequence than that the Apostles were sincere Persons who believed their own Doctrine as were also those who by their Example dy'd for it They must have been truly perswaded of the thing that would suffer so many Inconveniences Fatigues and Punishments as they suffer'd rather that abandon it Now the Apostles having been indisputably sincere Persons we must confess that if ever there were any in the World whose Vertue deserved Esteem they certainly deserv'd it from all Men. No design could be conceiv'd more profitable to Mankind than theirs as has been shown in treating of the Morals they preach'd None could go about to bring that Design to pass with more Earnestness and Zeal than they did who sacrific'd to it their Fortunes their Preferments their Honours their Pleasures their Repose and their Lives They compass'd Sea and Land under a thousand Dangers attempted a thousand Difficulties suffer'd Inconveniences and Pains unexpressible They expos'd themselves to most Mens Scorn Malice and Cruelty And to what end To perswade the same Men to live one with another after a manner so conformable to Reason so advantagious to Socity so pleasant so sweet that except the Soveraign Happiness to be injoy'd in the Life that never ends nothing can be imagin'd preferable to it I ask now If being perswaded of the probity and sincerity of the Apostles and otherwise satisfied by their Discourses that they were not at all out of their Wits we could deny Credit to their Testimony if they had said they had seen with their own Eyes certain matters of Fact which they related with many Circumstances and that they had heard with their own Ears Discourses full of Sense and Wisdom which they repeated from beginning to end Let every Man ask himself if he would refuse to believe one of his Friends whom he knew to be sincere and judicious if he assur'd him positively that he had heard such and such a thing Would one suspect for a Lie the Testimony of a rational Man and one who gave good signs of Sincerity when he affirm'd that he had been present at the Execution of one of his Friends had seen him die and had heard him say many things which he very distinctly remember'd I confess they that know not the Sincerity or Judgment of a Person may make a doubt of the Truth of what they hear him say but if once they are perswaded of his Integrity and Understanding it is impossible they should refuse to believe him Every Man may be convinc'd of this by his own Experience and may as I have already observ'd frame a thousand particular Examples to himself of what I have been saying Now the Apostles tell us they liv'd some Years with Jesus of Nazareth from whom they learn'd all their Doctrine that they saw him crucified such a day of such a Month of such a Year that they saw him die upon the Cross and after that buried in a Sepulchre hewn out of a Rock for the Family of a Jewish Counsellor call'd Ioseph of Arimathea who begged the Body of Jesus from Pilate and who after having put it into the Sepulchre roul'd a great Stone to the Door that they saw the Roman Souldiers keep Guard about the Sepulchre and that the chief of the Jews had carefully seal'd it up for fear any should take away the Body Can we being perswaded as we ought to be of the Sincerity and Wisdom of the Apostles refuse to believe them in these things Certainly we must have lost all Sense to believe that Persons of Wisdom and Integrity would prevaricate in affirming a thing of this nature with so many Circumstances The same Judgment must be made concerning the Discourses of Jesus Christ which they relate to us after a manner so lively and so circumstantiated that we could not relate them better if we came directly from hearing them It is more clear than day to those who are perswaded that the Apostles had but common Sense and Sincerity that they really spoke Truth in all these Particulars That being so Why should we not believe the same Apostles when they assure us that they have often seen their Master in a moment cure many incurable Diseases restore the Dead to Life raise himself after having lain more than thirty hours in the Sepulchre eat and drink with them afterwards for several days and at last ascend in their Presence in a Cloud to Heaven I perceive indeed that many Persons who would not have question'd the Testimony of the Apostles if they had said nothing of the Miracles Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ do for that reason only doubt of it They would have easily believed that in Iudaea during the Government of Pontius Pilate there had been a Man named Jesus who taught the Morals we read now in the Gospels that the Jewish Priests through Envy and Malice put him to Death but that his Disciples refrained not from teaching his Precepts and that the most afrightful Torments hinder'd them not from publishing them They would praise all Christ's Doctrine as the most excellent Philosophy that ever was known to have been taught amongst Men and the best Principles that can be thought on to oblige them to live well one with another But they reject all this and believe that the Apostles were Impostors only because they speak of Miracles which they say they saw their Master do Let us consider a little why these Men do so There are but two ways whereby the Falshood of a matter of Fact may be known The first is when it is known that the Witnesses who relate it are deceiv'd or have a design to deceive though otherwise what they relate seem very possible The second is when by clear and evident Proofs we know that the Fact in question is in it self absolutely impossible That the Apostles design'd not to deceive us has been made appear nor can it be said that they were themselves constantly deceiv'd in all the Miracles of Jesus Christ which they relate If the Question were about a small number of Miracles that could not without difficulty be examin'd this Suspicion might with some probability be started But they relate so many and of so many different sorts that if what they say
agreeing about the Gospels and St. Paul's Epistles nor from proving clearly that they are the Books of those whose Name they bear I know not why we may not doubt of some of the Books of the Old Testament as well as of some of those of the New and why ill Consequences should be drawn from their Opinions who doubt of some of the former when none is drawn from theirs that reject the latter The Canon of the Books of the New Testament ought to be of much greater importance with us than that of the Old It is a mistake that we ought to receive all or reject all It is not true that we ought to receive all It is less true that we ought to reject all But there is a mean betwixt these two Extreams Objection 16. But what will be said to these words of St. Paul 2 Tim. III. 16. All Scripture is of Divine Inspiration For they ought to be read in the vulgar Translation according to the Greek and also according to the ancient vulgar Omnis Scriptura divinitùs inspirata utilis whereas Mr. N. reads them Omnis Scriptura divinitùs inspirata utilis est The Verb est is not in the Greek but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Et is before utilis If this Verb be to be supply'd because it is often wanting in the Hebrew and the Syriac and consequently in the Greek of the New Testament it ought to be done in this manner Omnis Scriptura divinitùs inspirata est utilis Answer Mr. Simon 's Decrees are not without Appeal We maintain against him that this Passage may very well be thus translated All Scripture that is divinely inspir'd is also profitable for Instruction for Reproof c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. So the vulgar translates it which Mr. Simon improperly corrects and which the Gentlemen of Port-Royal have judiciously follow'd St. Paul's Design favours this Version He tells Timothy that the holy Scriptures are able to make him wise unto Salvation to which he adds That all Scripture given by Inspiration of God is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect c. These words are a sort of Explanation of those foregoing where St. Paul sets down after what manner the holy Scriptures may instruct to Salvation There is a tacit opposition here between Holy Writ and certain prophane Studies As will easily appear if we go back a little higher to find the Thred of St. Paul's Discourse and observe the occasion of his saying That all Writ divinely inspir'd is profitable c. St. Paul describes in the beginning of the Chapter a sort of wicked People whom in the 5 th Verse he orders Timothy to avoid The Characters he marks them by suit very well to the Gnostics But it matters not of whom He speaks It suffices that we observe that they were Persons who boasted of teaching their Hearers many things witness those Women they had seduc'd which were always learning and never arriv'd to the knowledg of the Truth But the Apostle foretels their Seducement should not long continue He represents to Timothy that he had fully known his Doctrine his manner of Life and the Persecutions he had suffer'd in order to strengthen him by his Example He declares that the Good shall always be persecuted and that there shall still be Seducers and Persons seduced But Thou continues he be stedfast in the things thou hast learn'd and hast been assured of knowing from whom thou hast learn'd them and that from a Child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith in Iesus Christ. He opposes plainly the Study of the holy Scriptures to the Study of fabulous Doctrines which some Impostors then taught and whereof he complains in many places of his two Epistles to Timothy 1 Ep. Ch. 1. v. 4. Ch. 4. v. 7. 2 Ep. Ch. 4. v. 4. And as here he orders his dear Disciple to continue firm in those things he had learn'd and which he had been assur'd of he likewise ends his first Epistle with this Exhortation O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy Trust avoiding profane and vain bablings and opposition of Science falsly so called which some professing have err'd concerning the Faith And thus when he adds That all Scripture given by Inspiration c. It is as if he had said to Timothy That he ought to keep close as he had done hitherto to the study of the Old Testament which would instruct him sufficiently in the way to Salvation by joining thereunto Faith in Jesus Christ Because all Scripture inspir'd by God as is a great part of the Old Testament is profitable for Instruction Whereas if he apply'd himself to the false Science that some Impostors then boasted of he would cultivate Doctrines that would be proper for nothing but to raise Disputes instead of edifying as he had else-where told him By this it is evident that all this reasoning of St. Paul does in no wise suppose that all the Scripture of the Old Testament is inspir'd and that the Apostle pretends thereby only to intimate that the inspir'd Writings without fixing the number of them are more profitable than those that some Persons at that time boasted of Rivet had objected this Passage to Grotius against the Opinion of that incomparable Critic concerning the Inspiration of the sacred Books Let us see how Grotius answers him The place says he 2 Tim. Chap. 3. v. 16. has another signification than D. Rivet thinks For St. Paul says not All Writing is divinely inspir'd For how many are the Writings of human Invention Nor does he mean that all that is inspir'd is divinely inspir'd That would be trifling But this is his meaning All Scripture that is divinely inspir'd that is the Word of Prophecy as St. Peter stiles it 2 Ep. Chap. 1. v. 19. is not only useful in its own time to show God's Praescience and to give Authority to the Prophets but is moreover at all times profitable because it contains many standing Rules Reproofs of Vices Incitements to Righteousness c. This Sense was rightly observ'd by the Syriac Interpreter who thus renders it In the Scripture which is written by the Spirit there is profit in respect of Doctirne c. This Passage then of St. Paul proves nothing against me let Mr. Simon say what he pleases He seems not to understand Christian Religion throughly enough to treat of these matters These Sir are the principal Objetions that have been made to Mr. N. against his Essay concerning the Inspiration of the sacred Pen-Men You may judg whether he has solv'd the Difficulties propos'd or no. For my part I will not judg of that Question But this I dare boldly say that Mr. Simon is not the Man that will run him down and that the Answers you have now read are plausible enough
to puzzle an abler Man than he I am c. THE FIFTH LETTER I Am perswaded Sir that the two last Letters I writ you will have fully satisfied those among your Friends who wish'd that the Writing about Inspiration had been suppress'd or who desir'd some Explanation of the Author's Opinion or even who believ'd they were in the wrong that said it was hard to confute it We must now try to give some Satisfaction to those who have said that this Opinion leads to Deism and that our Friend was infected with the detestable Opinions of the Deists Now I having openly maintain'd the contrary he has impos'd upon me the Task of justifying him in this Particular And I think I can evidently demonstrate that they who have brought this Accusation against our Friend have therein violated that which is most sacred in Christian Religion and that while they endeavour to maintain it by a Zeal not only wanting Knowledg but also void of Charity they have not sufficiently reflected upon the true Proofs of the Divinity of our Religion and upon the Method us'd by many of those who have undertaken to desend it against Atheists and Infidels But I confess to you I dare not promise to my self ever to satisfy intirely this sort of People because they are such as fancy they know every thing They have given over all Study they examine nothing and they think they should do a thing unworthy of their Character if they should confess they had condemn'd any one wrongfully and if they abated never so little of the heat of their Zeal This Zeal or rather blind Passion which is made up of Choler and animated by Superstition Pride and Envy discomposes them so violently and with so little Intermission that it is very hard to find a moment wherein they are fit to hear quietly the Justifications of those whom they have too rashly condemned It is not amiss however to tell them our Reasons If they themselves will not hear them yet perhaps these Reasons may prevent some other Persons of more ingenuous Dispositions from forming such rash Judgments as the vehement Declamations of these implacable Zealots would otherwise move them to Two things ought here to be distinguish'd The Person and the Opinions A Man may have Opinions the Consequences whereof are very evil and very dangerous without being aware of these Consequences how necessarily soever they may seem unto others to follow from them I have made this plain in the beginning of my first Letter on this Subject It ought not then to be concluded because a Man embraces a certain Opinion that therefore he admits all the Consequences This Truth is own'd by every one but little made use of by any when they pass Judgment upon those that are opposite to their Party Nevertheless none that are equitable can refuse to allow this Justification of our Friend I mean that protesting as he does an utter abhorrence of those impious Consequences which in his Judgment are unduly wrested from his Opinions he himself at least ought to be absolv'd although his Doctrine be condemned Natural Equity obliges us to believe that a Man is perswaded of a thing when he affirms it and when we have no evident signs of his design to deceive us This also is a Rule in Morality generally agreed upon but of which as little use is made as of the foregoing one But let Men do what they will it must be acknowledg'd that those who refuse to believe our Friend when he affirms that he is perfectly convinc'd of the Truth of the Christian Religion do violate the Charity and the Equity which we ought to have naturally one for another seeing they have no evident sign to convince them that this Protestation of his is hypocritical The Truth is these Zealots who judg amiss of his Piety ground their rash Judgment but upon very light Suspicions They believe that our Friend has discover'd but part of his Opinions concerning the Inspiration of the holy Writers for fear of too much thwarting the Public and losing altogether his Reputation But he on the other side protests that he has laid open the very bottom of his Thoughts without any Reserve and without hiding any thing which he thought might contribute to discover the whole Extent of his Opinion in this matter This is all he can do to repel so unjust a Suspicion If they who frame a rash Judgment upon so ill-grounded Suspicions met with the like Usage none of them would be found innocent It might always be said when they maintain any thing from whence an ill Consequence may be drawn and from what may not that be done that they speak not all they think for fear of being cry'd down and losing their Pensions The Zeal for example of which they are so proud might pass for an Effect of an artificial Policy by which they endeavour to render themselves Masters of the Peoples Minds in order to satisfy their Ambition and oppress their Enemies In a word they should not make one step which might not be interpreted maliciously and made look odiously But it behoves us and them to remember that Precept of our Saviour founded upon the plain Light of Nature Do not to another that which ye would not should be done to you If the Heat of an indiscreet Zeal keep them from observing this Precept yet nothing shall make us trangress it I conclude then that our Friend cannot be ill thought of without wronging the universal Rules of Equity and Charity and in this case those Rules will be the more enormously broken by how much the Impiety which our Friend is accus'd of is more detestable Rash Judgments and ill-grounded Suspicions are always Crimes although the matter they relate to be of small importance but when the Concern is not only the Reputation of a Person but also his Life and which is yet more his Salvation they become still more hainous To affirm that a Man is of an Opinion such as is that of the Deists without having evident Proofs of it is to say that a Man is an Enemy of God and Men that he is in a State wherein he can expect nothing but the Anger of Heaven wherein he merits even to be no longer suffer'd upon Earth and it argues that these Calumniators after having made him lose his good Name would if they could deprive him also of his Life Let any reasonable Man judg if without certain and convincing Proofs a Man may pronounce so terrible a Sentence against his Neighbour and not be guilty of the greatest Injustice imaginable It seems to me Sir that this is so plain I need dwell no longer upon it The Person of our Friend then being justified against these rash Suspicions we will now show that the Truth of the Christian Religion may be undeniably prov'd without taking any side about the Doctrine of Inspiration and consequently without supposing the common Opinion This I intend to do after