Neguniah the Son of Hiskiah the Book of Ezechiel had been absconded because there are expressions in it repugnant to the words of the Law By all which it is manifest that the learned in the Law held a Council to determin what Books should be receiv'd for Sacred and what should be rejected so that whoever will be sure of the Authority of all must search into the Council and know upon what ground and reason every Book was receiv'd I should now examin the Books of the New Testament but I hear it hath been already done by Men learned in the Sciences and skilful in Tongues I am not Grecian good enough to undertake it beside we want Original Copies of those Books which were written in Hebrew and therefore I will not ingage my self in the business but only observe some things which make to my main purpose and that shall be the work of my next Chapter CHAP. XI Enquires whether the Apostles wrote their Epistles as Apostles and Prophets or only as Teachers and sheweth what is the Office of an Apostle WHoever reads the New Testament must be convinc'd that the Apostles were Prophets but because the Prophets as I have shew'd in the end of the first Chapter did but seldom and not always speak by Revelation it may very well be a Question Whether the Apostles like Moses Ieremy and others did by express Command and Revelation write their Epislles as Prophets or else only as private Men and Teachers especially because in the 1 st Epist. to the Corinthians chap. 14. v. 6. Paul in express terms declares there are two sorts of speaking the one by Revelation the other by Knowledge I say therefore it may be doubted whether the Apostles in their Writings did Prophesie or instruct Their Stile if we mark it is very far different from that us'd in Prophesie it was alway the custom of the Prophets to declare That they spake by the Command of God still beginning with expressions like these So faith the Lord The Lord of Hosts saith The Word and Decree of the Lord which they did use not only in their publick Speeches but also in their Letters or Writings which contain'd Revelations as appears in the Letter written by Elijah the Prophet to King Iehoram 2 d Book of Chron. chap 21. v 12. and there came a Writing to him from Elijah the Prophet saying Thus saith the Lord God but in the Apostles Writings we meet with no such expressions but the clean contrary 1 st Epist Corinth chap. 7. v. 40. Paul says he speaks after his own Judgment Yea in many places we find expressions which argue a doubtful and uncertain mind as in the Epist. to the Rom. chap. 3. v. 28. Therefore we conclude And Rom. chap. 8 v. 18. for I reckon and many of the like kind Beside these there are other manners of speaking which do not at all savor of Prophetical Authority as in the 1 st Epist. Corinth chap. 7. v. 6. But I speak this by permission not of commandment and in the 25. verse of the same chap. I give my Iudgment as a Man who hath obtain'd mercy of the Lord to be faithful and it is to be observ'd That when Paul in this Chapter speaks as if he did not know whether he had or had not a command from the Lord for what he said it is not to be understood of a Command from God by Revelation but only that he preach'd that Doctrine which Christ the Lord taught his Disciples in the Mount. Moreover if we observe in what manner the Apostles deliver the Doctrine of the Gospel in their Writings we shall find it much different from the Prophets way of instructing for the Apostles are always found reasoning insomuch that they seem rather to dispute than Prophesie Prophesies contain nothing but positive Opinions and Decrees therefore God is always introduced not arguing with Reason but peremptorily commanding by the Power and Soveraignty of his Nature and Essence Prophetieal Authority allows of no rational disputing for whoever will by reasoning confirm his Opinions doth in so doing submit them to the Arbitrary Judgment of another as doth Paul reasoning in his 1 st Epist to the Corinth chap. 10. v. 15. I speak as to wise men judge ye what I say And lastly because the Prophets did not understand the things that were reveal'd to them by Reason and Natural Knowledge as we have shewed in the first Chapter tho' some things in the Pentateuch seem to be concluded and confirmed by Inference and Illation yet if we consider them they cannot be taken for peremptory and decisive Arguments For example when Moses said to the Israelites Deut. chap. 21. v. 27. Behold while I am yet alive with you this day ye have been rebellious against the Lord and how much more after my death We are not here to think that this was an Argument used to convince the Israelites by Reason that they would certainly after Moses death depart from the worship of God because the Argument had been false as may be prov'd by Scripture for the people persevered constantly in it during the life of Ioshua and the Elders and afterwards also in the life time of Samuel David and Solomon these words therefore of Moses were but a moral manner of speaking which he Rhetorically us'd the more strongly to imagin and foretel that peoples future defection the reason why I do not say that Moses to make his Prediction true spake these words of himself and not by Revelation as a Prophet is because in the 21 verse of the same Chapter God reveals to Moses in other words what the people would do so that there was no need of reasoning to make Moses surer of this Prediction and Decree but it was only necessary to give him a livelier representation thereof in his imagination as I have shewed in the first Chapter which could be done no better way than by imagining that the peoples present rebellious Humor which he had so often try'd would be the very same for the future so that we are not to think Moses's Arguments which we meet with in the Petanteuch to be drawn from the Repositories of Reason but to be taken only for manners of speaking whereby he did more lively imagin and more effectually express God's Decrees I will not deny but that the Prophets might reason and argue by Revelation but that which I maintain is That the Prophets by how much more rational the Arguments were which they used so much more natural did their Knowledge appear which they had of things revealed and that the Prophets knowledge was supernatural chiefly appear'd in their speaking Dogmatically Imperiously and Sententiously so that Moses the chief Prophet never made use of any Logical Argument and I therefore conclude Paul's long Deductions and Reasonings which we find in his Epistle to the Romans were never written by Supernatural Revelation and the manner of speaking and arguing in the Writings of the Apostles doth
fitted and proportion'd to Mens understanding and capacity as I have proved mine to be the difficulties that are in it have proceeded from Mens sloth and negligence not from the nature of the Method CHAP. VIII Sheweth that the Pentateuk Books of Joshua Judges Ruth Samuel and the Kings were not Written by the Persons whose Names they bear and then inquires whether the Writers of all these Books were diverse Persons or but one and who IN the former Chapter we have spoken of the Foundations and Principles of the Knowledge of the Scriptures and we have shewn them to be nothing else but a true History of the Scripture which History tho' very necessary the Antients neglected to compose or at least if they Writ or left any by Tradition it perished by the injury of time and consequently a great part of the Fundamentals and Principles of Scripture-knowledge was lost which loss however had been more tollerable if Men of succeeding Ages had kept themselves within their true bounds and had faithfully delivered to their Successors those few Principles which they received or found out and had not out of their own Brains forged new whereby the History of Scripture is not only imperfect but remains full of Errors and the Foundations of Scripture Knowledge are not only so few that a perfect History cannot be built on them but they are also very faulty and defective To rectify this and remove the common prejudices in Divinity is my purpose but I fear I go about it too late for things are now almost come to that heigth Men in this point will endure no correction but obstinately defend whatever they have embraced under the form of Religion Reason prevailing with very few so universally have these prejudices spread themselves in the Minds of Men. I will nevertheless endeavour and try what I can do because the business is not absolutely desperate that I may in order shew what these prejudices are I will begin with those which concern the Penmen of those Books that are accounted sacred and first concerning the Writer of the five Books of Moses commonly called the Pentateuk Men have generally believed that they were Written by Moses himself and the Pharisees so stifly defended this Opinion that they counted him a Heretic that thought otherwise and for this Reason Aben Ezra a Person of an ingenuous disposition and no mean Learning being the first I read of who took notice of this mistake durst not plainly declare his thoughts but only hinted his Opinion in obscure Words which I will not scruple to explain and give you their naked meaning Aben Ezra's Words in his comment upon Deutronomy are these Beyond Iordan Now thou mayest understand the Mistery of twelve and Moses also wrote the Law and the Cananite was then in the Land in the Mount of the Lord shall it be seen behold his Bedsted was a Bedsted of Iron then shalt thou know the Truth by these few Words he shews and plainly declares that it was not Moses but some other Person that lived long after him who wrote the Pentateuk and that Moses wrote some other Book to make this appear his first Observation is that the Preface of Deutronomy which begins thus These be the words of Moses which he spake unto all Israel beyond Jordan could not be Written by Moses who never passed Iordan His second Observation is that the Book which Moses wrote was fairly Copyed out in the compass of one Altar as appears Deut. chap. 27. v. 5 8. Iosh. chap. 8. v. 31 32. which Altar the Rabbins declare was made only of twelve Stones from whence it follows that the Book which Moses Writ was a Volume much less then the Pentateuk and this I think Aben Ezra meant by the mistery of twelve unless perhaps he understood those twelve Curses which are in the forementioned 27 th Chapter of Deutronomy which he might believe were not Written in the Book of the Law and therefore beside the Writing of the Law commanded the Levites to repeat those Curses that they might by Oath bind the People to observe the Written Laws or else perhaps he meant the last Chapter of Deutronomy that speaks of Moses's Death which Chapter consists only of twelve Verses but these and other things which are spoken only by guess need not a more curious Examination The third Observation is that 't is said Deut. chap. 31. v. 9. Moses wrote this Law and delivered it c. which could not be the words of Moses but of some other Person declaring what Moses did and what he wrote His fourth Observation is that place Gen. chap. 12. v. 6. where it is said speaking of Abraham passing through Canaan that the Cananite was then in the Land which words must be Written after Moses's Death when the Cananites were driven out and did not possess the Land and this must likewise be the meaning of Aben Ezra's commenting upon this place in these words And the Cananite was then in the Land it seems that Canaan Nephew to Noah took that Land from some others who possessed it if not then there is a great mistery in the thing whosoever understands it let him be silent that is if Canaan invaded those Countries then the meaning of those Words the Cananite was then in the Land must be that there was a time past when the Land was inhabited by another Nation but if Canaan were the first who lived in that Country as appears by the 10 th Chap. of Gen. he was then the words must imply that in the time of the Person who wrote the Book of Genesis the Cananites were not in the Land so that Moses could not be the Writer of it because in his time the Cananites were still in the Possession of that Country and this is that Mistery he would not have made public His Fifth Observation is that which is in the 22 th chap. Gen. v. 14 where speaking of Mount Moriah the Text saith it is said to this day in the Mountain of the Lord shall it be seen now it was not called the Mountain of the Lord till after it was dedicated to the Building of the Temple and this choice of the Mountain was not made in the time of Moses who did not speak of any place chosen by God but only foretels that God would in time to come chuse a place which should bear Gods Name His sixth Observation is what is said Deut. chap. 3. speaking of Og King of Basan these words are interposed v. 11 th for only Og King of Basan remained of the remnant of the Gyants behold his Bedsted was a Bedsted of Iron is it not in Rabbah of the Children of Ammon Nine Cubits was the length thereof which Parenthesis clearly shews that the Writer of these Books lived long after Moses for this manner of speaking argues that the Person related what past long ago and to obtain credit shewed some Antient Reliques Without question this Bedsted was first
we have named were written long after the Matters of Fact happen'd which they relate If we consider the Connexion and Subject of these Books we shall quickly find that they were all written by one and the same Historian who designed to write the Antiquities of the Iews from their first Original to the first destruction of Ierusalem for the Books are by connexion so linked together that they seem to be but the single Narration of one Historian for as soon as he hath done with the Life of Moses he begins the next Book with these words Now after the Death of Moses the Servant of the Lord it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Ioshuah And ending the story of Ioshuah with his Death he doth with the very same Transition and Conjunction begin the Book of Iudges in these words Now after the Death of Ioshuah it came to pass that the Children of Israel asked the Lord And to this Book of Iudges as an Appendix he joyneth the Book of Ruth in these words Now it came to pass in the days when the Iudges ruled that there was a Famin in the Land. To which Book of Ruth he doth in the same manner joyn the first Book of Samuel that ended with his wonted Transition he goes on to the Second Book and to this the History of David not being fully endded he joyns the first Book of Kings then going on with David's History addeth with his usual Connexion the Second Book The context and Order of the Histories likewise declare the Historian to be but one Person who propounded to himself one certain end for he begins with the Original of the Iewish Nation then in order shews upon what occasion and at what time Moses prescribed Laws and Prophesyed many things to them afterward he relates how they invaded the Land of Promise according to Moses's predictions Deut. Chap. 7. And when they had possest it how they would forsake God's Laws Deut. Chap. 31. v. 16. And what evils should thereupon follow verse 17. Next he declares how they would chuse Kings Deut. Chap. 17. v. 14. Whose Affairs should succeed well or ill according to the care they took in observing the Laws Deut. Chap. 28. v. 36 68. And Lastly concludes with the ruin of their Government as Moses foretold Of things which served litle to the Establishment of the Law he said nothing or else refers the Reader to other Authors so that all these Books conspire in this one thing namely the publishing the Prophesies and Edicts of Moses and making them good by what after happen'd The simplicity and plainness of the Subject of all the Books the connexion of them and their being written many Ages after the things done is argument enough to perswade any Man that they were all written by one Historian but who he was I cannot evidently prove I have some Reasons and those of some weight to think it was Esdras seeing the Historian whom we now know to be one Person carries on the History as far as Iehoiachim's deliverance out of Prison and moreover adds that he sate at the King's Table all his Life which must be either the Table of King Iehoiachim or of the Son of Nebuchadnezzar for the Sense is very dubious It follows that it could not be any one before Esdras the Scripture saith of Esdras without mentioning any other Person Ezra Chap. 7. v. 10. That he had prepared his Heart to seek the Law of the Lord to do it and Verse 6 th That he was a ready Scribe in the Law of Moses So that I cannot conjecture any body but Esdras should write those Books in the Testimony given of him we find that he did not only seek the Law of God but that he likewise explain'd it Nehem. Chap. 8. v. 8. Where it is said that they read in the Book of the Law of God distinctly and gave the Sense thereof and caused them to understand the Reading Now because in the Book of Deutronomy not only the Book of the Law of Moses at least a great part of it is contained but also many things are inserted for the better explication thereof I conjecture The Book of Deutronomy to be that Book of the Law of God written set forth and expounded by Esdras which they then read and that many things are put in by Way of Parenthesis more clearly to explain it We gave you several instances when I unfolded Aben-Ezras meaning there are more of the like kind as appears Deut. Chap. 2. v. 12. The Horites also dwelt in Seir before time but the Children of Esau succeeded them when they had destroyed them from before them and dwelt in their stead as Israel did unto the Land of his Possession which the Lord gave unto them This explains the 3 d. and 4 th Verses of the same Chapter namely that Mount Seir which was the Inheritance of the Sons of Esau was not found by them uninhabited but that they invaded the Horites who first dwelt there and having subdued destroyed them as the Children of Israel did the Cananites after the Death of Moses likewise in the 10 th Chapter it is evident that the 6 7 8 and 9. verses are interposed by Way of Parenthesis with the Words of Moses for the 8 th Verse which begins in these words at that time the Lord separated the Tribe of Levi must necessarily have reference to the 5 th Verse which speaks of Moses coming down from the Mount and putting the Tables into the Ark and not to the death of Aron mentioned in the 6 th Verse Of which Esdras spake here for no other Reason but because Moses in the story of the Golden Calf which the People worshipt said in the 9 th Chap. v. 20. That he prayed for Aron The Historian goes on and declares that God at that time of which Moses speaks chose for himself the Tribe of Levi that he might shew the Cause of their Election and also why the Levites had no Part or Inheritance with their Brethren this done in the words of Moses he follows the thred of the History If we consider the Preface of the Book and all the Places which speak of Moses in the Third Person and many other things which cannot now be known which he added or exprest in other words that they might be the better understood by those that lived in his time without doubt had we the very Book of the Law which Moses wrote we should find that all the Commandments very much differ not only in words but in Order Matter and Sense Compare the Decalogue of this Book with that in Exodus where it is expresly set down we shall find this to vary from that for the Fourth Commandment in Deutronomy is not only commanded in another Form but is enlarged and the Reason of it likewise differs much from that in Exodus so that this as in other Places was done by Esdras because he explained the Law of God to
is lawful for every Man to think as he pleaseth and to speak what he thinks CHAP. I. Concerning Prophesy PRophesy or Revelation is the true Knowledge of any thing revealed to Men by God and he is a Prophet who declares and expounds those things which God hath revealed to Persons that cannot have any certain knowledge of those Revelations but must therefore only by mere Faith receive and embrace them A Prophet was by the Iews called Nabi that is an Orator or Interpreter as appears in the 7 th chap. of Exodus v. 1 st And the Lord said unto Moses see I have made thee a God to Pharaoh and Aron thy Brother shall be thy Prophet as if he should have said Aron by Interpreting to Pharaoh what thou say'st shall Act the Part of a Prophet and thou the Part of God. We will speak of Prophets in the next Chapter but in this only of Prophesy It follows from the definition which hath been given of it that Natural knowledge may be called Prophesy for those things which we know by the light of nature depend only upon the knowledge of God and his Eternal decrees but because this knowledge is natural to all Mankind being founded upon Principles common to all Men 't is of no value with the vulgar who always affecting things rare and out of their Road despise the Gifts of Nature and therefore whereever mention is made of Prophetical knowledge they totally exclude Natural which may with as much right be called Divine as the other whatever it be seeing the Nature of God of which we participate and the decrees of God dictate it unto us neither doth Natural knowledge differ from that which Men call Divine but only because Divine knowledge exceedeth the Limits of Natural and because the Laws of Humane Nature considered in themselves cannot be the cause of Divine knowledge but Natural knowledge in respect of the certainty which it includes and in respect of the Fountain from whence it proceeds namely from God himself doth in no wise give place to Prophetical knowledge unless some will think or rather dream that the Prophets had Humane Bodies but not Humane Souls and therefore their perceptions and knowledge were of a quite different Nature from ours But though natural knowledge be Divine yet they that possess and propagate it cannot be called Prophtes because the things which they teach may with equal certainty and in as high a degree be Apprehended and Embraced by others as well as by themselves and that too not by Faith only Since therefore our Mind for no other reason but only because it containeth in it self the Nature of God as its Object and also participating thereof is able to Form certain Notions which explicate the Nature of things and teach us the use of Life we may with reason conclude that the Nature of Man's mind being what 't is conceived to be is the prime Cause of Divine Revelation for all those things which we clearly and distinctly understand the Idea of God as we have already shewn and Nature dictate to us not in words but in a much more excellent manner and such as best suites with the Nature of the Mind as every one finds by his own experience who hath but tasted what certain knowledge is but because my cheif purpose is to speak of those things which belong only to the Scripture that little I have said of Natural knowledge shall suffice and I now proceed to other causes and means by which God reveals to Men those things which do exceed and also those which do not exceed the bounds of Natural knowledge for nothing hinders but that those things which we know by the Light of Nature God may by other ways communicate to Men of which now I will more fully Treat But whatsoever is said upon this Subject ought to be fetcht only from Scripture for we can say no more of things that pass our understanding then that which the Prophets have deliver'd to us either by word or writing and because we have not any Prophets that I know in these our days all that we have to do is diligently to peruse the Sacred Volums which the Prophets have left us but still with this caution that we determin nothing positively of things of this Nature nor attribute any thing to the Prophets themselves which they have not plainly spoken and taught But it is in the first place to be observed that the Iews never used to make mention of mediate and particular Causes nor ever regarded them but for the promoting of Religion Piety and Devotion had always recourse to God for Example if they got Money by the Trade of Merchandizing they said God gave it if they earnestly desired to do any thing they said God disposed their Hearts to it if they seriously thought on any thing they said it was declared to them by God so that every thing which the Scripture saith God declared to any one is not to be taken for Prophesy and Supernatural knowledge but that only which the Scripture expresly declares or from the Circumstances of the narration plainly appears to be Prophesy and Revelation If then we run through all the Sacred Volums we shall find that all those things which God revealed to the Prophets were revealed to them either by words or by Figures and Signs or else by both together and that the words and Signs were either real and true without the imagination of the hearing and seeing Prophet or but imaginary that is the fancy and imagination of the Prophet even when he was awake was so disposed that he verily thought he heard words or saw and beheld some thing or sign God in a true and real voice revealed those Laws to Moses which he prescribed to the Iews as appears by the 25 th chap. of Exod. v. 22. where he saith And there will I meet with thee and I will commune with thee from above the mercy Seat from between thee two Cherubims which plainly shews that God made use of some real voice seeing Moses where-ever he pleased found God ready to speak to him and that only this voice by which the Law was Published was a true and real voice I will presently shew One would think that the voice by which God called Samuel was real because in the first Book of Sam. the 3 d. chap. and last verse it is said The Lord appeared again in Shiloh for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord as if he had said the appearance of God to Samuel was nothing else but Gods making known himself to him by word or signifyed no more then that Samuel heard God speaking but because we are forced to distinguish between the Prophesy of Moses and that of the other Prophets it must be concluded that the voice heard by Samuel was but imaginary because it was like the voice of Ely which he had so often heard and therefore the sooner
wrought upon his fancy for being thrice called Samuel still thought it was by Ely the voice which Abimelech heard was imaginary for it said Gen. chap. 20. v. 6 God said unto him in a Dream and therefore Abimelech not waking but in his sleep the time when the fancy is naturally most apt to imagin things that are not might have a strong Impression of Gods Will upon his Imagination It is the Opinion of some Iews that the words of the Decalogue were not vocally pronounced by God but that the Israelites only heard a noise which did not articulately form words but that the People during the noise mentally understood the Laws of the Decalogue which was once also my own Opinion because I found the words of the Decalogue in Exodus to differ from those of the Decalogue in Deutronomy whence it might seem to follow seeing God spake but once that the Decalogue is not the very words of God but only contains the Sence or signification of his Will. But unless we will wrest the Scripture it must be granted that the Israelites did hear a real and true voice for the 4 th vers of the 5 th chap. of Deut. saith The Lord talked with you Face to Face in the Mount that is as two Men use Personally and Corporally to communicate their conceptions one to another therefore it seems much more consonant to Scripture that God did really create a voice by which he revealed the Decalogue but the reason why the words of the two Decalogues vary may be seen in the 8 th following Chapter of this Book yet that neither fully solves the doubt for it seems very Irrational to conclude that any thing created by and depending on God as all other created Beings do should be able to express or expound the Essence or Existence of God Personally viz. by saying in the first Person I am the Lord thy God though where a Man says with his Mouth I understand yet no Body thinks 't is the mouth of that Man but his Mind that understands but because the mouth hath Reference to the Nature of the Man that said it and the Person also to whom it was said knows what is the Nature of the Intellect he easily understands the mind of the speaking Person by a Comparative consideration of himself but they who knew nothing of God but his mere name and desired him to speak that they might be certain of his Existence how could they be satisfyed in their Request by any Creatures saying I am thy God when that Creature which said so did no more resemble God nor belong to his Nature then any other Creature did what if God should have Framed the Lips of Moses yea of any Beast to have articulatly pronounced and spoken those words I am thy God doth it follow that the Israelites should thereby have understood the Being and Existence of God Moreover the Scripture seems plainly to declare that God himself spoke and for that end descended from Heaven down upon Mount Sinai and that not only the Iews heard him speak but also the Nobles and Elders as we read in the 24 th c. of Ex. Neither doth the Law revealed to Moses to or from which nothing was to be added or taken away and was the Establisht Law of the Country ever command that we should believe God to be Incorporeal and to have no Shape or Figure but only that we should believe there is a God and should Worship him only and that the Iews might not depart from his Worship he commanded that they should not fancy or make any likeness or Image of him for since they had never seen any likeness of God they could make no Image which would Resemble God but necessarily some other Creature which they had seen and so bestow the Worship and Honour of God upon that Creature The Scripture expressly declares God to have Figure and that Moses when he heard God speak happened to see it though indeed it was but his back parts in which there is a hidden Mistery of which we will hereafter speak more at large I will now go on to quote those places which declare the means whereby God hath revealed his Decrees to Men. That Revelation may happen only by Signs or Figures is plain by the 21 th chap. of the 1 st Book of Chron. where God declared his Anger to David by an Angel holding a drawn Sword in his hand in like manner to Balaam and though Maimonides and some others would have it thought that in this Story and all others which relate the appearing of Angels as to Manoah and to Abraham when he would have Sacrificed his Son the Apparitions were always in sleep not that any Man broad waking is able to see an Angel yet they talk to no purpose for they minded nothing else but straining Scripture to countenance Aristotle's and their own idle Figments than which nothing can be more ridiculous God revealed to Ioseph his future Dominion by Images that were not real and external but internal and depending only upon the Imagination of the Prophet By Signs and Words God revealed to Iosua that he would Fight for the Israelites by shewing to him an Angel with a Sword in his hand as Captain of the Host and by words also which Iosua heard from the Angel it was represented to Isaiah by Figures chap. 6. That God's Providence would desert the People by imagining the most holy God on a very high Throne and the Israelites polluted and plunged in the filth of their Sins and so at a great distance from God by which signs he understood the present miserable state of the People but their future calamities were revealed to him by words spoken as it were by God himself And of this kind I could bring many Examples out of Sacred Writ were they not so generally known to all but all these things are more clearly proved by the Text it self in the 12 th Chap. Numb v. 6 7. If there be a Prophet among you I the Lord will make my self known to him in a Vision that is by signs and hieroglyphics but as for the Prophesy of Moses it was vision without signs and will make my self known to him in a dream that is not in a true real voice and words But to my Servant Moses not so with him will I speak mouth to mouth even apparently and not in dark Speeches and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold that is beholding me as a Friend and Companion speaks to me without fear as it is in the 33. chap. of Exod. v. 11. Therefore without doubt the rest of the Prophets did not hear a true and real voice which yet more evidently appears out of the 34. chap. of Deu. v. 10. And there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face which must be understood by voice only for Moses himself as the 33. chap. of Exod. plainly declares did never
common The Psalms speak of the Cedars of God to express their extraordinary height in the First Book of Sam. Chap. 10. v. 7. it is said The fear of the Lord fell on the People which signifies a very great fear and in this sense all things which exceeded the Capacity of the Iews and whose natural Causes where not known to them were always referr'd and attributed to God. Tempests were called Gods Chiding and Threatnings Thunder and Lightning his Darts and Arrows they thought God kept the Winds shut up in the Caverns of the Earth which they called his Treasuries in which Opinion they differ'd from the Heathen only by believing God and not AEolus to be their Ruler upon this ground Miracles are also called the Works of God that is stupendious wonderful works tho' indeed all things in Nature are the Works of God and only by Divine Power act and subsist in the same Sence the Psalmist calls the Miracles done in Egypt the Powers of God because in the Iews greatest danger they open'd a way to their safety and deliverance when they least expected it and were therefore so much admir'd by them Seeing then the Works of Nature which are strange and unusual are called the Works of God and Trees of extraordinary height and magnitude the Trees of God it is no wonder that in Genesis Men very Valiant and of great Stature tho' impious Robbers and Fornicators were called the Sons of God the Ancient Heathen as well as the Iews used to attribute to God every thing in which any one excell'd other Men Pharaoh when he heard the Interpretation of his Dream said that the Spirit of the Gods was in Ioseph and Nebuchadnezzar said the Spirit of the Holy Gods was in Daniel nothing was more frequent among the Latines then to say things very curiously wrought were done by a Divine Hand which Expression if a Man would turn into Hebrew he must say done by the Hand of God. By these places I have quoted many other in Scripture where mention is made of the Spirit of God may be easily understood and explained the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Iehovah in some places signifie nothing but a vehement dry and destroying Wind as Isa. Chap. 40. v. 7. The Grass withereth the Flower fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it Also Gen. Chap. 1st v. 2. and the Spirit of God that is a strong Wind moved upon the Waters It also signifies a great Mind or Courage the Courage of Gideon and Sampson are stiled in Scripture the Spirit of God that is a bold daring Mind ready to undertake and attempt any thing So also any particular vertue or skill more then ordinary is in Scripture called the Spirit of God Exod. Chap. 31. v. 3. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in Wisdom and Workmanship speaking of Bezaleel so Isa. Chap. 11. v. 2. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him that is as the Prophet more fully explains himself the Vertue of Wisdom Councel and Might in like manner Sauls Melancholy is called an Evil Spirit of God or from God that is deep Melancholy for Sauls Servants who called his Melancholy the Melancholy of God were they that sent for Musick to recreate him which shew'd that they did not think his Melancholy to be any more than Natural sometimes by the Spirit of God is signified the Life of Man Iob Chap. 27. v. 3. The Spirit of God is in my Nostrils alluding to what is said Gen. Chap. 2. v. 7. God breathed into Mans Nostrils the Breath of Life so Ezek. Chap. 37. v. 14. saith Prophesying to the Dead and I will put my Spirit in you and ye shall live that is I will restore Life to you in the same Sense speaks Iob Ch. 34. v. 14. If he gather unto himself his Spirit and his Breath so likewise is to be understood the 3 Verse of the 6 th Chap. of Gen. My Spirit also shall not always strive with Manfor that he also is flesh that is Man hereafter shall do according to the dictates of his Flesh and not of his Mind which I gave him to discern Good from Evil Psal. 51. v. 10 11. David says Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me cast me not away out of thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me because it was believed that Sins came only from the Flesh and that the Soul or Mind did incline Men only to good therefore the Psalmist implores Gods Assistance against his carnal Affections and prays that his Mind or Soul which God gave him may be preserved and kept by God now because the Scripture describes God like a Man and because the Common Peoples Capacity is weak doth attribute to God a Mind affections of Mind and likewise a Body and Breath therefore the Spirit of God is many times in Scripture taken for the Will the Mind the Power and the Breath of Gods Mouth Isa. Chap. 40. v. 13. the Prophet saith who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord that is who hath disposed the mind of God to will any thing which he himself hath not determin'd Likewise Chap. 63. v. 10. They rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit Hence it is that sometimes 't is taken for the Law of Moses because it doth as it were explain and unfold Gods Mind for Isa. in the 11 th V. of the 63. Ch. saith where is he that put his Holy Spirit within him that is the Law as is clearly Collected from the Context Nehemiah Ch. 9. v. 20. saith thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them speaking of the time of the Law Deut. Ch. 4. v. 6. Moses speaking of the Law saith This is your wisdom and understanding so David Psal. 43. v. 11. saith Thy good Spirit leadeth me into the Land of Vprightness that is thy mind revealed to us leadeth us into the right way the Spirit of God also signifies the Breath of God which is as improperly attributed to God as is Body or Mind Psal. 33. v. 6. And all the Host of them by the breath of his Mouth it signifies the power and might of God Iob Chap. 33. v. 4. The Spirit of God hath made me that is the Power of God or rather his decree for the Psalmist speaking poetically saith by the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the Host of them by the Breath of his Mouth Also Psal. 139. v. 7. It is said whether shall I go from thy Spirit where Spirit signifies Gods Power and presence Lastly the Spirit of God is used in Scripture to express the affections of Gods Mind namely his Benignity Mercy c. Michah Chap. 2. v. 7. Is the Spirit of the Lord straightned are these his doings so Zachary Chap. 4. v. 6. not by might not by power but by my Spirit that is only by my Mercy and in this Sense I think ought to be understood
the 12 th Verse of the 7 th Chapter of Zachary They made their Hearts as an Adamant Stone least they should hear the Law and the Words which the Lord of Hosts hath sent in his Spirit by the former Prophets where Spirit must signifie mercy in this Sense speaketh also the Prophet Haggai Chap. 2. v. 5. Loe my Spirit that is my Grace and Mercy remaineth among you fear ye not Isa. Chap. 48. v. 16. It is said the Lord and his Spirit hath sent me there Spirit may be understood to signifie the Will and Mercy of God or his mind revealed in the Law for the Prophet saith from the beginning that is when he first came to declare Gods Wrath and Judgments against them he spake not in secret from the time that it was published there was I but now I am a Messenger of Joy sent by the Mercy of God to proclaim your restauration it may also as I have already said be taken for the mind and will of God revealed in the Law that is he by the Command of the Law Levit. Chap. 19. v. 17. came to admonish them therefore under the same conditions and in the same manner he warns as Moses did and at last like Moses ends with predicting their restauration but in my Opinion the first Exposition seems the best To return to what was first intended by all these Quotations it is evident that these following plain Phrases of Scripture The Prophets had the Spirit of God. God poured out his Spirit upon Men. Men were filled with the Spirit of God and with the Holy Ghost signifie nothing more then that the Prophets had some particular extraordinary Vertue above other Men and were Persons very Eminent for their constant piety Moreover that they understood the Mind and Will of God for we have shewn that the Spirit in the Hebrew Language signifies both the mind and the purpose and resolutions of the mind yea the Law because it makes known Gods Mind is called the Spirit and Mind of God so that the imagination of the Prophets forasmuch as by it the decrees and purposes of God were revealed may likewise be called the Mind of God and the Prophets may be said to have the Spirit of God now though the Mind and Will of God be Written in our minds and his Eternal purposes and decrees be Engraven on our Hearts and consequently to use the Scripture Phrase we also understand the Mind of God yet because natural Knowledge is common to all Men it is very little esteem'd and the Iews who valued themselves above all other Nations extreamly despised it because it was common to all Mankind Lastly the Prophets were said to have the Spirit of God because Men were altogether ignorant of the Causes of Prophetical Knowledge and did not only admire it but as they did all other strange and unusual things ascribed it to God as the immediate Author of it We may then without any scruple affirm that the Prophets did no other way understand the revelations of God then by the help of imagination that is by the means of words or signs and these either real or imaginary for seeing we find in Scripture no other means beside these it is not lawful to suppose or fancy any other but by what Laws and Rules of Nature it was done I confess I am utterly ignorant I might with others say it was done by the Power of God but it would be little to the purpose and no more then if I should by some unintelligible terms express the form of any thing all things are done by the Power of God for the Power of Nature is nothing but the Power of God and 't is certain that we therefore do not understand the Power of God because we are ignorant of natural Causes and we very foolishly have recourse to the Power of God when we know not the natural Cause of any thing that is when we are ignorant of Gods Power but we have now no need of knowing the cause of prophetical Knowledge for as I have already intimated we only endeavour to find out what the Scripture teacheth us that from thence as from the precepts of Nature we may know our Duty but with the Causes of Scripture-Doctrines we have nothing to do Seeing then the Prophets by the help of imagination understood those things which God revealed there is no doubt but they perceived many things which were beyond the extent of natural understanding for from words and signs many more Ideas may be formed then can be only out of those Principles and Notions upon which all our natural Knowledge is founded Hence it is evident why the Prophets perceived and declared all things parabolically and in dark Speeches and exprest all spiritual things after a corporal manner because that doth better sute with the nature of the imagination neither can we now wonder why the Scripture or the Prophets spake so improperly and obscurely of the Spirit or Mind of God as Numb Chap. 11. v. 17. I will come down and talk with thee there and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee and put it on them Likewise in the 1 st Book of Kings chap. 22. v. 11. and Zedekiah the Son of Chenaanah made him Horns of Iron and he said thus saith the Lord with these shalt thou push the Syrians till thou hast consumed them Michah saw God sitting Daniel saw him like an Old Man cloathed in white Garments Ezekiel like fire and they who were with Christ descending like a Dove the Apostles like Cloven Tongues and Paul before his Conversion like a great light all which Visions agree with those fancies and imaginations which the vulgar have of God and of Spirits Lastly because the imagination is wandring and unconstant Prophesy did not long continue with the Prophets nor was it frequent but very rare and as there were but very few that had it so likewise 't was very seldom we are now to inquire how the Prophets could be sure of those things which they perceived only by the strength of imagination and not by the certain Principles of mental Knowledge but whatever may be said concerning this Particular ought to be fetcht from Scripture tho' as we have already confest we have no true knowledge of the thing and cannot explain it by its first Causes however what the Scripture declareth concerning the truth and certainty of the Prophets I will shew in the following Chapter wherein I resolve to treat of Prophets CHAP. II. Of Prophets IT appears by the preceding Chapter that the Prophets were not endued with perfection of mind above other Men but only with strength and vivacity of imagination which Scripture-Histories abundantly testify Solomon excell'd all others in Wisdom but not in the gift of Prophesy Heman Darda Kalcoll tho' Men very Wise yet were no Prophets when plain Countrymen who had no Learning yea Women as Hagar Abrahams Maid had that gift which is agreeable both to
only and in respect to their Government but eternal they say that the Jews after the loss of their Government tho' so many Years dispersed and divided among all Nations still survive and are yet in being which never happen'd to any other Nation that the Scripture in many places seems to declare that God chose them to be his People for ever and that tho' they have lost their Government and Commonwealth they are still Gods Elect the places of Scripture which they think most clearly prove this eternal Election are chiefly the 36. v. of the 31 Chapter of Jerem. where the Prophet testifies that the Seed of Israel should continue Gods People for ever by comparing them with the immutable and fixed order of Heaven and Nature Thus saith the Lord 〈◊〉 giveth the Sun for a Light by Day and the Ordinances of the Moon and Stars for a Light by Night who divideth the Sea when the Waves thereof Roar if these Ordinances depart from before me saith the Lord then the Seed of Israel also shall cease from being a Nation before me for ever The second place of Scripture is Ezek. Chap. 20. from the 32. Verse onward where God seemeth to declare that tho' the Iews should willfully depart from his Worship yet he would gather them again from all Countries where they should be scatter'd and would lead them into the Wilderness of the People as he did their Fathers into the Wilderness of Egypt and after he had separated from them the Rebels and Transgressors he would bring them into his Holy Mountain where all the House of Israel should serve him there are other places of Scripture cited by the Pharisees but in answering these two I think I shall clear all others which will be easily done after I have proved by Scripture that Gods choice of the Iews was not eternal but on the same Conditions that he before chose the Canaanites who also as we have shewn had a High Priest who Religiously Worshipt God and yet were at last rejected by God for their Luxury Sloth and Idolatry Moses Levit. chap. 18. v. 27 28. warneth the Israelites that they should not pollute themselves with Incest and other Abominations as did the Canaanites least the Land spewed them out as it did the Nations before them and Moses Deut. chap. 8. v. 19 20. in express Words threatens their total Destruction I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish as the Nations which the Lord destroyeth before your Face so shall ye perish because ye would not be obedient unto the Voice of the Lord your God and to this purpose there are other places in the Law which shew that Gods Election of the Iews was not eternal if therefore the Prophets foretold them of a new everlasting Covenant of the Knowledge Love and Favour of God it is manifest that it was promised only to those that were Pious and feared God for in the forecited 20 th Chapter of Ezek. it is expresly said that God would separate from them the Rebellious and Transgressors Zeph. chap. 3. v. 11 12. God saith he would take away out of the midst of them those that were Proud and he would leave an Afflicted and Poor People and because this Election was founded only upon Piety and real Vertue it is not to be imagin'd that it was promis'd to none but those that were Godly and Vertuous amongst the Iews exclusively to all other Nations but we ought to believe that the true Prophets among the Heathen which we have shew'd all Nations had did likewise promise the same to their own People and still comforted them with it this eternal Covenant of the Knowledge and Love of God is Universal as appears Zeph. chap. 3. v. 10. from beyond the Rivers of AEthyopia my Suppliants even the Daughter of my dispersed shall bring my Offerings So that in this particular no difference is to be made between Iews and Gentiles and therefore no other Election was peculiar to the Iews but what I have declared the Prophets in their Prophesies of this Election which only had respect to vertuous living mingled many things concerning the Sacrifices and Ceremonies of the Temple and rebuilding the City and under those Figures according to the Custom and Nature of Prophesy expounded things Spiritual that they might likewise declare to the Iews whose Prophets they were that Restauration of their Government and Temple which they were to expect in the Reign of Cyrus That the Iews should still remain without any Government after a dispersion of so many Years is no wonder seeing they have separated themselves from all Nations and incur'd their hatred not only by external Rites contrary to those of other Nations but also by the sign of Circumcision which they most religiously observe that their being hated by other Nations contributes very much to their continuance is proved by Experience When the King of Spain heretofore compell'd the Iews to profess the Religion of that Kingdom or else to quit the Country many Iews turn'd Papists and because those that changed their Religion became thereby capable of the same Priviledges and Honours which natural Spaniards enjoy'd they were presently mixed with the Natives and in a short time there remain'd none of the race but the contrary happen'd in Portugal where tho' the King forced them to profess the Religion of the Country they still lived apart by themselves because they were declared incapable of all Preferments I am of Opinion that only the sign of Circumcision may be able to perpetuate the Nation and unless the Principles of their Religion Effeminate their Minds they may one time or other when they see a fair opportunity Re-establish their Government and be again chosen by God. Of the like Case the Chineses are a Famous Example who Religiously preserve a particular lock of Hair upon their Heads by which they distinguish themselves from other People and have thereby preserved themselves so many thousand Years that their Antiquity exceeds all other Nations they have heretofore recovered their lost Empire and without doubt will do so again when the Courage of the Tartars hath lain a while longer buried in Wealth Luxury and Sloth Lastly if any Man upon what ground soever will maintain that Gods Election of the Iews was eternal I will not contradict him provided he grant that their Election whether Temporal or Eternal and as it was peculiar to the Iews did only respect their Government and bodily Conveniences which alone may distinguish one Nation from another but that upon the account of Knowledge and Vertue there is no Nation distinguisht from nor any chosen by God before another CHAP. IV. Of the Divine Law. THE word Law taken absolutely signifies That according to which every individual or all or some of the individuals of the same Species do Act by one and the same determinate Rule and that Rule depends either upon the necessity of Nature or the Will and Pleasure of Men the
after God under the Notion of good and not as it is contrary to evil that is to seek after good for good 's sake and not for fear of evil for he that doth-good as we have already said upon the account of knowing and loving what is good doth it with a free and constant mind but he that is compell'd by the fear of evil is forced by punishment acts like a Slave and lives under the command of another and therefore that one thing which God commanded Adam comprehends all the Divine Natural Law and perfectly agrees with the Dictates of Natural Reason now would it be a difficult matter from this very Principle to unfold the whole History or Parable of the first Man but I pass it by because I am not certain whether my Explication will agree with the Writers meaning and because many will have the History to be no Parable but a plain and simple Narration it will therefore be better to make use of other Places of Scripture those especially of which he was Author who in Strength of natural Knowledge exceeded the wisest of his Age and whose sayings the People counted as Sacred as they did those of the Prophets I mean Solomon whose Prophesy and Piety is not so much commended in Scripture as his Wisdom and Prudence he in his Proverbs calls Human Understanding the Fountain of Life and placeth misfortune only in Folly for he saith chap. 16. v. 22. Vnderstanding is a well-spring of Life to him that hath it but the Punishment of Fools is their folly Where we are to note that by the word Life in the Hebrew is signified happy Life as appears Deut. chap. 30. v. 10. I have set before thee Life and Death Blessing and Cursing therefore chuse Life And he therefore deriveth the happiness of Life from Knowledge and Punishment from the want of it which exPresly agrees with what we observed in the fourth Place concerning the Divine Natural Law but that this Fountain of Life the Understanding prescribeth Laws to the Wise is proved by Prov. chap. 13. v. 14. The Law of the Wise is a Fountain of Life that is as appears by the fore-cited Text the Understanding and Knowledge Moreover chap. 3. v. 13. 'T is said in express Terms that Uuderstanding and Wisdom make a man happy and give him the true peace of mind Happy is the Man tbat findeth Wisdom and the Man that getteth Vnderstanding And v. 16 17. Length of days is in her right Hand and in her left Riches and Honour her ways are ways of Righteousness and all her Paths which Wisdom points out are Peace In the Opinion of Solomon then only Wise men live quietly and happily not as the wicked whose minds are disturbed and tost to and fro with contrary Passions and Affections So that as Isaiah saith chap. 47. v. 20 21. The wicked are like the troubled Sea that cannot rest there is no Peace to the wicked Lastly in the Proverbs that which clearly confirms this Opinion is what he saith chap. 2. v. 3. If thou criest after Knowledge and liftest up thy Voice for Vnderstanding then v. 5. Thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord and find the Knowledge of God. or rather the Love of God for the Hebrew word Iadah signifies both for Verse the 6 th which observe well The Lord giveth Wisdom out of his Mouth cometh Knowledge and Wisdom Which words clearly declare First that only Understanding and Wisdom teach us to fear God Prudently i e to serve him truly and to worship him rightly Next that Wisdom and Knowledge flow from the Mouth of God and are given by God that is our Understanding and Wisdom depends upon proceeds from and is only perfected by the Idea or Knowledge of God Solomon goes on and in the 9 th Verse shews that in and from this Knowledge is continued and derived the Science of true Morality and Policy Then shalt thou understand Righteousness Iudgment and Equity yea every good thing And Verse the 10 th When Wisdom shall enter into thy Heart and Knowledge is pleasant to thy Soul Verse the 11 th Discretion shall preserve thee understanding shall keep thee All which Expressions plainly agree with natural Knowledge which teacheth us Morality and true Vertue after we have gained the Knowledge of things and tasted the Excellency of Understanding The Happiness and Tranquility therefore of a Man that improves his natural Reason and Knowledge doth not in Solomon's Opinion chiefly depend upon Fortune that is God's external Assistance but upon his own internal Vertue and Faculties that is God's internal aid because by watching working and well considering he preserveth himself Lastly that place of St. Paul. Rom. chap. 1 st v. 20. Is very worthy of our Notice where according to Tremelius's version of the Siriack Text he saith The invisible things of God from the Creation of the World are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his external Power and Godhead so that they are without excuse By which words he maketh it evident that all men by the Light of natural Reason and Knowledge may understand the Power of God and his Eternal Divinity by which they may be able to know and conjecture what they are to seek and pursue and what they are to avoid and so concludes that all are without excuse and cannot pretend Ignorance which they might very vvell if he spoke of Supernatural Knovvledge and of the Bodily passion and resurrection of Christ therefore he goes on in the 24 th Verse and says God gave them up to uncleanness through the Lust of their own Hearts describing to the end of the Chapter the Vices of Ignorance which Vices he declares to be the punishment of Ignorance agreeing with that Proverb of Solomon mentioned Chap. 16. v. 22. The punishment of Fools is their folly So that it is no wonder Paul says evil doers are inexcusable for as every Man sows so shall he reap Evil unless Wisdom prevent necessarily brings forth evil the Scripture therefore expresly commends natural Knowledge and the Divine Natural Law so that I have done with what I intend to treat of in this Chapter CHAP. V. The reason why Ceremonies were instituted to what end and tow hom the Belief of Scripture-Histories are necessary IN the foregoing Chapter we have shewn that the Divine Law which makes Men happy and teacheth the right way of Living is Universal to all Mankind and we have so derived it from Human Nature that it appears to be born with and as it were engraved upon the Mind and Heart of Man but because Ceremonies those at least which we find in the Old Testament were only instituted for the Iews and so fitted to their Government that for the most part they might be observed in their Public Assemblies tho' not by every Individual Person it is manifest that they did not belong to the Divine Law nor contributed any thing to the making men happy or
other Power whatever contrary to Nature that must also be contrary to those first Notions and so be rejected as absurd and against Reason or else we must doubt of our prime Notions and consequently of God and all things else Miracles therefore in what manner soever we apprehend them as they are understood to be Works contrary to the Order of Nature are far from proving God's existence they rather bring it into Question for without Miracles vve may be assur'd of it namely by knovving that all things observe the certain and immutable Order of Nature but granting that to be a miracle vvhich cannot be explained and made knovvn by natural Causes vve ought then either to conclude that it hath natural Causes but such as cannot be found out by Human Understanding or that it hath no immediate Cause but God or his Will but if all things which are effected by Natural Causes are done only by the Power and Will of God we must necessarily at last come to this that whether a Miracle have natural Causes or not it is a Work which cannot be manifested by a Natural Cause that is 't is a Work which exceeds Hnman Capacity and from a Work that exceeds Human Understanding we can understand and collect nothing for whatever we clearly and distinctly understand we do it by the thing it self or some other and that which is clearly and distinctly understood by it self ought to be perfectly known to us therefore by a miracle or any Work exceeding Human Capacity we cannot conceive God's Essence or Existence nor can we absolutely understand any thing of God or Nature but on the contrary when we know all things to be ordained and establisht by God and that the Operations of Nature ncessarily flow from the Essence of God and that the Laws of Nature are the Eternal Decrees and purposes of God it must necessarily be concluded that we so much the better know God and his Will by how much the better we understand and know Natural Things how they depend in their first Cause and how they operate according to the Eternal Laws of Nature So that in Respect of our Understanding with much more Reason are those Works to be called the Works of God and his Will which we clearly and distinctly understand then those of which we are totally ignorant tho' they strangely effect our imagination and cause our wonder because only those Works of Nature which we clearly and distinctly know render our Knowledge of God more sublime and more evidently declare the Will and Decrees of God So that those Men do but trifle who when they do not understand a thing run presently to the Will of God and ridiculously betray their own Ignorance moreover whatever we conclude from miracles yet the Existence of God cannot in any manner be concluded from them for since a miracle is a limited Work and expresseth only a certain and limited Power we cannot from such an Effect conclude the Existence of a Cause whose Power is infinite but only of a Cause whose Power at most is greater then that Effect I say at most because from many concuring Causes there may follow an effect whose Vertue and Power may be less then all the Causes together and yet much greater then the Power of any one of those Causes taken single but because the Laws of Nature As we have already shewn extend themselves to things Infinite being conceived by us under a kind of Eternity and Nature by them proceeds in a certain and unchangeable course so far do those Laws in some measure declare to us the Eternity and Immutability of God and therefore we conclude that neither God's Being or Providence can be known by miracles but may much better be concluded from the fixed and unalterable Course of Nature I speak now of a miracle as it is taken for a Work that is above Human Capacity or believ'd to be so for as it is supposed to be a Work that interrupts or perverts the Order of Nature or is repugnant tc its Laws it is so far from giving us any Knowledge of God that it takes away that which we naturally have and makes us doubt of God and all other things Nor do I know any difference between a thing done contrary to Nature and that which is done above Nature that is as some explain themselves a thing which is not done contrary to the Order of Nature but yet is not effected and produced by Nature for seeing a miracle is not wrought out of Nature but within the Compass of it tho' it be concluded to be above Nature yet it must necessarily interrupt Natures Order which by the Decrees of God we conceived to be fixed and immutable and therefore whatever is done in Nature which doth not follow from the Rules of Nature that must necessarily be repugnant to that Order which God to all Eternity by Universal Laws establisht in Nature and consequently being against Nature and its Laws the believing it must bring all things into doubt and lead us to Atheism So that by what hath been said I hope I have so proved the Second Particular that we may again conclude a miracle whether contrary to Nature or above it to be a meer absurdity and that by a miracle nothing can be understood in Scripture but a Work of Nature which is indeed above Human Understanding or at least believed to be so Before I proceed to the Third Particular I resolve to prove from Scripture that we cannot know God by Miracles indeed the Scripture doth no where Litterally say so but we may conclude it from the 13. Chap. of Deut. Where Moses commands the People to put any Prophet to death who went about to seduce them And tho' the Sign and the Wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee an yet thou shalt not hearken to the Words of the Prophet for the Lord your God proveth you that Prophet shall be put to death From whence it clearly follows that miracles might be done by false Prophets and unless men were fortifyed with the true Knowledge and Love of God they might be induced by miracles to worship false Gods as well as the true Moses adds because the Lord your God proveth you to know whether you love him with all your Heart and with all your Soul. The Israelites notwithstanding all their miracles had no right Notions of God which appears by Experience for in the Absence of Moses they called upon Aron to make them visible Gods who to their Eternal shame made them after so many Miracles done a Calf to represent God. Asaph who had heard of so many miracles yet doubted of God's Providence and had he not at last understood what was true Happiness he had gone out of the right Way Psalm 73. Solomon also in whose time the Iews were in their highest Prosperity believed that all things happened by chance Eccles. Chap. 3. v. 19 20 21. and chap. 9. v. 2 3. The
found in the time of David who Conquered this City as is declared in the 30 th Verse of the 12 Chap. of the second Book of Samuel and not only here but a little after the Historian to Moses words adds these in the 14 th Verse Jair the Son of Manasseh took all the Country of Argob unto the coasts of Jeshuri and Maachathi and called them after his own name Bashan Haveth Jair unto this day these Words I say were added by the Historian to explain Moses's Words in the 13 th Verse and the rest of Gilead and all Bashan being the Kingdom of Og gave I unto the half Tribe of Manasseh all the Region of Argob with all Bashan which is called the Land of the Gyants and therefore the Historian was forced to explain what those places were which were antiently so called and also to give a reason why in his time they were called by the name of Iair who was of the Tribe of Iudah and not of Manasseh as appears by the 2 d Chap. of the 1 st Book of the Chron. v. 21 22. We have now explained Aben Ezra's meaning and also those places in the Pentateuk quoted by him to make good his Opinion but indeed he hath not taken notice of all nor of the principal places for there are more of greater moment which I will now mention First the Writer of these Books doth not only speak of Moses in the third Person but also testifies many things of him namely God spake with Moses God spake with him face to face Moses was the meekest of all Men Numb chap. 12. v. 3. Now the Man Moses was very Meek above all Men upon the Face of the Earth Moses was wroth with the Officers of the Host Numb chap. 31. v. 14. Moses the Man of God Deut. chap. 33. v. 1. Moses the Servant of the Lord dyed Deut. chap. 34. v. 5. And there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses v. 10. but in Deutronomy where the Law which Moses wrote and declared to the People is set down Moses speaketh and tells them what he did in the first Person Deut. chap. 2. v. 1 17. The Lord spake unto me and I prayed unto the Lord but then again after the Historian had repeated Moses's words he goes on and again speaks in the third Person declaring how Moses delivered to the People in Writing that Law which he had published Lastly the Historian relates how Moses warned and admonished the People and ended his Life all which namely the manner of speaking the Testimony and Character given of Moses with the context of the whole History fully satisfy that the Books were not Written by Moses but by some other Person Secondly it is to be observed that this History doth not only relate how Moses dyed was buryed and that the Iews Mourned thirty Days for him but making likewise a Comparison between him and all the other Prophets that lived after him saith he excelled them all Deut. chap. 24. v. 10. and there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face Which as it is a Testimony that Moses could not give of himself so could no other Man who immediately followed him but it must necessarily be one who lived many Ages after him because he speaketh of the time past saying there arose not a Prophet since and of his Burial he saith no Man knoweth of his Sepulchre unto this day Thirdly it is to be Noted that the History calls some places by Names which they had not in Moses's time but by others given them long after Gen. chap. 14. v. 14. it is said Abraham pursued his Enemies unto Dan which name was never given to that City till long after the Death of Ioshua as appears by Iudg. chap. 18. v. 29. and they called the Name of the City Dan after the Name of Dan their Father who was Born unto Israel how be it the Name of the City was Laish at the first Fifthly it is to be observed that the Histories are continued for a longer time then Moses lived for Exod. chap. 16. v. 35. it is said the Children of Israel did eat Manna forty Years until they came to the Borders of the Land of Canaan namely till the time mentioned Iosh. chap. 5. v. 12. In the Book of Gen. 36. v. 31. These are the Kings that Reigned in the Land of Edom before there reigned any King over the Children of Israel the Historian without doubt there declareth what Kings the Edomites had before David Conquer'd them and set Governours over them as appears in the 2 d Book of Sam. chap. 6. v. 11 14. by all this it is as clear as day that the Pentateuk was not Written by Moses but by some other who lived many Ages after him But let us consider the Books which Moses wrote and are mention'd in the Pentateuk First it appears Exod. chap. 17. v. 14. God commanded Moses to write the War against Amalek but in what Book it doth not appear Numb chap. 21. v. 10. there is a Book mentioned called the Wars of the Lord wherein without question Moses gave a full Relation of the War against Amalek and also of all those Encampings or pitching their Tents which the Author of the Pentateuk saith Numb chap. 33. v. 2. were described by Moses it likewise appears Exod. 24. v. 4 7. that Moses wrote another Book called the Book of the Covenant which he read to the People when they first made a Covenant with the Lord but this Book or Epistle contained very few things the Laws only or Commands of God recited in Exod. from the 22 Verse of the 20. chap. to chap. 24. which no body will deny who without partiality and with any sound Judgment reads that Chapter it is there declared that as soon as Moses understood the Peoples readiness to enter into a Covenant with the Lord he wrote the Oracles and Laws of God in a Book and early in the Morning certain Ceremonies being performed he read to all the Congregation the Condition of the Covenant which being read and understood by all the People they with a general Consent obliged themselves to all that God Commanded so that considering the shortness of the time in which it was Written and the manner of making the Covenant the Book could contain no more then the few things I have mentioned Lastly it appears that Moses in the fortieth Year after their going out of Egypt explained all those Laws which he had prescribed as may be seen Deut. chap. 1. v. 5. and again obliged the People to the observance of them Deut. chap. 29. v. 14. and then wrote a Book which contained those Laws so explain'd and the New Covenant Chap. 31. v. 9. which was called the Book of the Law of God to which Ioshua made an Addition by registring that agreement whereby the People in his time obliged themselves and entered a third time into
Covenant with the Lord Iosh. chap. 24. v. 25 26. but because we have no Book extant either of the Covenant of Moses or Ioshua it must necessarily be granted that the Book perished unless we will be as mad as the Chaldee Paraphrast Ionatan and wrest the Scripture as we please for he being prest with this difficulty chose rather to corrupt the Scripture then confess his Ignorance for those words in the 26. v. of the 24. chap. of Iosh. Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the the Law of God c. he render'd thus in his Chaldee Translation And Ioshua wrote these words and kept them with the Book of the Law of God there is no medling with Men who will see nothing but what they list is not this denying what is Scripture and forging new at our pleasure We then conclude that this Book of the Law of God was not the Pentateuk but quite another which the Author of the Pentateuk hath orderly interwoven with his work as appears by what hath been and shall be further said where the forecited place in Deutronomy saith that Moses wrote a Book of the Law the Historian adds that he delivered it to the Priests and commanded them at certain set times to read it before all the People which implyes that the Book must be much less then the Pentateuk seeing at one meeting it might be read all over and understood by the People nor can we here forbear to observe that of all the Books Written by Moses this only of the second Covenant and his Song which he afterwards Writ for all the People to Learn he commanded to be Religiously kept because the first Covenant obliged only those that were present and the second not only all present but their posterity also Deut. chap. 29. v. 14 15. He therefore commanded this Book of the second Covenant to be carefully and Religiously preserved to future Ages and also his Song because future Ages were chiefly concern'd in it Seeing then it is not evident that Moses ever writ any Books beside the Book of the Law and his Song which he commanded to be kept and that many things in the Pentateuk could not be Written by him I conclude that no Man can upon any good ground but must altogether against reason make Moses the Author of the Pentateuk but some body may perhaps here ask whether Moses besides these Books did not write the Laws when they were first revealed to him that is whether in the space of forty Years he did not set down in Writing any of those Laws which he prescribed beside those few contain'd in the Book of the first Covenant to this I answer that tho' I should grant it to be very agreeable to reason that Moses should commit to Writing those Laws which he Communicated to the People at the same time and place when and where they were publisht yet I deny that it is lawful upon this Ground to affirm he did for I have already shewn we ought in like Cases to determin nothing but what is manifestly proved either by Scripture it self or by consequences drawn from the Principles of it and not because a thing seems Consonant to Reason for Reason it self doth not oblige us to be possitive It may be the Senate of Seventy Elders communicated to the People Moses's Edicts in writing which were afterwards collected by him that writ the Pentateuk and were orderly inserted into the History of Moses's Life and so much for the five Books of Moses It is now time to examin the rest the Book of Ioshuah for like Reasons could not be written by Ioshua it must be some other Person that gives so good a Character of him in several places of that Book Iosh. Chap. 6. v. 27. The Lord was with Ioshua and his Fame was noised throughout all the Country that he omitted nothing but did all that Moses commanded Chap. 8. v. 35. Chap. 11. v. 15. That he waxed Old called all the People together and at last dyed Moreover some things are related which happen'd after his Death namely that the People continued to worship God as long as the Old men lived who knew Ioshua In the 16. Chap. v. 10. It is said that Ephraim and Manasseh did not drive out the Cananites that dwelt in Gezur but the Cananites dwell among the Ephramites to this day and serve under Tribute Which is the same Expression we find in the first chap. of Iudges v. 21. But the Iebuzites dwell with the Children of Benjamin in Ierusalem unto this day Which manner of speaking implies the Writer relates what was long ago past as appears Iosh. Chap. 15. Verse the last the Iebuzites dwell with the Children of Iudah unto this day The same Expression is likewise used in the History of Kaleb beginning at the 13 th Verse of the said Chapter The building of an Altar beyond Iordan by the two Tribes and a half mention'd in the 22. Iosh. v. 10. In all Probability happen'd after Ioshuah's Death because in all that story there is not so much as one word said of him but the People only deliberated to make War sent Embassadors received and approved the Answer which was returned Lastly it appears by the 14 th Verse of the 10 th Chap. That the Book of Ioshua was written many Ages after his Death for the Text saith and there was no day like that before or after it that the Lord hearkened to the Voice of a Man If then Ioshua writ any Book it must be that of Iasher mentioned in the same story v. the 13 th As for the Book of Iudges I believe no Man in his right Wits will think it written by the Iudges themselves for the end of the History in the 2 d. Chap. clearly shews it was all written by one single Person who tells us in many places that in those days there was no King in Israel which is an argument it was written in a Time when the People had Kings Concerning the Books of Samuel there needs no deliberation seeing the History is carried on so far beyond his death but however let this be observed that this Book must be written many Ages after him for the Hestorian in the 1 st Book of Sam. Chap. 9. v. 9. saith in a parenthesis Before time in Israel when a Man went to inquire of God thus he spake come let us go to the Seer for he that is now called a Prophet was before time called a Seer The two Books of the Kings as appears by the Books themselves were collected out of what was written of the Reign of Solomon see the 1 st Book of Kings chap. 11. v. 5. And out of the Chronicles both of the Kings of Iudah and Israel chap. 14. v. 19 29. The rest of the Acts of Ieroboam how he warred and how he reigned behold they are written in the Books of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah We therefore conclude that all the Books which
st verse and Isaiah did not Prophesy only in that King's Reign but also wrote a History of all that King did as appears in the 2 d Book of Chron. chap. 26. v. 22. The rest of the Acts of Uzziah first and last did Isaiah the Prophet the Son of Amos write which Book 't is pity we have not those things which we have as hath been already said were copied out of the Chronicles of the Kings of Iudah and Israel The Rabbins likewise declare That Isaiah also prophesy'd in the time of Manasseh by whom he was put to death and tho' in that they seem fabulous yet they did not believe all his Prophesies were extant The Prophesies of Ieremy which are Historically related were pick'd up and collected out of divers Chronologers for they are not only confusedly put together without any regard had to time but the same History is also repeated in divers manners for the 21 th chap. contains the Prophesy wherein Ieremy foretold King Zedekiah who sent to consult him That the City of Ierusalem should be destroy'd and for which Prophesy he was apprehended Then after an abrupt breaking off from this History the 22 th chap. sets forth Ieremy's Declamation and Prophesy against King Iehoiachim who reigned before Zedekiah declaring Iehoiachim's Captivity After this the 25 th chap. declares those things which were before reveal'd to the Prophet in the fourth year of King Iehoiachim and without observing any order of time goes on to heap together many Prophesies till at length the 38 th chapter as if the fifteen intermediate chapters had been but a Parenthesis returns again to that spoken of in the 21 th chap. for the conjunction Then wherewith the 38 th chapter begins relates to the 8,9 and 10 verses of the 21 th chap. and the relation given in this 38 th chap. of Ieremy's last apprehension and being long kept in a Dungeon is very different from that we have of it in the 37 th chap. So that it clearly appears all these things were taken out of divers Historians and no other excuse can be made for them The rest of Ieremy's Prophesies contain'd in other Chapters where he speaks in his own person seem to be copied out of the Book which Baruch writ from Ieremy's own Mouth which Book as appears by the 2 d. verse of the 36 th chap. contain'd only those things which were reveal'd to the Prophet from the time of Iosiah unto the fourth year of Iehoiachim from which year the Book begins out of which Book also all those things seem to be copy'd which are related from the 2 d verse of the 45 th chap. to the 49 th verse of the 51 th chap. That the Book of Ezekiel is likewise but a fragment is manisest by the first verses thereof for who doth not take notice that the Conjunction Now wherewith the Book begins relates to somewhat that had been already said and joins that to what he had further to say not only the Conjunction but the whole Contexture of what he spoke implies and supposeth other things which had been before written for the Writer himself saith by way of Parenthesis in the 3 d verse of the 1 st chap. The word of the Lord came often to Ezekiel the Priest the Son of Buzi in the land of the Chaldeans as if he should say That the words of Ezekiel which hitherto he had copied out related to other things which were revealed to him before the present thirtieth year Iosephus in his 10 th Book of Antiquities chap. 9. declares Ezekiel prophesy'd that Zedechiah would not see Babylon which Prophesy doth not appear in the Book we have of Ezekiel but the 17 th chap. foretels the contrary that he was to be carry'd Captive thither Whether Hoseah wrote any thing more than is in the Book which bears his name I am not certain but I much wonder that we should have nothing more of his seeing by the persons testimony who wrote the Book called Hosea that Prophet Prophesy'd no less than eighty four years as appears by the 1 st verse of the 1 st chap. where the several Kings are named in whose times he lived in general we know that the writers of the Books which we call the Prophets did neither collect the Prophesies of all that were Prophets nor all the Prophesies of those Prophets whose names we have for we have not any of the Prophesies of those Prophets who prophesy'd in the time of Manasseh of which Prophets mention is made tho' not by name in the 2 d Book of Chron. chap. 33. v. 10 18 19. nor have we all the Prophesies of the twelve Prophets We have none of Ionah's Prophesies but those that concerned the Ninevites tho' he also prophesy'd to Israel as appears by the 25 th verse of the 14 th chap. of the 2 d. Book of Kings Of the Book of Iob and of Iob himself there hath been among Writers much dispute some think Moses wrote the Book of Iob and that the whole story is nothing but a Parable which is likewise a Tradition of the Rabbins in their Talmud and favour'd by Maimonides in his Book still'd More Nebuchim Others believe the History to be real and true and that Iob lived in the time of Iacob and married his Daughter Dinah but Aben Ezra as I have already said in his Commentaries on the Book of Iob saith It was translated out of some other Language into the Hebrew which I could wish he had more clearly prov'd for then we might conclude the Gentiles also had Books which were Sacred I leave the thing still doubtful and conjecture that Iob was some Gentile of great constancy of Mind who at first was very prosperous afterward very unfortunate and in the end very happy for in Ezechiel chap. 14 v. 14. he is named with Noah and Daniel for a righteous man. The various Fortune and constant Mind of Iob gave many an occasion of disputing God's Providence and to the Author of the Book of composing a Dialogue whereof the Subject and Stile seem to be a Man 's rather at ease meditating in his Study than sick on a Dunghill and I might with Aben Ezra believe the Book to be translated out of another Language because it seems to affect the Heathen Poesy the Father of the Gods being in the first Chapter brought in twice calling a Council and Momus who is called Satan answering God with great liberty but these are meer frivolous conjectures The Book of Daniel without doubt from the 8 th Chapter thereof contains the Writings of Daniel but from whence the first seven Chapters were copy'd I know not we may suspect that seeing all of them but the first were written in the Chaldee Language they were taken out of that Nation 's Chronologies of which could we be certain it were a clear proof that the Scripture is to be accounted Sacred only in respect of the things contain'd in it and not in respect of
are deep Mysteries hidden in the Scripture but because from thence hath sprung up intollerable Superstition and many other mischievous inconveniences of which I spake in the beginning of the seventh Chapter I could not possibly pass them by Religion needs not be attired with any Superstitious Ornaments but rather loseth part of its Beauty and Lustre when it is adorned with such Fopperies But some will say That tho' the Divine Law be written in Mens Hearts yet nevertheless the Scripture is the word of God and therefore 't is as unlawful to say of Scripture as of the Word of God that 't is maimed or corrupted I on the other side fear such Men pretend too much Sanctity and convert Religion into Superstition yea that they worship Pictures and Images that is Paper and Ink for the Word of God this I know that I have said nothing misbecoming the Scripture or the Word of God and that I have laid down no Position which I have not made good by clear Reason and therefore I may positively aver that I have not publish'd any thing that is impious or that savors of the least impiety I confess some prophane persons to whom Religion is a burthen may take a liberty of sinning and without any reason indulging their sensual pleasure may infer that the Scripture is every where faulty and falsify'd and consequently of no Authority to such Men nothing will be an answer for according to the common saying that which is never so well and truly spoken may be abused by an ill and sinister Interpretation they that are lovers of their Pleasure will take any occasion to do it and they who in time past had those Originals the Ark of the Covenant the Prophets and Apostles themselves were not one jot the more obedient or the better for them but all as well Iews as Gentiles were alike still the same and Vertue in all Ages was a thing very rare But to clear all Scruples I will now shew upon what ground and reason Scripture or any other mute thing may be called Sacred or Holy next what is indeed the Word of God that it is not contained in a certain number of Books And lastly that as it contains those things which are necessary to Obedience and Salvation it cannot be corrupted By these particulars every one may easily judge that I speak nothing against the Word of God or give any occasion for Men to be wicked or ungodly That is called Holy and Divine which is dedicated to Piety and the practice of Religion and a thing continues Holy so long as Men make a Religious use thereof when Men cease to be Religious that thing ceaseth to be Sacred and when the thing is used to impious purposes then that thing which was before Sacred becomes unholy and prophane For example the very place called by Iacob the Patriarch Beth-el the House of God because he there worship'd God reveal'd to him was afterwards called by the Prophets the House of Iniquity Amos chap. 5. v. 5. Hoshea chap. 10. v. 5. because the Israelites by the Command of Ieroboam did there sacrifice to Idols Another example will plainly prove the thing Words have a certain signification only by use and custom and if they be according to that use so disposed that they move Men who read them to Devotion then those words are esteemed Sacred and likewise the Book wherein they are written but if afterward it come to pass that the use of those words is lost and thereby the words become insignificant and the Book wherein such words are is quite neglected and laid aside either through malice or because Men have no need of it then the words and the Book as they are of no use so have they no Sanctity in them Lastly If those words come to be otherwise construed and Custom so far prevail as to give them a clean contrary sense and signification then the words and the Book which were before esteemed Sacred may become filthy and profane whence it follows that nothing can be absolutely either Sacred or Profane but only in respect of Mans Mind or Understanding which clearly appears by many places of Scripture I will quote only one or two Ieremy chap. 7. v. 24. saith the Iews did falsely call Solomon's Temple the Temple of God for as he further saith in that Chapter the Name of God could remain in that Temple no longer than it was frequented by Men who worship'd him and maintain'd Justice but when Murderers Robbers and Idolaters resorted to it 't was then but a Den of Thieves I have often wonder'd that the Scripture no where declares what became of the Ark of the Covenant certainly it was either lost or burnt with the Temple tho' nothing was esteemed more Sacred and Venerable among the Iews The Scripture then is Sacred and its sayings Divine so long as Men are thereby moved to Devotion but if the Scripture be quite neglected as it was heretofore by the Iews it is nothing but Paper and Ink 't is then profaned and left liable to Corruption and when it is corrupted and perisheth it cannot be truly said the Word of God is corrupted and lost as in the Prophet Ieremy's time it could not be truly said the Temple of God was burnt which Ieremy himself declareth of the Law for chap. 8. v. 8. he reproves the Wicked in these words How do ye say we are wise and the Law of the Lord is with us Lo certainly in vain made he it the Pen of the Scribes is in vain that is tho' ye have the Scripture yet ye falsely say you have the Law of God since ye have made it of no effect In like manner when Moses brake the first Tables it cannot be said that in anger he cast the Law of God out of his Hands and brake it no person ought to think so he brake only the Stones which tho' before accounted Sacred because upon them was engraven the Covenant by which the Iews bound themselves to obey God yet afterward had not the least Sanctity in them because the People by worshiping the Golden Calf made that Covenant void For the same cause the second Tables with the Ark wherein they were kept might likewise perish 'T is no wonder then if none of those Originals are to be found or that the like should befal the Books we have when the very Original of Gods Law the most Sacred of all things is utterly lost Let Men then forbear to charge me with impiety seeing I have spoken nothing against the Word of God nor have any way profaned it if their anger be just let it be vented against the people of old whose wickedness prophaned and destroyed the Ark of God the Temple the Law and all things else that were Sacred If according to the 2 d Epist. to the Corinth chap. 3. v. 3. The Epistle of Christ were written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in Tables
Veneration when Genesis was written and this must necessarily be a true and clear Answer because it is expresly said in the forecited text of Exodus that God was not known to the Patriarchs by his Name Iehovah and because also in Exod. chap. 3. v. 13. Moses desired to know God's Name which must have been known to him had it been known to the Patriarchs before him It must therefore be concluded that the faithful Patriarchs were ignorant of this Name of God and that the Knowledge of God is a Gift not a Command It is now time to pass on to the proof of the second Particular That God required from Men by his Prophets no other Knowledge of himself than the Knowledge of his Divine Justice and Love that is those Attributes which Men in a right course of living may in some measure and degree imitate which the Prophet Ieremy in express words declares for chap. 20. v. 15 16. speaking of King Iosiah he saith Did not thy Father eat and drink and do Iudgment and Iustice and then it was well with him he judged the cause of the poor and the needy then it was well with him is not this to know me saith the Lord Nor are those words less clear chap. 9. v. 24. Let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness Iudgment and Righteousness in the Earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. We have a further proof Exod. chap. 34. v. 6. where Moses desiring to see and know God God revealeth no other Attributes to him but such as declare his Divine Justice and Love. Lastly How express in the point are the words of St. Iohn in the fourth Chapter of his first Epistle because no Man ever saw God he maketh God known only by Love and concludes that he knoweth God and God dwelleth in him who hath Charity We see then that Moses Ieremy and Iohn comprize that Knowledge of God which every Man is bound to have in that only wherein we say 't is comprehended namely in believing that God is superlatively just and merciful and the only pattern of a good life The Scripture doth no where give any express and positive definition of God neither doth it prescribe any other Attributes to be imitated and believed by us but those we have named nor are those expresly commended as Attributes so that from all these things we conclude that the intellectual Knowledge of God which considers God as he is in his own Nature and Essence which Nature no Man can by any certain course of life imitate or take for his pattern doth not at all teach a Man how to live well neither doth it concern a Man's Faith or revealed Religion So that a Man may be infinitely mistaken in it and yet not offend God. Let us not wonder then that God apply'd himself to the Imaginations and preconceived Opinions of the Prophets and that faithful Believers had different Opinions of God as by many Instances we have proved in the second Chapter nor let any Man wonder that the Sacred Volumes do every where speak so improperly of God ascribing to him Hands Feet Eyes Ears Mind Local Motion yea Passions of the Mind saying he is Jealous Merciful c. and sometimes set him out as a Judge sitting in Heaven on a Regal Throne and Christ at his Right hand all which is spoken according to the Capacity of the Vulgar whom the Scripture intended to make Obedient but not Learned Of these things whatever ordinary profest Divines have by Reason and Natural Light discovered to be disagreeable to the Divine Nature they will have Metaphorically Interpreted but that which is above their Capacity must be taken Litterally If all things of this kind we meet with in Scripture must be taken and understood Metaphorically then the Scripture was not written for the rude and ignorant common people but for the Learned and especially for Philosophers and if it should be sin piously and in simplicity of Heart to believe those things of God which the Sacred Volumes have in the Letter ascribed to him the Prophets considering the weakness of the common people's Understanding ought to have been very wary and careful what Phrases and Expressions they used and should have clearly and plainly which is no where done declared those Attributes of God which every Man is bound to believe No Man ought to think that Opinions considered absolutely in themselves without respect to a Man's Works have any Piety or Impiety in them but a Man is said to be Godly or Ungodly in his Faith in respect of those Opinions which incline him to Obedience or those that encourage him to Sin and Disobedience so that if a Man tho' he rightly and truly believe be stubborn and disobedient his Faith is evil and on the contrary if a Man believe that which is false and yet live well his Faith is good for the true knowledge of God is not a Precept but a Divine Gift and God never required from Men any other Knowledge than that of his Divine Love and Justice which Knowledge is necessary only to Obedience not to Science CHAP. XIV What is Faith. Who are Believers The fundamentals of Faith stated Faith distinguish'd from Philosophy or Reason TO understand truly what Faith is 't is very necessary to know that the Scripture was fitted and accommodated not only to the Capacity of the Prophets but also to the Understanding of the inconstant mutable vulgar people of the Iewish Nation of which no person can be ignorant that will but a little consider and observe the Scripture He that will take all things which are promiscuously set down in Scripture to be that universal positive Doctrine whereby God is to be known can never rightly discern what was suited to the Capacity of the Iews but not being able to distinguish between Divine Doctrine and the common peoples Opinions must take human Fictions and Fancies for Heavenly Instructions and consequently very much abuse the Sacred Scriptures Authority Who doth not plainly see that this is the cause we have so many Sectaries who maintain their different and contrary Opinions to be all Doctrines and Principles of Faith which they confirm by many Scripture proofs so that 't is become a Dutch Proverb Geen Ketter sonder letter there is no Sectary or Heretick but hath a Text of Scripture to maintain his Opinion The Sacred Books of Scripture were not all written by one person nor for the people of one Age but by divers persons of different dispositions and for the people of several Ages distant in time from one another almost two thousand years by some computations many more We do not charge these Sectaries with impiety for applying the words of Scripture to their own Opinions as heretofore they were suited to Vulgar Capacities it being lawful for every one to apply Scripture to his own Opinions if he find himself
Levites Deut. chap. 21. v. 15. who had no administration or part in the Government with the rest but all their Honour and Fortune depended upon their truly and rightly interpreting the Law. Moreover all the people were commanded once in every seven years to assemble together in one place where the High Priest read and expounded to them the Laws and likewise every particular person was obliged constantly with great care to read over the Book of the Law See Deut. chap. 21. v 9. and chap. 6. v. 7. The Princes and Rulers therefore for their own sakes were to take good heed that they did all things according to the known Prescription and Rules of the Law if they expected any Honour from the People who would then reverence them as God's Ministers and Vicegerents otherwise they must expect the Universal Hatred of the People which was a sort of Divine Vengeance Another thing which very much bridled the Exorbitant Power and Lust of their Princes was their Militia's being formed out of their own People none from Twenty to Sixty excepted it not being in the Prince's Power to levy or keep in Pay any Forreign Forces This I say was a thing of great Consequence for Princes cannot possibly oppress their Subjects without Forces in continual Pay and Princes fear nothing so much as the Power of their own armed Subjects by whose Valour Labour and Expence of Blood the Glory and Liberty of a Kingdom is purchast and secured Therefore Alexander when he was to fight a second Battel against Darius hearing Parmenio give Advice which did not please him Quintus Curtius in his Fourth Book says Alexander would not check Parmenio again though he had upbraided Alexander more bitterly than was expedient but fell upon Polyperchon who was of Parmenio's Opinion Nor could Alexander oppress the Liberty of the Macedonians which he most feared till after he had out of the Prisoners he took formed Troops that out-numbred his own People that being done he did what he pleas'd being before restrain'd by the Liberty which the best of his own Subjects enjoy'd And if this Liberty of Armed Subjects in other Governments be a Bridle to Princes who ascribe to themselves the Glory of all Victories it was certainly a much greater Curb to the Princes of the Iewish Tribes whose Soldiers fought not for the Glory of their Prince but the Glory of God and ventur'd no Battles till they received an Answer from God. What is more to be observed is That all the Princes of the Iews were associated and linked together by a Religious Covenant so that if any one forsook the publick Religion and offer'd to violate every man's Divine Right they might justly account him a publick Enemy and destroy him Thirdly Another thing which kept the Iewish Princes within bounds was the fear of a New Prophet For if any man of an unblameable Life and Conversation could by some certain signs prove himself a Prophet that Prophet had presently Right to the supreme Power in the same manner that Moses himself had by Revelation and not as the Princes who were to consult God by the High Priest and without doubt such Prophets could easily make the Oppressed People of their Party and by some little signs perswade them to what they pleas'd But when Justice was duely administred the Prince could make such timely provision that the Prophet should so far submit to his Judgment as to be strictly examined whether his Life and Conversation were good Whether the signs of his Mission were true And lastly Whether that which he prophesied in the Name of the Lord were agreeable to the Religion and Laws of the Country If the Signs he gave failed or if his Doctrine were new he might by the Authority of the Prince be justly condemn'd or else approved and received Fourthly The Prince could not claim the Power of governing upon the account of being more Nobly descended than others but had Right to it only by Seniority of Age and Merit Lastly The Princes and all the Army had as much Reason to desire Peace as War for the Militia being composed only of Iewish Subjects the same persons that were Soldiers managed Affairs in times of Peace he that was a Commander in the Field was in the Tribunal a Judge and he that was a General in the Camp was a Prince in the City Therefore none could desire War for Wars sake but only to enjoy Peace and to defend their Subjects Liberties Perhaps the Prince abstain'd as much as was possible from Innovations that he might not attend and wait on the High Priest which he might think beneath his Dignity So much for the Reasons which kept the Princes within bounds Let us now see what kept the People to their Duty The Principles of the Government will make this clear for whosoever considers them will find they begot so much Affection in the Hearts of the People that it was impossible any man should think of betraying or deserting his Countrey but must be so much affected with it that he would suffer any Extremities rather than be subject to any other Forreign Government For after they transferr'd their Power upon God acknowledging their Kingdom to be the Kingdom of God and believed they only were the Children of God and all other Nations God's Enemies believing their mortal Hatred against them to be Piety See Psal. 139. v. 21 22. They could abhor nothing more than swearing Fidelity and promising Obedience to Strangers nor could any thing be thought so execrable and abominable as betraying their Countrey that is the Kingdom of that God they worship'd It was counted an horrible Offence to go out of their Countrey to live because they would not celebrate the Worship of God to which they were strictly obliged any where but in their own Land which was therefore called the Holy Land and every part of the Earth beside esteemed by them profane and unclean Therefore David being forced by Saul to fly his Country complains in these words 1 Sam. chap. 26. v. 19. If they be the children of men that have stirred thee up against me cursed be they before the Lord for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the Lord saying go serve other Gods. This was the Reason which is very worthy Observation that no Iewish Subject was ever condemn'd to Banishment He that sins deserves to be punish't but his punishment oughr not to be a sin The Affection which the Iews had for their Countrey was not simply Love but Piety which with their Hatred to other Nations was so augmented by their daily Worship that it became natural to them for their daily Worship was not only different from but absolutely contrary to that of all other Nations and was the Reason they did not only live unmixt but separate from them Continual Reproach must necessarily beget perpetual Hatred and there is no Hatred so great and lasting as that which is grounded upon
purchase another new Tyrant So that there was no end of their Discords and Intestine Wars and the Causes of violating God's Law were still the same which could never end but with the Total Destruction of the Common-Wealth We have now seen how Religion began in the Iewish Common-Wealth and how the Government might have been perpetual if the Just Wrath of God would have permitted it to continue But because it would not therefore it perished I have here spoken only of their First Government the Second being but a Shadow of their First seeing they were still under the Power of the Persians After they obtained their Liberty of Cyrus the High Priests became their Princes by usurping the Supreme Authority the Priests having as great a Mind to the Crown as to the Mitre Of this Second Government I need say no more Whether their First Government as it was conceived Durable or Religious be a Pattern that may be followed will appear in the next Chapter For the Close of all I desire it may be particularly observed That by what hath been declared in this Chapter it is evident That Divine Right or Religion had its Beginning and Rise from a Covenant or Contract without which there is no Right but that of Nature and therefore the Iews were not obliged by any Precept of Religion to shew any Kindness towards any other Nations who were not concerned in the Covenant but only to those of their own Common-Wealth CHAP. XVIII Certain Political Maxims Collected from the Government and Histories of the Jews Commonwealth THough the Government of the Jews as it hath been describ'd in the preceding Chapter might have been perpetual yet 't is an Example that cannot now be follow'd nor is it advisable to put it in practice for if any Men would transfer their power upon God they ought to do it as the Jews did by an express Contract or Covenant so that not only the mind of them that transfer their power but also the Will of God upon whom the power is transfer'd ought to be known but God hath revealed by the Apostles that the Covenant of God shall no more be written with Ink nor in Tables of Stone but shall by his Spirit be written in our Hearts That form of Government under which the Jews lived might be very useful and convenient for them who lived alone without any foreign Trade or Commerce who kept themselves within their own Territories and separated themselves from all the rest of the World but 't is in no wise fit for People that live by trading with others and consequently it is to very few people that the Jewish government can be of any use or advantage but though it be a pattern that cannot be follow'd in all things yet there were in it many things very worthy of our observation and which are fit to be put in practice Because my intention is not to treat expresly of Government I will pass many things by and only take notice of those that make for my purpose Namely That it is not repugnant to the Kingdom of God to make Majesty Elective that is to chuse the Person or Persons who shall have the Supream Power of Government for after the Iews transferr'd their Power upon God they delivered the Supream Power of Governing to Moses who thereby had in God's Name the sole Authority of making and abrogating Laws of chusing sacred Ministers and likewise the sole power of teaching judging and punishing and though the Priests were Interpreters of the Law yet they had no power at all to judge the People nor to excommunicate any person for none could do that but the Judges and Princes who were chosen out of the People as appears Ioshua chap. 6. v. 26. where Ioshua adjured the people not to rebuild Iericho Iudges chap. 21. v. 18. where the Elders of the Congregation appointed what Women the Benjamites should marry to propagate their Tribe and 1 Sam. chap. 14. v. 24. where Saul commanded the People not to eat any food till Evening If we consider the Histories and Successes of the Iews we shall find other things very well worth our Observation First That there were no different Sects of Religion amongst them till after the Priests in the Second Government usurped the Supream Authority and the Power of making Laws To make their Authority lasting they took upon them the Power which the Princes had and at last would be called Kings The Reason is apparent for in the First Government nothing was made Law by the High Priest because he had no power of decreeing any thing his Business was only to return those Answers to the Princes and Council which were given by God So that at that time their High Priests could not desire to make new Decrees but only to do that which was their known Duty for they had no other way to preserve their Liberty against the Princes but by keeping the Laws free from Violation and Corruption but after the Priests got power of medling with matters of Government and of Priests became Princes then every one as well in Religion as other Affairs would have all things determin'd by the Pontifical Authority daily making Decrees which they would have to be as Sacred as the Laws of Moses so that Religion degenerated into horrible Superstition the true Sense and Interpretation of the Law was corrupted and the Priests after the Restauration attempting to get the Supream Power into their hands to gain the People so soothed and flatter'd them that they approved of all they did were it never so wicked and made Interpretations of Scripture suitable to their Humours and Practices which Malachy in express Words testifies reproving the Priests of his own time in this manner Mal. chap. 2. v. 7 8. The Priest's lips should preserve knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts But ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the law ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi saith the Lord of hosts And so goes on in reproaching them with interpreting the Law as they pleased with their respecting of persons and taking no heed to walk in God's ways It is certain that though the Priests were never so cautious and wary yet they were narrowly observed by the wiser sort who taking notice of the Priests Boldness declared That the People were not bound to the Observation of any Laws but those that were Written and that all Decrees made by the Priests which the deceived Pharisees chosen as Iosephus tells us out of the meanest of the People called the Tradition of their Fathers were not at all obligatory nor to be obey'd Without all doubt the High Priest's flattering the People the Corruption of Religion and the Multiplication of Laws became a great occasion of those Disputes and Controversies which could never be ended for when men in the heat of Superstition begin to quarrel and