Authority of them equal with that of the Bible For as the Canonical Scriptures were dictated by Divine Inspiration so these Laws they hold were from God Himself and are of the same Authority with those Scriptures They make no difference between the Inspired Writings of the Old Testament and the Books of Mishnaioth or the Talmuds which are in truth an Amassment only of the Traditions of the Jews and of the Diverse Decisions of the Schools of Hillel and Shammai of the Different Determinations of R. Akiba and R. Eliezer of R. Simeon and R. Ioshua c. bandying against one another or rather if we speak plainer they are a Rhapsody of Idle Dreams Groundless Fables Cursed Errors Superstitious Rites and Practices yea if we should instance in the Babylonick Talmud of Horrid Blasphemies against Christ of Obloquies against the Mosaick Law it self and of Contradictions even to the Law of Nature These are part of the Books so highly prized by the Jewish Masters these go along with their Oral Law which was first given by God himself and consequently is of the same Original with the Canon of Scripture But they go yet higher for they do not only equalize these Traditions with Scripture but they prefer them before it They do not only say in a Proverbial Manner that they cannot stand upon the Foundation of the Written Law without the Help of the Vnwritten one i. e. the Oral Law which they talk of and that the Words of the Law as they are found in the Text are poor and wanting but as they are expounded by the Doctors have great Riches and abundance in them And again that very Great and Weighty Matters depend upon these Little Traditions which they contend for but they are so bold and presumptuous as to proceed further and give a far Greater Deference to these Traditions and Doctrines of their Wise Men as they call them than to the Holy Scriptures themselves For they tell us that their Doctors have done more good viz. as to strengthning and confirming of Religion by their own Sayings than by the Words of this Holy Book it self And accordingly their Advice is My Son attend more to what the Scribes say than to what is said by the Law though I know this may admit of another Sense viz. that we ought to look more to the Sense of the Law than the bare Letter of it But that in the Talmud is plain and can have no other Meaning To read the Holy Scripture and to be studious in searching out the Sense of it is good and not good i. e. it is not of any considerable Advantage but to turn over the Mishnah Night and Day is a Vertue which will have a great Reward hereafter and to learn the Gemara is an incomparable Vertue Yea the Jews blasphemously say that God himself studies in the Talmud every Day Here you see they prefer their Delivered Law before the Written one they make the Infallible Scriptures truckle to the Fabulous Traditions of the Mishnah To this purpose it is a Noted Saying of the Hebrew Rabbies that the Text of the Bible is like Water the Mishnah like Wine and the Six Books of the Talmud are like the Sweetest Honey'd Wine Thus to magnify the Traditions of their Fathers they vilify the Scriptures They are not content with the Rites and Injunctions written in the Law which in way of Contempt they call the Precepts of the Law but they admire those most which are taken from their Wise Men which they call the Precepts of the Rabbins and which are summarily contain'd in the Talmud these they hold to be of greater Value than the other The Persons that are skill'd in these are sliled by them Tannaim Profound Masters and Doctors but they that study the Scriptures only are but Karaim Poor Readers and Men of the Letter All this shews how these Men depretiate the Written Word of God and exalt above it their Oral Law which is a mere Fiction and Forgery as to the pretence of its being given to Moses by God and therefore is not owned by the Karaint among them who stick close to the Text nor by some of their Perushim their sobrest sort of Expositors who think those Traditions are derogatory to the Holy Scriptures Secondly Papists as well as Ieâ—s disparage the Holy Scriptures and deny its Perfection Nor by the way is this the only thing wherein they agree with the Jews a great Part of their Religion being no other than Jewish Rites and Ceremonies These Modern Talmudists will not own the Sufficiency of the Sacred Writings they have their Cabala the Doctrine Received from their Ancestors they are for their Oral Law delivered from one to another they supply the defect of Scripture so they are wont to speak with their Traditions They are of the same Mind with the Jews that there must be a Fence made about the Law that it must be hedged in with Traditions The Scripture is not a Perfect Rule of Faith and Manners say they but the things which are necessary to Salvation are partly contained in the Scripture and partly in unwritten Traditions A very absurd and wild Doctrine because they have no way to prove any thing to be necessary to Salvation but by proving it to be found in the Scripture Whatever was or is necessary for the Universal Church is revealed in these Writings and no New Doctrine necessary to Salvation is delivered since to the Church or any particular Person But notwithstanding the Absurdity of this Tenent they hold it fast and make it a Great Article of their Belief For they are taught by an Oecumenical Council as they repute it that Unwritten Traditions are of equal Authority with the Scriptures that they are to be received with the same pious Affection and Reverence those are the words wherewith the Infallible Writings of the Prophets and Apostles are to be entertained and consequently they are to be made a Rule of Faith equal with the Scriptures But they rest not here they not only equal Humane and Ecclesiastical Traditions with the Written Word of God but following the Steps of the Old Talmudists they proceed yet further preferring Traditions before Scripture Thus a Renowned Divine in their Church tells us plainly that Traditions are exceeding necessary for the welfare of the Church yea that they are more requisite than the Scripture it self and this he endeavours to make good With him concur several others of their Writers whom we find extolling Traditions but at the same time speaking very meanly and slightly of the Holy Writ Hence they blasphemously call it a Nose of Wax and a Leaden Rule and many such vilifying Terms are used by Pighius and Melchior Canus and other Great Doctors of that Church We deny not the Usefulness nay even the Necessity nay the Perpetuity of Tradition viz. That Tradition whereby the Doctrines which were entrusted in the
Proposition it is impossible it should gain the Assent of any intelligent and sober Person When we consider the Nature of these Prophecies and what they aim at we must needs own them to be from Him to whom all Future Things are Present and who is the Cause as well as the Foreseer of them And therefore when we observe that the things which the Writers of Holy Scripture have delivered are actually come to pass we may with reason conclude that their Writings are not Forgeries but on the contrary that the Penmen of them were Inspired Persons that they had the Gift of Prophecy which is an infallible Testimony of their Authority These things being thus foretold so long before and being exactly verified since it undeniably follows that the Books which contain these Predictions and are founded on them are True and Certain These Predictions coming from God are an aâ— red Proof that these Writings were endited him they being so great a part of them Thiâ— that which an antient Father long since deliverâ— The foretelling of future things saith he 〈◊〉 Characteristick Note of the Divine Authority 〈◊〉 the Scriptures for this is a thing that is aboâ—â— humane Nature and the Powers of it and 〈◊〉 only â—e effected by the Virtue of the Divine â—â—â—rit We may rely upon it as an impregnaâ— Maxim that the Spirit of Prophecy and the Fâ— filling of Prophecies are a Divine Proof of 〈◊〉 Truth of the Scriptures and are a sufficient Grouâ— to us of believing them to be the Word of Goâ— Thus from the Matter of the Holy Scriptures 〈◊〉 have undeniable Evidence of the Authority aâ— Truth of them Again the Manner of these Writings is anotheâ— Proof of the Divine Authority of them Theâ— are not writ as others are wont to be the Penmeâ— of these Sacred Books do not speak after the raâ—â—â— of other Writers How admirable is the Simplâ— city and Ingenuity of these Men all along Theâ— do not hide their own or others Failings yea eveâ— when they are very gross and scandalous thuâ— Moses recorded not only Noah's Drunkenness and Lot's Incest but his own rash Anger and Unbelieâ— and David registers in the 51st Psalm his own Murder and Adultery Ieremiah relates his own unbecoming Fears Discontents and Murmurings chap. 20. 7 8 14. The Writers of the New Testament conceal not the Infirmities and Defects 〈◊〉 the gross Miscarriages of themselves and of â—heir Brethren as their cowardly leaving of Christ 〈◊〉 his Passion Iohn's falling at the Feet of an Anâ—el to worship him Thomas his Infidelity Iohn â—nd Iames the Sons of Zebedee their unseasonaâ—le Ambition Peter's denying of Christ even with â—erjury This free and plain dealing of the Wriâ—ers of the Old and New Testament shews that â—hey are not the Writings of Men. A Man may â—ee that there is no worldly and sinister Design â—â—rried on in them but that the Glory of God is â—holly intended by their impartial discovery of â—he Truth Which was long since taken notice of â—y Arnobius in answer to that Cavil of the Pagans hat the History of the Gospel was writ by poor 〈◊〉 People and in a simple Manner Therefore â—aith he it is the more to be credited because they write so indifferently and impartially and out of Simplicity This Impartiality and Sincerity of theirs are an irrefragable Argument of the Truth of their Writings And here also you will find an excellent and admirable Composition of Simplicity and Majesty together Though the Strain be High and Lofty yet you may observe that at the same time it is Humble and Condescending To which purpose a Learned Father saith well The Language of Divine Wisdom in the Scripture is Low but the Sense is Sublime and Heavenly whereas on the contrary the Phrase of Heathen Writers is Splendid but the things couched in them are Poor and Mean The Scripture-Writers make it not their work to set off and commend thâ— Writings by being Elaborate and Exact Hâ— are no set Discourses no pointed Arguments 〈◊〉 affected Strains of Logick The Writers 〈◊〉 the Bible saith another antient Father did 〈◊〉 make their Writings in a way of Demonstration these unquestionable Witnesses of the Truth being above all Demonstration Nor shall yâ—â— find here that the Writers strain for Eleganciâ— and florid Expressions as other Authors are wonâ— here is no quaint and curious Method no formâ— Transitions no courting of the Readers no unnecessary Pageantry of Rhetorick to gain Admiration and Attention Especially the Stile of the Evangelists and Apostles is not tumid and affected but plain and simple and scorns the Ornamenâ— and Embellishments of Fancy for as an oâ— Christian said rightly Truth needs no Fucus anâ— Artifice and therefore the Sense not Words are minded in Scripture All good Men ought to be pleased with this Simplicity and Plainness of the Holy Stile of which there is a memorable Instance in an Ecclesiastical Historian who tells us that Spiridion a notable Confessor for the Christian Faith reproved one Tryphilius an Eloquent Man and converted by him to Christianity some time before because speaking one time in the famous Council of Nice he did instead of those Wordâ— of Christ Tolle grabatum tuum say Tolle lectum tuum humilem he reproved him I say and that very sharply for disdaining to use the word which the Scripture it self useth It is true the Words of Scripture seem sometimes to be common and rude and altogether ungraceful sometimes I say for I shall shew afterwards that Scripture is not destitute of its Graces of Speech but that seeming Commonness and Rudeness are great Tokens of the peculiar Excellency of the Stile of Scripture Gregory the Great excusing the Plainness and Rudeness of his Stile in his Comments on Iob professeth that he thought it unworthy of and unbecoming the Heavenly Oracles to restrain them to the nice Rules of Grammar Surely the Writers of the Bible might say so with more reason it became them not to stand upon those Niceties and Formalities of Speech which are so frequent in other Authors for it is fitting there should be a difference between Humane Writings and Divine I agree with a late Ingenious Author who declares that it fits not the Majesty of God whose Book this is to observe the humane Laws of Method and Niceness of Art Inspired Writings must not be like those of Men. The singular Grace of these is that they are not Artificial and Studied but Simple Plain and Careless and that their whole Frame and Contexture are not such as ours An artificial Method is below the Majesty of that Spirit which dictated them This would debase the Scriptures and equal them with the Writings of Men. Wherefore the oftner I look into that Sacred Volume and the more I observe it the more I am convinced that the Pens of the Writers were wholly directed by a Divine Hand For take any of the Books either Doctrinal
nothing in Scripture that looks like Inconsistent and Contradictory Upon a diligent Search we shall discern a mutual Correspondence in the Stile Matter and Design of these Writings we shall find a happy Concurrence of Circumstances and an admirable Consistency in the Doctrines and Discourses in so much that we shall be forced to acknowledg that upon this single Consideration it is reasonable to believe that these Writings were endited by the Holy Spirit This Harmony then of the Scriptures I may justly reckon among the Inward Notes of the Truth of Scripture because it is adjoined to the Matter of it which is of the very Intrinsick Nature of it What Iustinian professes and promises concerning his Digests in his Preface to them that there is nothing Clashing and Contradictory in them but that they are all of a piece is true only of the Sacred Laws of the Evangelical Pandects which contain in them nothing Dissonant and Repugnant The Old and New Testament the Prophets and Apostles are consonant to themselves and to one another which is a great Argument of the Truth of them There is nothing in one Place of Scripture opposite to the true Meaning which the Holy Ghost hath revealed and asserted in another The Contents of the whole Book whether you look into the Doctrinal or Historical Part of it have nothing contradictory in them All the Authors of it agree in their Testimonies and assert the same thing and consent among themselves It is the Nature of Lies and Forgeries that they hang not together as Lactantius on the like Occasion hath observed Especially if you search very inquisitively and narrowly into them you will perceive that they are thin and slight and may easily be seen through But the Contents of these Writings have been diligently inquired into and with great Care and Industry examined by all sorts of Persons and yet they are found to be every ways Consistent with themselves and the Testimony of the Writers is known to be Concurrent and Agreeing All wise and curious Observers must needs grant that there is no Book under Heaven that parallels the Scriptures as to this Which shews that they are more than Humane Writings yea that they were Divinely inspired and dictated And this I take to be the Sense of St. Peter who assures us that no Prophecy of the Scripture is of private Interpretation He speaks of the first Rise of those Prophecies which are in Scripture they are from God they are not of private Interpretation they are not from Man's Invention they are not of his own Brain and Fancy but they are to be esteem'd to be as they are Divine and Heavenly Oracles Thus the Word of God is Witness to it self and stands in need of no others The Scripture is sufficiently proved by what is in it and is to be believed for its own sake Which made an antient Writer say We have compleat Demonstrations out of the Scriptures themselves and accordingly we are demonstratively assured by Faith concerning the Truth of the things therein delivered Which cannot be said of any humane Writings in the World for they carry no such Native Marks with them But the very Inward Notes of the Truth and Authority of the Scriptures create in us a certain and unshaken Belief They may be known from all other Writings whatsoever by the Excellent Transcendent and Divine Matter contained in them and by the peculiar Manner of delivering and publishing it These I call Internal Proofs because they are taken from the Books themselves because they are something that we find there These assure us that they were written not by Man but by God There is yet another Internal Testimony I call it so because it is within Vs though not in the Scriptures As I have shewed you that the Holy Spirit speaks in the Scriptures and bears Testimony to the Truth of them so now I add that this Spirit speaks in Vs and works in our Hearts a Perswasion that the Scriptures are the Word of God By this Spirit we are enabled to discern the Voice of the same Spirit and of Christ in those Writings This witnessing Power of the Spirit in the Souls of Believers is asserted in Acts 5. 32. 15. 7 8. and in 1 Iohn 5. 6. From these Places it is clear that there is an Illumination of the Spirit joining with our Consciences and Perswasions and this Spirit powerfully convinces all Believers of the Truth of the Scriptures This Testimony follows immediately on our setting before us the Inward Excellencies of the Scripture as I have represented them for God makes use of those Evidences and Arguments to beget a Belief in us of the Divine Authority of Scripture The Spirit enlightens and convinces Mens Minds by those Means but more especially he urges these Evidences on the Hearts of the Religious and Faithful and thereby brings them to a firm Perswasion of the Scriptures being the Word of God This is no Enthusiasm because it is discovered to us by proper Means and Instruments whereas that is without any and is generally accompanied with the despising of them But the Evidences and Notes in the Scripture are the Reasons and Motives of our Belief only the Holy Spirit comes and prepares and sanctifies our Minds and illuminates our Consciences and causes those Arguments and Motives to make Impression upon us and effectually to prevail with us and to silence all Objections to the contrary Thus the Truth of Scripture is attested by the Holy Spirit witnessing in us But when I say the Testimony of the Spirit is a Proof of the Truth of the Scripture I must adjoin this that this Proof serves only for those that have this Spirit it may establish them but it cannot convince others No other Man can be brought to be perswaded of the Truth of those Sacred Writings by the Spirit 's convincing me of the Truth of them Besides this Proof is not in all that really believe the Truth of these Books some may be convinced of the Truth of them without this but where this is it is most Powerful and Convictive and surpasses all other degreâ— of Perswasion whatsoever There is no such câ—tain knowledg of the Truth of these Holy Wâ— tings as by the Testimony of the Sacred Spirit 〈◊〉 the Hearts of Men produced there in a ration â— way and in such a manner as is most sutable 〈◊〉 our Faculties CHAP. II. External Proofs of the Truth of the Holy Scriptureâ— Viz. the wonderful Preservation of them and Vniversal Tradition Which latter is defended against the Objections of those that talk of a New Character wherein the Old Testament is written Thâ— Iewish Masoreth attests the Authority of these Writings The Hebrew Text is not corrupted The Points or Vowels were coexistent with the Letters F. Simon 's Notion of Abbreviating the Historicâ—â— Books of the Old Testament rejected The New Tement vouched by the unanimous Suffrage of the Primitive Church The
numbred among the Books of Canonical Scripture And thus we have argued from the Tradition and the Testimony of the Church And if this be done as it ought to be done it is valid for the Truth of the Copies the Canonicalness of the Books and the like are not decidable by Scripture it self but in the Way that all other Controversies of that nature are As you would prove any other Book to be Authentick so you must prove the Bible to be viz. by sufficient and able Testimony There is the same reason to believe the Sacred History that there is to believe any other Historical Writings that are extant Nay the Testimonies on behalf of the Holy Scriptureâ— are more pregnant than any that are brought for other Writings Besides all that can be said for the Sacred Volume of the Bible which is wont to be said for other Writings I have shewed you that there are some things peculiar to this above aâ—â— others The main thing we have insisted upon is this that the Books of the Old and New Testament have been faithfully conveyed to us and that they are vouched by the constant and universal Tradition both of the Jewish and Christian Church and that these Books and no others are of the Canon of Scripture for to be of the Canon of Scripture is no other than to be owned by the Universal Church for Divinely Inspired Writings The Church witnesseth and confirmeth the Authority of the Canonical Scriptures for she received them as Divine and she delivers them to us as such Yet I do not say that the Church's Testifying these Books to be the Holy Scriptures gives an Absolute and Entire Authority to them A Clerk in the Parliament or any other Court writes down and testiâ—ies that such an Act or Decree or Order was pass'd by the King Magistrate or People and he witnesses that he hath faithfully kept these by him and that they are the very same that at such a time were made by the foresaid Authority but the Authority of this Act Decree or Order rests not in the Clerk but wholly in the King Magistrate or People So the Church recordeth and keepeth the Sacred Writings of the Bible and bears witness that they have been faithfully preserved and that they are the Genuine Writings of those Persons whose Names are presixed to them bâ—t the Divine Authority of the Scriptures depends not on the Church but on the Books and Authors themselves namely their being Inspired And indeed this Authority of the Scriptures cannot depend on the Church because the Church itself depends on the Scriptures These must be proved before the Church can pretend to be any such thing as a Church We cannot know the Church but by the Scriptures therefore the Scriptures must be known before the Church It follows then that the Papists are very unreasonable and absurd in making the Ultimate Resolution of Faith to be into the Testimony and Authority of the Church This we disown as a great Falsity but yet it is rational to hold that the Church's Testimony is one good Argument and Proof of the Truth of the Sacred Scripture according to that known Saying of St. Augustine I should not believe the Gospel if the Authority of the Church did not move me Not that he founds the Gospel i. e. the Doctrine of Christianity and the Truth of it on the Testimony of the Church as the Papists are wont to infer from these Words and frequently quote them to this purpose No the Father's meaning is this that by the Testimony and Consent of the Church he believed the Book of the Gospel to be verily that Book which was written by the Evangelists This is the Sense of the Place as is plain from the Scope of it for he speaks there of the Copies or Writings not the Doctrine contained in them The good Father relies on this that so great a number of knowing and honest Persons as the Church was made up of did assert the Evangelical Writings to be the Writings of such as were really inspired by the Holy Ghost and that they were true and genuine and not corrupted And the whole Body of Sacred Scripture is attested by the same universal Suffrage of the Church i. e. the unanimous Consent of the Apostles and of the First Christians and of those that immediately succeeded them several of which laid down their Lives to vindicate the Truth of these Writings This is the External Testimony given to the Holy Scriptures It is the general Perswasion and Attestation of the Antient Church that these are the Scriptures of Truth that they were penn'd by holy Prophets and Apostles immediately directed by the Spirit who therefore could not err It was usual heretofore among the Pagan Lawgivers to attribute their Laws to some Deity tho they were of their own Invention intending thereby to conciliate Reverence to them and to commend them to the People But here is no such Cheat put upon us God himself is really the Author of the Holy Scriptures these Sacred Laws come immediately from Him they are of Divine Inspiration There is no doubt to be made of the Divinity of the Scriptures and consequently there is assurance of the Infallibility of them CHAP. III. The Authority of the Bible manifested from the Testimonies of Enemies and Strangers especially of Pagans These confirm what the Old Testament saith concerning the Creation the Production of Adam and Eve their Fall with the several Circumstances of it Enoch's Translation the Longevity of the Patriarchs the Giants in those Times the Universal Flood the building of the Tower of Babel I Have propounded some of the chief Arguments which may induce us to believe the Truth and Certainty of the holy Writings of the Old and New Testament I will now choose out another for the sake chiefly of the Learned and Curious which I purpose to inlarge upon yea to make the Subject of my whole ensuing Discourse I consider then that we have in this Matter not only the Testimony of Friends but of Enemies and Strangers and it is a Maxim in the Civil Law and vouched by all Men of Reason that the Testimony of an Enemy is most considerable The Iewish and Christian Church as I have shewed already give their Testimony to the Scriptures but besides these Witnesses there are Others there is the Attestation of Foreigners and Adversaries These fully testify the Truth of what is delivered in the Holy Bible we have the Approbation of Heathen Writers to conâ—irm many of the things related in the Old Testament and both Professed Heathens and Iews for we must now look upon these latter as profess'd Enemies when we are to speak of the Christian Concern attest sundry things of the New Testament and vouch the Truth and Authority of them Here then I will distinctly proceed and first begin with the Old Testament and let you see in several Particulars that even the Pagan World gives Testimony to this Sacred Volume
Renowned Acts of several of the Patriarchs and first Worthies c. It is a great establishing of our Faith that those Pagans derived so many things from Scripture The Gentile Writers vouch a great part of our Religion Wherefore we must needs imbrace it when it is attested by such Disinteressed Persons 3. We ought to take notice of the Wonderful Providence of God in this matter Behold the Scripture is attested by those who never owned its Authority yea the very Enemies of these Holy Writings ratiâ—ie the Truth and Certainty of them The Heathen Poets whilst they Corrupt Divine Truth assert it Their very Lies and Fictions bear witness to the Sacred Verities their Fables confirm the Infallibility of the Bible This is the Lord 's doing here the Great and Over-ruling Wisdom of God is seen Here his Almighty Power in baâ—â—ing Satan's Contrivances and Designs may be discern'd He as was said before intended the Corruption of the Scriptures the silencing of the Truth the Exalting of himself and the Advancing of his Kingdom But the All-Wise and Powerful Moderator of the World disappointed his Designs and made this thing we are speaking of serviceable and beneficial to Religion he made it become an Argument of its Antiquity Reasonableness and Certainty against the Cavils of Atheists and Infidels 4. Henceforth we are reconciled to the Writings of Prophane Authors We have this considerable advantage by reading the Works of the Ancient Heathens and by perusing their Stories and Fables that we shall find some Greater Thing couched in them than the bare Narrative For these Writers borrow'd many things from the Holy Book their broken Stories are often-times an imperfect account of Scripture Relations Sundry things in their Writings are gather'd out of the Divine Volume but are strangely wrested pervertrd and obscured by having new Names and â—eigned Circumstances affix'd to them Almost all the Gentile Fables and Theology flowed from a depraved sense of the Sacred Writings The Poets disguise true Stories with many Fictions and some Reliques of Divine Truth are buried under their ingenuous Fancies and Fabulous Narrations Ovid Transcribed the Greek Theology from Orpheus Homer Hesiod and other Ancient Poets and these had it from the Bible The very Poetick Fictions refer unto real Story and are drawn from the Divine Source of Truth So that we are reading the Holy Scripture in a manner whilst we are turning over Pagan Writers In these we meet with Truths Transplanted from the Sacred Book we find many passages stollen from the Hebrew Fountains It is not to be denied then that Scholars and Students yea the very Candidates of Sacred Theology may with great profit prie into these Writings of the Pagans for here are the footsteps of Divine Verities Prophane and Sacred Learning are to be joyn'd The Gentile Monuments illustrate the inspired ones We may notwithstanding the disguise which Poets have put upon the Stories see the foundation of them and perceive that those vain Figmentsâ— are grounded on some Solid Truth and that a Sacred Treasure lies hid under those confused Fables For this is not to be denied that Palestine afforded Greece matter of fancy and invention the Pagan Poets were befriended by the Iews Athens was indebted to Ierusalem Parnassus was beholding to Sinai and Helicon to Iordan You see then the advantage we may reap by being acquainted with Prophane Writers whilst we look further than the outward shape which they have given to many things and search into that Truth which lies hid under it even the Sacred and undoubted History of the Old Testament Thus we may make them serviceable to far higher and better ends than they are intended This is the best improvement that can be made of them to see the true Source of what is written by them to understand whence they borrowed their matter and to confirm our selves in the belief of the Truth of the Sacred Writings by perusing these which are Prophane 5thly and lastly then See the Authority Truth and Certainty of the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament which is the main thing I have been aiming at I had proved this before by several Arguments and those perhaps on some accounts more Forcing and Convictive than this but I thought good to add this to them as no contemptible way of proving the Antiquity and Authority of the Sacred Book The Truth of the Historical part of the Old Testament is evidenced from Heathen Writers not only Historians but Philosophers and Poets A Man may by comparing these with the Sacred Volume find out the Original of the Pagan Traditions and Fictions and observe the Lineaments of true and unquestionable History among them Hence we shall have no reason to doubt that there were such Persons and Things in being as are spoken of in the Old Testament and that the Passages and Transactions there mention'd were real and true This admirably serves to evince the Authority of those Writings this proves the Truth of the Records of Holy Writ and that they ought to be received as the Oracles of God i. e. as Infallible CHAP. X. The Authority of the Books of the New-Testament confirmed by Pagan and Iewish Writers who speak of a King or Lord that should come out of the East and particularly out of Judaea An Enumeration of the Opinions of the Learned concerning the Sibylls with the particular Sentiment of the Author viz. That the Contents of their Verses were horrow'd from the Old-Testament and that those Women were not Prophetesses but only related what they found in the Inspired Writings or heard of thence A full Answer to the Objections of those who hold the Sibylline Writings to be Spurious NExt I am to shew how the Scriptures of the New-Testament are vouched and confirmed by an External Testimony i. e. how professed Pagans â—nd Iews Enemies to Christianity have related â—nd asserted the very same things that are set down â—n those Evangelical Writings First I will begin with that which is of a middle nature between what I have been discoursing of before and what â— am now to ingage in which therefore may aptâ—y serve as a Transition from one to the other I â—ean the belief and report recorded in Pagan Writers that a King or Lord should come from the â—ast and do great and mighty things This was deâ—ived from the Scriptures of the Old Testament and 〈◊〉 belongs to the former Discourse but becaâ—se it is mentioned by Historians that were after Christ's time and the Application is with all reason to be made to Him I rightly bring it in here It was I say a constant Report that prevail'd about the time of our Saviour's Birth and afterwards that some eminent Person or Persons should rise out of those Eastern Nations and be Lords of the World We find Tacitus asserting this and that great Politician and Statesman would needs have it fulfilled in Vespasian and Titus because they were called out of Iudea unto the Empire of Rome Suetonius
in them to all their Posterity Those Places Psal. 22. 16. They pierced my Hands and my Feet And ver 18. They part my Garments among them and cast Lots upon my Vesture Calvin is enclined to interpret simply and not concerning Christ he would have them to be only metaphorical Expressions of David's Calamities and Sufferings notwithstanding it is expresly said by the Evangelist St. Matthew that those things were done to Christ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Matth. 27. 35. And by the Evangelist St. Iohn This was done that the Scripture should be fulfilled ch 19. 36 37. And so as to that Text Ier. 31. 22. The Lord hath created a new thing in the Earth a Woman shall compass a Man The same Author will not have this Prophecy for such it is though it seems to speak of a thing past it being the Custom of prophetick Writers to signify the future Time by the past as you shall hear afterwards he will not I say have this Prediction refer in the least to Christ and the Virgin Mary It is ridiculous he saith to understand it so And some other Prophecies which are meant of Christ he understands otherwise confining himself to the bare Letter of the Words Thus this excellent Person out of an Affectation of Novelty perverts those Scriptures which the antient Fathers quoted as spoken of Christ and he plainly tells us that the Fathers abused those Places But which is far worse he refuseth to expound some of those Texts of the Old Testament concerning Christ notwithstanding the Evangelical Writers in the New Testament alledg them as punctually fulfilled in him and in what he suffered For this Reason that renowned Man may be thought to incline to Iudaism or Arianism as much as Erasmus is thought by some for you shall find the one as well as the other interpreting Places of Scripture which speak of Christ quite to another Sense One of the Worthies of our Church excuseth the former of these Persons after this manner and why may not the same Excuse serve for the latter It was saith he rather fear lest he should give Offence unto the Jews than any Desire or Inclination to comply with them which makes him sometimes give the same Interpretations of Scriptures which they do without Search after farther Mysteries than the Letter it self doth administer It was the Candour of this excellent Divine to apologize thus for that great Man and the same Apology may serve for the other yet certainly we ought to supply the Defect of their Expositions on those Places by adding the secondary and mystical Sense to them else we leave those Texts maimed and imperfect yea we rob them of that which is most considerable and precious in them that which is the Dabar Gadol as the Jewish Masters call the mystical Sense this being great in comparison of the literal one which is call'd by them Dabar Katon little and inconsiderable viz. in respect of the other This was the Fault of another great Man great in Name as well as Worth Herein he disdains not to tread in the Steps of Mr. Calvin though in many other things he is very averse to his Expositions We shall find that when he treats of the Texts in the Old Testament which speak concerning Christ he generally interprets them in the first and literal Sense contrary to the Practice of all Apostolical and Antient Expositors who constantly search into the mystical Sense of Scripture as the choicest Treasure that is to be found in it Gold and Diamonds and the richest Gems lie hid in the Bowels of the Earth The richest and most precious Truths of Heaven are treasured up in the Entrails of this Holy Book they are hid in the most inward Recesses of it Demoâ—ritus could say Truth lies hid in a deep Pit This is most certain of Divine Truth contained in the Holy Scripture besides what we meet with in the Letter and Surface of it there is yet a more choice Discovery to be made by searching into the Depths of it and by Discerning the spiritual Meaning those deep things of God which lie covered under the Letter and History It is a Rule that holds good concerning the Divine as well as Humane Laws He that conâ—ines himself to the Letter sticks in the mere Bark and Outside and can go no further he reacheth not to the inward Sense Pith and Mind of those Laws We must needs fall short of the Truth of Scripture that sacred Law given us by God unless we indeavour to acquaint our selves with both these not only the historical but the more sublime and mystical Sense of it Both these jointly make up Divine Truth Therefore that is a good Rule in interpreting Scripture which was practised by Athanasius We saith he do not take away the Literal Sense to bring in the Spiritual one but we maintain the more powerful Meaning of the Spirit by keeping up the literal Sense These two must go together If we lay aside the former the Scripture is no longer Scripture i. e. a written Law made up of Letters and if we lay aside the latter we do Despite to the Spirit of Grace who hath lodged a farther Meaning in the Holy Scriptures which were inspired by him than that which is contained in the Letter Wherefore to understand the Scriptures as we should do we must be careful to find out the secondary or mystical Interpretation of the Words as well as the primary or literal And that we may know when the Sense is of the former and not of the latter sort it will be needful to observe these following Rules The first is given us by R. Ben-Ezra thus If any Precept in Scripture be not consonant to Reason it must not be taken in the simple or literal Sense as that Place Circumcise the Foreskin of your Hearts Deut. 10. 16. We cannot suppose this to be understood literally because saith he it is so unreasonable and absurd a thing yea indeed it is utterly impossible for there is no such thing as the Praeputium of the Heart In these and the like Places a spiritual Sense must be searched for otherwise we must assert that the Scripture enjoins us the doing of those things which cannot be done Besides if we understand it literally i. e. of the circumcising or paring off any Part of the Heart this is an inhumane and bloody thing to do this is to be cruel to our selves yea 't is Self-murder Therefore according to a second Rule which I am to propound this cannot be the Sense of the Place and consequently the literal Meaning is not intended here The Rule is this That all Precepts or Prohibitions which as to their Sound are wholly repugnant to the Moral Law and the express Command of God there contain in them some mystical or spiritual Sense By this you may judg of the Meaning of those Places of Scripture Prov. 23. 2. Put a
with Hard and Dark Passages we ought to be so far from blaming and disparaging this Divine Book because of these that we should rather reckon them an Ornament to it The Dubiousness of Scripture in some things is part of its Excellency It is a great Commendation of this Sacred Volume that it is not destitute of Absâ—rusities and Difficulties that we are not wholly tied up and confined in our Interpretation of it that there is a Freedom of Disquisition allowed us that in several Places every Man is at his Liberty to imbrace what Sense he pleaseth of the Words so it be according to the Analogy of Faith and the Tenour of the other Parts of this Inspired Book This gives us an opportunity of exciting our Care of exerting our Industry of improving our Knowledg of enlarging our Faculties by continual Researches and Examinations Thus the Obscurity of some Parts of Scripture is of great and excellent Use. But then where-ever the Indispensible and Necessary Points of Faith and Manners are treated of in these Writings their Stile is sufficiently clear and plain and the Matter which is express'd by it is easy to be understood In brief the Scripture is plain where it should be so But if in some other Places there be Controversy and Perplexity if some Texts seem to oppose and clash with one another let us remember this that the Scriptures were inspired by the Holy Ghost and therefore there can be no real Oppositions or Repugnancies in them because Truth cannot contradict it self By impartial Study and Enquiry let us dive into the Meaning of these Antient Writings and by the Helps which I have tendred in the foregoing Discourse endeavour to reconcile those Places which seem to differ but let us never be so daring as to accuse the Scriptures which were endited by God himself of Contradiction FINIS FINIS ADDENDA Refer this to Page 267. Line 19. HEBREW Verbs of different Significations 1. Those of two Significations Anah in Kal to grieve or mourn Isa. 3. 26. ch 19. 8. in Piel to deliver up Exod. 21. 13. Dabar in Kal to speak in Piel to reduce into order Chalatz in Piel to save in Hiphil to arm Iaal in Hiphil to will or desire in Niphal to be foolish or mad Pala in Niphal to be admired in Piel to separate Alam in Niphal to be silent in Piel to gather Mashal in Kal to rule in Niphal to be compared with or likened to any thing or Person Sabar in Kal to consider in Piel to expect to hope for Rakah in Kal to spit in Hiphil to attenuate Tanah in Kal and Niphil to hire in Piel to discourse with Gaal in Kal to redeem in Piel to pollute Bara in Kal to create in Hiph to make fat Cacash in Kal to be lean in Piel to tell a Lie Lamad in Kal to learn in Piel to teach Cabad in Kal to be heavy in Piel and Niph to be honoured Puk to stumble to produce Gnarak to ordain to esteem Saphak to suffice to clap Hands Shabar to break to buy Kut to loath or abominate to contend Katar to offer Incense to bind Kam or Kum to stand or rise to be dim-sighted Ragang to quiet to break or cut asunder Ramah to dart to deceive Shaal to request to borrow Panah to behold to remove Nakaâ— to bore or make a Hole to curse Samaâ—h to rejoice to shine Pharash to separate to interpret Lutz to laugh to arguâ— or dispute Zachah to be innocent to overcome Lacham to eat to fight Gnatsam to strengthen to shut Gnatsab to disturb to fashion or form Gnaraph to cut the Throat to distil Gnathak to wax old to be removed 2. Those of three Significations Rab or Rahab and so the Verb Rabah to be many or much to shoot Arrows to educate Ragal to search to calumniate to walk or make to walk or go Halal to praise to shine to be mad Shalam to be peaceable to be perfect to recompense Gnabar to pass to be with Child to be angry Nashaâ— to forget to let out Money upon Interest to put out of joint Gnur to be watchful to make blind to make naked Alaph to learn to teach to make or produce a thousand Ruang to do Evil to break or bruise to make a great Noise Charash to plough to think to be silent Gnaraâ— to be emptied or poured out to make naked to adhere Mahar to make haste to be liberal to be foolish or inconsiderate Gur to travel abroad to gather together to fear Damah to be quiet to be like to one to consent Pharang to be open or naked to be free to vindicate Aphah to boil to bake to fry Zur to abhor to sneeze to compress Gnanaâ— to answer to humble to commit Adultery Shar to sing to walk to observe Shalah to be quiet to be fortunate to err or be faulty Kutz to rise or awake betimes to be weary of or nauseate to summer or spend the Summer-time Kara to call to read to meet one 3. Verbs of four or more Significations Natzah to bud forth to fly to fight to overcome Salad to strengthen to warm or heat to harden to desire or beg Kalal to be light or vile to curse to destroy to polish Shagnah to behold to be astonish'd to abstain or desist to shut Pathach to open to engrave to plough to expose to loose Carah to open to pierce to dig to prepare to entertain one with a Feast to traffick or merchandize Chalal to begin to profane to bring forth Young to wound to mourn or grieve to cut or bore to leap Lastly no Verb in the Holy Tongue hath so many different Significations as Gnarab the Import of which is to mingle to negotiate to be sweet or pleasant to undertake for or be Surety to be dusky as in the Evening c. Refer this to Page 274. Line 1. Hebrew Nouns of two Significations Ed a Vapour Calamity Siach a Shrub Speech Tagnar a Whetstone a Sheath Goel a Redeemer a Kinsman Sheber Corn or any Food interpreting or unriddling Racham the Womb a Girl so Mother hath this double Signification with us Lahat a Flame the Edg of a Sword Kesil a Fool a certain Constellation Aven Iniquity Vanity Nagnal a Shoe a Glove Nouns of three Significations Nachal an Inheritance a Floud or Torrent a Valley Alluph a Teacher a Prince a Bull or Ox. Keren a Horn Strength Splendor Gevah Pride Excellency a Body Nouns of four or more Significations Chebel Corruption Grief a Rope or Cable a Croud or Multitude besides other collateral ones as an Inheritance c. Shebet a Rod a Staff a Scepter a Tribe a Stroke or Plague a Quill a Writing-Pen Charutz cut off industrious Gold pretious a Ditch a Flail a Rake Refer this to Page 343. Line 7. Hebrew Words that have Contrary Significations Nacar to be known to be unknown Kalas in Piel to slight or disesteem in Hithpael to praise or extol Ragang to move and roll up
Ch. 11. v. 6. Though I be rude in Speech p. 437 Ver. 17. I speak not after the Lord. p. 472 St. JAMES Ch. 4. v. 5 6. Do you think that the Scripture saith in vain The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to Envy But he giveth more Grace p. 463 St. PETER 2 Epist. Ch. 3. v. 5. This they are willingly ignorant of that by the Word of God the Heavens were of old and the Earth standing out of the Water and in the Water p. 62 St. JOHN 2 Epist. Ver. 12. I will not write with Paper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 167 Besides sundry Texts mention'd in that Part of the Discourse where the Emendation of the present English Version of the New Testament is attempted ERRATA PAge 30. line 1O r. able fully to P. 79. l. 29. r. who were P. 104. l. 33. r. as P. 11O l. 5. r. Foundâ—rs P. 117. l. 28. r. Greeks P. 121. l. 33. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 139. l. 25. r. aâ— P. 140. â— 33. r. from its P. 146. l. 27. r. require either of P. 159. l. 15. r. recorded that the Letters of their Alphabet were P. 188. l. 14 after Times dele l. 15. after these dele P. 196. in the Margin r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 206. l. 20. r. this P. 216. l. 1. r. which we read of in P. 230. l. 15. r. Places P. 244. l. 27. r. which we and include the following words which is rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. rotulae by the LXX in a Parenthesis P. 322. l. 33 34. r. the former and f. were r. was P. 336. l. 30. r. might P. 340. l. 3. r. the deadly P. 361. l. ult r. Lives P. 432. l. 1. after thus insert P. 433. l. 3. before but leave out P. 491. l. 13. r. that P. 493. l. 4. r. in the. P. 504. l. antepenult r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 554. l. 32. delâ— all P. 558. l. 9. r. they did P. 562. l. 5. r. for one P. 563. l. 30. r. mist. P. 565. l. 15. r. are The Faults in the Hebrew are leâ—t to be corrected by the Learned The CONTENTS of the Several CHAPTERS CHAP. I. THE different Esteem and Sentiment of Persons concerning the Authors they make choice of to read No Writings can equal the Bible It hath been highly valued in all Ages by Men of the greatest Learning Wit and Judgment A Scheme of the following Discourse briefly propounded The Holy Scriptures are the perfect Rule of Faith They are the best Conduct of our Lives and Actions They are the only Ground of solid Consolation Joy and Happiness This Perfection of Scripture is opposed by many of the Rabbins An Account of their Cabala and Oral Law The Papists by preferring their Traditions before the Scriptures and by indeavouring to keep these latter in an unknown Tongue deny the Perfection of them So do Familists Quakers and all Enthusiasts pag. 1 CHAP. II. The Bible is furnish'd with all sorts of Humane as well as Divine Learning Hebrew wherein the Old Testament was written is the Primitive Language of the World The True Origine of the World is plainly recorded in no other Writings but these The first Chapter of Genesis is a real History and records Matter of fact It is largely proved that the Mosaick History gives us a particular Account of the first Rise of the several Nations and People of the Earth and of the Places of their Habitation Also the true Knowledg of the Original of Civil Government and the Increases of it and the different Changes it underwent is derived from these Writings The Courts of Judicature and the severâ—l kinds of Punishment among the Jews distinctly treated of The Government among the Heathen Nations The four Celebrated Monarchies or Empires of the World p. 45 CHAP. III. In these Sacred Writings we have the first and earliest Account of all useful Employments and Callings viz. Gardening Husbandry feeding of Sheep preparing of Food The antient manner of Threshing Grinding of Corn and making Bread is enquired into What was the Primitive Drink The Posture which they used at eating and drinking Sitting preceded Discubation The particular manner of placing themselves on their Beds Eating in common not always used Discalceation and Washing the Feet were the Attendants of Eating and Feasting So was Anointing They had a Master or Governour of their Feasts Who were the first Inventers of Mechanick Arts. The first Examples of Architecture Houses were built flat at top and why p. 111 CHAP. IV. The first Original of Letters and Writing is recorded here The several kinds of Materials they wrote upon of old The Instruments with which they formed their Letters or Characters The Antientest as well as the most Excellent History is in the Bible So is the Antientest and most Admired Poetry The first Invention and Practice of Musick and on what Occasions it was wont to be made use of The Rise of Natural Philosophy and who were the first Founders of it The Knowledg of the Holy Scriptures necessary in order to the due Study of Natural Philosophy The first Instances of Anatomy Medicks Chirurgery Embalming and the Apothecaries Employment are in the Old Testament Here are the first Examples of Shipping and Navigation An Enquiry into the Place whither Solomon's Navy went every three Years A Conjecture concerning Ophir Astronomy and Judiciary Astrology mention'd in Scripture Of War and Skill in Arms. The Nature of those Military Weapons which are spoken of in Scripture particularly and distinctly enquir'd into The Antiquity of Martial Ensigns and Standards The vast Numbers which the Armies of old consisted of The Scripture is not silent concerning Sportive Diversions and Exercises some of which but especially Dancing are considered p. 157 CHAP. V. We are furnish'd in the Bible with the Knowledg of the first Vsages relating to Matrimony Of Nuptial Feasts and other Antient Feasts We have here the first Notices of Buying and Selling and the Antient use of Money We learn hence what was the first Apparel and what Additions there were afterwards The chief Ornaments of Men and Women viz. Crowns Mitres Frontal Jewels Ear-rings the occasion of wearing these at first and among what Persons and Nations together with the Abuse of them Chains Bracelets Finger-Rings and Signets Changes of Garments The Antient Vse of White Apparel Fullers Earth Looking-Glasses Rending of the Garments P. 225 CHAP. VI. Here we are informed concerning the Primitive Institution of Burying Graves and Sepulchres were generally in the Fields and without the Walls of Cities They usually embalmed the dead Bodies Why they sometimes burnt them Burning also signifies Embalming There was a Difference between the Funeral Burning of the Jews and of the Heathens The Manner and Time of Mourning for the Dead Both Vocal and Instrumental Musick used at Funerals The Antiquity of Funeral Monuments The old way of erecting great Heaps of Stones over the Dead Stone-heng is a Sepulchral Monument and in imitation
Men of the greatest Learning Wit and Judgment A Scheme of the following Discourse briefly propounded The Holy Scriptures are the perfect Rule of Faith They are the best Conduct of our Lives and Actions They are the only Ground of solid Consolation Joy and Happiness This Perfection of Scripture is opposed by many of the Rabbins An Account of their Cabala and Oral Law The Papists by preferring their Traditions before the Scriptures and by indeavouring to keep these latter in an unknown Tongue deny the Perfection of them So do Familists Quakers and all Enthusiasts IT may be observed that the Minds of Men have been differently disposed as to the choice of the Authors they would read and their Esteem and Value of them have been as various It hath been usual for Persons to express a particular Kindness for one Writer above another Thus Homer of old was excessively magnified by those famous Warriors Agesilaus and Alexander the Great The former read him continually at home and in the Camp and whenever he had any time to spare for Reading The latter could not sleep without his Iliads under his Pillow Scipio â—irnamed the African had a great Opinion of Xenophon's Institution of Cyrus and was always consulting it and valued it at a high rate So among Christians St. Cyprian was a great Admirer of Tertullian and when he had a mind to read him his usual Saying was Give me my Master Charles the Great was hugely taken with St. Augustine de Civitate Dei and had it constantly read to him yea even at Supper King Alphonsus in all his Expeditions and at all other times carried Iulius Caesar's Commentaries others say Livy's History with him Theodore Gaza gave his Vote for Plutarch's Works and was so pleased with them that he protested if he could have but one Man's Writings he would certainly choose His before all others Thomas Aquinas was no less in love with St. Chrysostom on St. Matthew and expressed his high Esteem of him by saying he preferr'd him before the goodly City of Paris Charles the V th gave a greater Deference to Comines than to any other Writer and perpetually conversed with him Scaliger would rather be the Author of the ninth Ode of Horace than be Emperor of Germany And to come down yet lower Grotius gives Cujacius the Prefâ—rence to all the other Commâ—ntators on the Imperial Laws Salmasius admired no Divine so much as Calvin and particularly preferred his Institutions And the Reverend Mr. B. Oley tells us if he were to be conâ—ined to one Author he would choose Dr. Iackson's Works Thus have Mens Sentiments and Esteems been various about Books â—ome preferring one Writer and some another according as their Genius or Studies led them â—ut when we mention the Bible i. e. the Book of Books we are certain there is no Comparison between This and any others whatsoever This Sacred Volume is emphatically and by way of Eminence call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if other Books in respect of This deserv'd not the Name For in what other Writings can we deâ—cry thoâ—e Excellencies which we find in This None of them can equal it in Antiquity for the first Penman of the Sacred Scripture who relates the Origine of the World and whose Writings contain the Acts and Monuments of the Patriarchs hath the start of all Philosophers Poets and Historians and is abâ—olutely the Antientest Writer extant in the World No Writings are equal to these of the Bible if we mention only the stock of Humane Learning contain'd in them Here Linguists and Philologists may find that which is to be found no where else Here Râ—etoricians and Orators may be entertained with a more loâ—ty Eloquence with a choicer Composure of Words and with greater Variety of Stile than any other Writers can afford them Here is a Book where more is understood than expressed where Words are few but the Sense is full and redundant No Books equal This in Authority because 〈◊〉 is the Word of God himself and dictated by an unerring Spirit It excâ—ls all other Writings in the Excellency of its Matter which is the Highest Noblest and Worthiest and of the Greatest Concern to Mankind Lastly to name no more at present that I may not anticipate what is intended in the following Discourse the Scriptures transcend all other Writings in their Power and Efficacy This Word of God is pure enlightning the Eyes irradiating Mens Minds with Supernatural Truth affecting their Hearts and Consciences subduing the Refracotriness of their Wills transforming their Lives and changing them into other Persons Thence it is that all Men of well-disposed Souls find a plain Differene between their reading This and other Books When they read those it is true they are something affected and pleased the Stile or the Matter give them some Satisfaction but if they read them often and confine themselves to them their former Pleasure and Satisfaction abate and the Authors seem not to be so entertaining and acceptable as they were before and at length they become burdensom and nauseous and hence it is that some Writers grow out of fashion and other New ones are called for But it is far otherwise with this Holy Book the Affection and Pleasure which you feel in the reading it are lasting and durable because this Blessed Word sinks down into the Center of the Soul and is always present with it Though you lay this Book aside and afterwards take it up and do so again and again yea never so often you will not â—ind it grow worse but much better i. e. it will yield you greater Delight and Satisfaction and the oftner you converse with it the more you will discern the Worth of it yea the more pleasing will the very Words and Syllables of these Divine Writings be to you For what the Great Critick observes of Homer's Poem that there is a certain kind of Peculiar Easiness and Sliding in his Verse which are not to be found in any other Poets is eminently true of the Holy Scriptures if compared with other Authors there is a peculiar Sweetness a matchless Softness and Pleasantness in the Stile of these Holy Books the Words as well as the Matter are Winning and Ravishing and all pure and sanctified Minds have a clear Perception of this yea the clearer because they so frequently converse with these Inspired Writers We may then on this Account as well as on others challenge the World to shew us where there is any Book like this where there is any Author comparable to it In all Humane Writers there is something wanting something imperfect but in this Sacred Volume there are all things and every thing here is compleat To the Holy Scriptures therefore all other Writings must vail to this Best of Books they must all submit and acknowledg their Meanness and Inferiority Hence it was that the Wisest and Best Men as we may observe did always extol the Scriptures I adore the Plenitude
30 c. And that he doth whatsoever he pleaseth both in Heaven and Earth Psal. 115. 3. But more especially the Divine Oracles acquaint us that this Divine and Benign Author gave existence unto Man the Choicest of all the Creatures of this lower World whom he created in his own Image after his Likeness Gen. 1. 26 27. that is in Knowledg Righteousness and true Holiness Col. 3. 10. Eph. 4. 24. And we are told in these Sacred Writings how Man lost this Image and miferably defaced and corrupted his Nature viz. by listning to the Temptation of Satan and by wilful disobeying the Divine Command Here also we are informed that all Flesh is desiled and polluted by this Transgression of our First Parents in Paradise and that their Sin is become the Sin of All Mankind Rom. 5. 12. Hence we learn moreover that the Merciful Creator out of his infinite and boundless Philanthropy vouchsafed to promise that the seed of the Woman the Blessed Iesus who was to be born of a Virgin should bruise Satan's Head Gen. 3. 15. and save and redeem lost Mankind and restore them to their former State of Happiness Here is taught the Rise of Religion and the Church which began with our Peâ—tent First Parents and their Children of whom Abol was the Chief Their first and early way of expressing their Devotion and Religion was by Offerings and Sacrifices unto God Gen. 4. 4. To which end without doubt they erected Altars though these are not mentioned till after the Flood Gen. 8. 20. We are told at what time there was established an Open and more Solemn worshipping of God viz. in Seth's days then it was that Men began to call upon the Name of the Lord and to form a Visible Church Gen. 4. 26. i. e. an Orderly and Solemn Society of Men gather'd and chosen out as a peculiar People to serve God For as Men encreased they began to embody themselves into Communions and to worship God more signally and openly and with a joint Consent Here and no where else we have an Account of the Church's Progress and Increase under the good Patriarchs Noah Abraham c. Here we are informed what were the several Defections and Restorations of Religion in the first Ages Here we have an Account of the Erection of the Levitical or Mosaick Service the whole System of Religious Rites and Ceremonies unto which the Jewish Church was obliged This yields abundant Matter of Contemplation and Enquiry to the Studious who will find that these Observances were instituted after the Israelites had been a while in the Wilderness and had shew'd themselves inclinable to commit Idolatry Then it was that God by Moses gave them these Laws and prescribed them these Usages which he knew would be the best Antidote against the Idolatrous Practices of the Nations that were round about them And withal if we look into these Ceremonies with a discerning Eye we shall see that they had a farther End and were Presignifications of the great and wonderful Transactions of the Evangelical Dispensation that they obscurely pointed unto the Messias and his Blessed Undertakings for the Redemption of Mankind They were Forerunners and Harbingers of the Blessed Child Iesus that Child that was to be born that Son who was to be given and on whose shoulders the Government was to be settled Isa. 9. 6. And we are ascertained that in the fulness of time God actually sent forth this his Son made of a Woman Gal. 4. 4. that He so loved thâ— World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting Life John 3. 16. All â—e like Sheep have gonâ— astrâ—y we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all Isa. 53. 6. He bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree 1 Peâ— 2. 4. He was wounded for our Transgressions he was â—ruised for our Iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his Stripes we are healed Isa. 53. 5. The True Nature the Admirable Method and the Inestimable Worth of this Healing and Saving us are the main Subject of these Inspired Writings where we are taught likewise that this Salvation is Free and Undeserved and founded on the Meer Grace and Bounty of God and is not the Acquist of any Merit and Worth in us We are justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God â—ath set forth to be a Propitiation for Sin through Faith in his Blood Rom. 3. 24. And in the Evangelical History we are told that this Blessed Redeemer who laid down his Life for us took it up again rising from the Grave by the irresistible Power of his Godhead and after a few Days Ascended gloriously into Heaven from whence He shall come at the last Day to call the whole World to an Account for He hath appointed a Day in which he will judg the World in Righteousness Then all the Dead shall hasten out of their Dormitories and stand before that Great Tribunal and receive Sentence according to their past Behaviour These are some of the Grand Principles of our Faith these are the Fundamental Verities of our Religion and they are originally fetch'd from this Sacred Volume and are established and confirmed there by unanswerable Arguments and Demonstrations Behold here the Eminency of Scripture-Notions see the Transcendency of these Excellent Truths which are contain'd in the Bible Here are things of a higher Nature than any Moral Writings afford us These say nothing of the Gracious Oeconomy of the Gospel of the Incarnation of the Son of God of Satisfaction made for Sins through the Blood of Christ of Justification by his Righteousness and other the like unparallell'd Discoveries which are to be learn'd out of Scripture only In short the Bible is the Standard of all Notions Propositions and Articles in Religion it is the Rule and Square of all our Opinions Discourses and Arguments relating to Christianity and all our Conceptions though they seem never so sine and plausible are of little worth and nse unless they be regulated according to This. If there arise any Disputes and Controversies concerning Matters of Christian Faith This is the Judg that we must have recourse to or rather This is the Rule by which we are to judg for every Man is to judg and choose and the Rule whereby he is to guide his Judgment and Choice is the Scripture It is true Reason or Conscience is our Immediate Guide or Rule but then we must have a Mediate Rule that is a Guide or Rule for our Reasons and Consciences and That in all Sacred and Religious things is the Word of God and That is the only Rule By This and This alone all Controversies of Faith which are necessary to be decided may and ought to be decided And it is the Excellency and Perfection of this Rule that it is
Cyrus Curtius's Alexander Plinty's Trajan are rather Ingenious Portraictures and Images of Worthy Princes than Real Characters of them They represent rather what they should be than what they are They imitate some Limners who study not to draw the Face exactly like that of the Person they are to pourtray so they make it Fair they think it is enough But the Sacred Writers have not done so they have no ways flattered or misrepresented the Originals they drew They have set them before us in their proper Features native Lineaments and genuine Colours What we read of the Worthies mention'd in the Bible is Certainly True and Real Matter of Fact Such was their Incomparable Spirit that they did braver and greater Actions than Others ever thought of witness the matchless Valour Fortitude and Conduct of Ioshua Iephthah Gideon yea of those Masculine Women Deborah and Iael witness all the Other Eminent Instances of Heroick Undertakings in the Sacred Records witness those Exact Paterns those Accurate Examples of the rest of the Vertues which we read of these And to illustrate and set off these there are added very Signal and Memorable Examples of all sorts of Vices as of Cain's Persidious Murdering his Brother Laban's Fraud and Ingratitude Esau's unruly Appetite Reuben and Iudah's Incest Pharaoh's impious Obstinacy Abimelech's unnatural Cruelty to his Brethren Dinah's wanton gadding Amnon's Rape Achitophel's evil Policy Shimei's Railing Haman's revengeful Pride Rabshakeh's Blasphemy Belshazzar's sacrilegious Debauchery Potiphar's Wife is an Example of the Impudence and Outragiousness of Lust when it is repulsed Eli is an Instance of Fond Indulgence to his Children Absalom Achitophel Sheba and Zimri of Treason and Rebellion Samson and Solomon of an Vndue Love of Women And in the New Testament the Hypocrisy of the Pharisees the Treachery of Iudas the Timorous Compliance of Pilate the Malice of the Jews against our Saviour the Apostacy of Demas the Ambition of Diotrephes are notorious And innumerable other Examples there are of all manner of Immorality and Wickedness And with these are mixed the most Signal Instances of the Punishment of Vice and the Reward of Vertue Here are abundant Proofs of God's Extreme Severity and Vengeance against profligate Offenders and here are as frequent Tokens and Assurances of the Divine Love and Kindness towards those that lead a holy and religious Life Here are set before us the most Conspicuous Acts of God's Providence in reference both to Bad Men and Good that by the former we may be discouraged yea deterred from continuing in the ways of Vice and that by the latter we may be incouraged yea as 't were bribed to be Vertuous and Good Here we may observe and admire God's Wonderful Care of his Servants in all Ages of the World and here we may take notice of the Variety of those Evils and Miseries which he inflicteth on those who wilfully decline his Service and give themselves up to their Lusts. There are no where such Eminent Examples of this Nature to be found as these which we meet with in the Sacred Volume of the Bible No other Writings can produce such Remarkable Discoveries of God's Will towards Men and of his Dealings with them Wherefore These must needs be the Best Conduct of our Lives and Actions the Best Reformers of our Ways and Manners Which is the Meaning of the Psalmist in Psaâ— 1 19. 9. Wherewith shall a young Man cleanse his way By taking heed thereto according to thy Word i. e. by making the Holy Scripture his Rule and by adjusting all his Actions to it If the Youthful and Passionate Sinner may be reclaimed and reformed by attending to God's Word and that only the Pentateuch or the Laws of Moses for this was all the Inspired Scripture extant at that time which we certainly know of then we cannot despair of the Success and happy Influence of the whole Body of the Scriptures upon Others It will throughly change and amend their Lives by making a full Discovery to them of all their Lusts and evil Affections by representing Sin to them in its own native Desormity and by setting before them the Beauties and Excellencies of a Religious Life by being a Faithful Monitor and Guide to them whenever they undertake any thing by shewing them the true Boundaries of Good and Evil and by directing them how to accomplish the one and to avoid the other The Sum of all is that these Inspired Writings acquaint us with the Whole Will of God whether it refers to our Belief or to our Practice and consequently that not only our Faith but our Manners are to be regulated by this Holy Book Especially by the Principles and Laws of the New Testament they will more conspicuously be exalted and all Righteousness and Godliness more visibly promoted in our Lives For here is the most Perfect and Consummate Exemplar of Holiness in the Evangelical Writings the Blessed Iesus still speaks and lives In these you may hear what he said and see what he did and know how you are to conform your Lives according to His. Whence you have Reason to infer that as these Writings are the Compleat Canon of our Faith so they are the Adequate Rule of our Actions Nay although we should suppose some Mistakes in them by the Fault of Transcribers which yet no Man can certainly prove nay it is not by any means to be allowed and therefore it is the most culpable thing in Sir N. Knatchbull that he is several times finding Faults in the Transcribers of the New Testament which if we once grant we bid farewel to the Certainty of Scripture But if we should I say suppose some Slips in the Copying out of the Books yet still they retain the same Character because those supposed Mistakes are not of Moment and belong not to Faith or Manners Neither do the Obscurity or Difficulty of Scripture hinder it from being our Rule because all the Matters in it which relate to our Salvation are clear and easy For when I say it is an Adequate Rule of Faith and Manners the Meaning is that it is so as to such Matters of Faith and Manners as are Necessary to be believed and practised by us Now nothing is Necessary but what is absolutely requisite to our Salvation This then is the thing which we maintain that the Scriptures contain in them either in express Terms or by just Consequence all things to be asserted and done by us in order to our being Saved The Reason of which is evident namely because the End for which the Scriptures were written was this to direct us how to be Saved This is the grand Design of it and therefore there must be in it all things that are requisite to this great End and Design Which is expressed thus in the Words of Our Church Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to Salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any Man that
it should be believed as an Article of the Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation And this is a sufficient and solid Proof of a thing 's not being Necessary to Salvation that it is not contain'd in Scripture This then we assert that these Writings are Plain and Perfect as to all Matters that are Necessary and accordingly are able to put an End to all Controversies which relate to Salvation And if Men will not end them with This Rule they will never do it with any This is the Chief Perfection of Scripture that in it the whole Will of God as to those things that have a necessary Tendency to our Happiness and consequently are the only Necessary Things to be known and done by us is plainly revealed The New Testament particularly is the last Revelation of God's Will and Counsel and nothing is to be added to it or taken from it which makes it a Perfect Standard of Belief and a Compleat Rule of our Lives in which there is nothing short and defective nothing superfluous and redundant Here are all the Principles of True Religion and all the Measures of Holy Living so that whilst we proceed according to this Perfect Canon we are infallibly certain of the Truth of what we believe and of the Rectitude and Lawfulness of what we act On this sole Account the Holy Writ excels all Writings in the World besides 3. We are to adjoin this that as it is a Light to our Vnderstandings and a Rule of our Lives so it is the grand Procurer of our Comfort Ioy and Tranquillity Alas they are Cold Topicks of Consolation which the Writings of the Best Moralists afford us When our outward Distresses and Miseries much more when our inward and spiritual Maladies increase upon us Epictetus and Seneca with all their Spangled Sayings are too mean Physicians to take us in Hand The Great Cicero when in the Close of his Life he was reduced to marvelous Difficulties declared that his Learning and his Books afforded him not any Considerable Arguments of Comfort that the Disease of his Mind which he lay under was too great and too strong to be cured by those Ordinary Medicines which Philosophy administred to him There must be some greater Traumatick some more powerful Application to these Wounds to work a perfect Cure And this Divine Book is able to furnish us with it This alone can remove our Pains and Languors and restore us to an entire Health This faith the Psalmist is my Comfort in my Affliction Thy Word hath quickned me And again Vnless thy Law had been my Delight I should then have perished in my Affliction It was this which upheld and chear'd him in his greatest Straits and yielded him Light and Joy when all things about him look'd black and dismal If but a small part of the Bible had this blessed Effect how powerful and successful will All of it prove if we duly consult it seriously meditate upon it and give it admittance into our Hearts If the Apostle could say Whatsoever things were written asore time in this Book were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the scriptures might have Hope how much greater Hope must needs be administred to us in all Conditions of Life but more especially in the Day of Trouble and Calamity when we have the Scriptures not only of the Old but New Testament to repair unto This latter especially will be a never-falling Spring of Contentment and Joy to us In these Books we have a true and perfect Landskip and View of the World Here is unmask'd and laid open the Vanity of it Here we are assured that many of the Gay things which it presents us with and which fond Minds so dote upon are but empty Bubbles deceitful Phantoms and Apparitions mere Conceits and Castles in the Air. Here we are inform'd that a Prosperous State is not really Good that an Overplus of Riches and Worldly Abundance does frequently prove a Clog to vertuous Minds and that Excess of Pleasures is too fulsom and luscious and takes away that purer Relish of spiritual and heavenly Delights yea that Men generally find a worse Effect of them for when they are gorged and clogg'd with them they revolt from God when they are waxen fat they kick against Heaven So their Worldly Plenty is turn'd into the worst of Punishments and this Plethory is their Disease On the other side we are taught in these Writings that Crosses and Afflictions are not evil in themselves yea that they are Good and Medicinal and advance our spiritual Health that they are so far from being a hindrance to our Happiness that they are a part of it for otherwise the Afflicted would not be so often pronounced Blessed That God's Afflicting a Man is Magnifying of him and setting his Heart upon him It shews that God is greatly concern'd for his Good and that the Almighty hath more care of him than he hath of himself Here we are instructed that we have ground to suspect our Condition if we be wholly exempted from the Distresses of this Life and that not to be Chastised is a Mark of Bastardy Here we learn the true use and end of all those Adverse Dispensations which we meet with viz. that they were designed to try us to make us know our selves and to inform us how evil and bitter a thing it is to offend the Divine Majesty to awaken us out of our Sloth and Security to hold us in Action to keep us in Breath and Exercise as Carthage was useful to rouze Rome's Valour to abate our Pride and Haughtiness and make us humble and submissive Creatures to check our immoderate Passions and Pursuits after earthly things to disintangle us from these Snares to free us from these Charms to keep us from being suck'd in and swallowed up in the powerful Circle and Eddy of this World as who knows not that it is True Philosophy that the World is made up of Vortices to cause us to look after Better Things when these are taken from us to reclaim us from our evil Courses and to reduce us unto Vertue and Goodness to excite us to a Renunciation of all Trust and Confidence in our selves and the transitory Enjoyments of this World and to depend upon God alone It is this Book whence we are acquainted that our Sufferings make us conformable to Christ our Master and therefore are Honourable Badges of Christianity That the Curse which usually attends outward Crosses is taken away by our Saviour's Death That the Calamities of the Faithful are Chastisements rather than Punishments That no Adverse Accidents can do us any hurt if we believe in Jesus and abandon our Sins That the Pressures of this Life are serviceable to make us pity those that are in Misery to know and relish the Love of Christ in suffering for us to inhanse the Comforts of a Good Conscience to commend
the Favour of God to us to prepare us for Heaven and to increase the Happiness of it Thus the Scriptures reconcile our Minds to those Disappointments Dangers and Calamities which are our Allotment in this World thus they allay the evil Spirit of Discontent they effectually cast out and vanquish those Legions of Impatient and Tumultuous Thoughts which are the frequent Attendants of Adversity They assure us that these Afflictive Dealings of Heaven towards us are intended for our real Advantage that they are the greatest Kindness and Favour that can be shew'd us that they are undeniable Tokens of Divine Love and in brief that Good Men are happier in their worst Circumstances than others are or can be in their greatest worldly Felicities Upon these rational Grounds the Holy Scriptures become the most effectual Anodynes to take away or at least to mitigate all our Pains and Sorrows They successfully remove all those Murmurings and Discontents which russle and imbroil the Soul they quash and defeat all those troublesome Passions which embarass and plague the Mind By the help of these Divine Instructions which the Holy Writ affords us we are enabled to encounter the greatest Evils with courage and bravery to receive the Shock to weather the Storm to bear all the Insolencies and Insults of our Enemies to break through all Difficulties to have Peace within though we find none without to keep a Sabbath in our own Breasts to entertain our selves with the Serenades of a Good Conscience This is the Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures and no Writings in the World can bless us with them but these And indeed this necessarily follows from those foregoing Assertions viz that Scripture is a Perfect Rule of Faith and also of Manners As it is the former it is a sure Basis for us to rest upon we know whom we have believed and so we are fixed and determined which doth effectually contribute towards our Peace and Solace As it is the latter also we cannot but receive Comfort from it because being a Certain and Unerring Guide in all our Actions it must needs administer great Satisfaction and Joy to us through our whole Lives when we consider that we have a Stable Rule to walk by and that we cannot do amiss if we follow that but especially when we reflect on our Manners and see that they are adjusted to this Canon and that we have in Simplicity and godly Sincerity had our Conversation in the World This will be our Rejoicing and Exultation Again the Scripture yields an inconceivable Joy by prescribing the Best Means for attaining Peace and Unity which are Comfortable Blessings of this Life by allowing us all Innocent and Harmless Delights such as will neither destroy the Peace of our Souls nor impair the Health of our Bodies by throughly convincing us that Christianity in it self is most Satisfactory to our Minds and is made to convey Joy and Peace into our Hearts by teaching us Contentedness in all Conditions by assuring us that Christianity provides for our greatest and most Important Wants and supplies our most Urgent Necessities and therefore we ought to acquiesce in it and solace our selves with it Thus it administers the most Chearing Cordials and so it doth by directing us to the Worthiest Ends by setting before us the Strongest Motives the most Powerful Perswasives to our Duty whereby we are enabled not only to undertake it but to discharge it with Chearfulness and Delight by propounding and presenting to us the Best Rewards viz. Forgiveness of our Sins Assurance of God's Love and Eternal Life and Blessedness For as a Great Man saith No Book in the World but this shews a Man the Adequate End of his Being his Supreme Good his Happiness nor directs the Means of acquiring it The Bible is the Great Instrument as it was emphatically call'd by the Fathers of our Salvation and Happiness By these Writings we hold our Everlasting Inheritance And these are the Great Deeds and Evidences whereby we prove our Title to it In a word as these sustain and support us in all Conditions of our Life and give us a happy Prospect of a better State so they render Death welcom and joyful to us they enable us by virtue of those Sacred Truths contained in them to expire our last Breath with Peace and Tranquillity On all which Accounts we must acknowledg them to be the greatest Support and Relief of our Souls yea the Only Source of Comfort and Content Thus if you consider the Holy Scriptures as they dictate the Best Principles as they beget in us the greatest Holiness and Purity and as they are the Solace of our Lives we must be forced to acknowledg their Incomparable Excellency These three Particulars wherein I have endeavoured to display the Perfection of Scripture are to be found together in Psal. 19. 7 8. where These Properties are ascribed to the Law of God namely that it enlightens the Eyes and so is a Director of our Faith that it converts the Soul and so is a Reformer of the Manners and that it rejoiceth the Heart and so is the Fountain of True Comfort You find all these in conjunction in that other remarkable Place 2 Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture whereby we may understand not only the Old Testament but part of the New viz. St. Matthew's Gospel which was extant when Timothy to whom the Apostle here speaks was a child V. 15. is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness It is not to be doubted that Doctrine refers to the Understanding and Belief and Reproof and Instruction in Righteousness to the Will and Manners and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rectifying restoring setting all streight again as the World imports includes in it that Comforting and Chearing which I spoke of These are the Main Contents of the Holy Scripture First it is a Body and System of the Best and most Consistent Notions it regulates the Apprehensions and presents us with True Conceptions of things Here is nothing delivered that thwarts our rectified Understandings or is a Contradiction to the most refined Faculties of our Minds Moreover it most successfully conducts us into the Ways of Piety and a Holy Life The Design of it is to perfect humane Nature to exalt Men to the highest Pitch their Condition is capable of both by Moral and Revealed Truth the latter of which none but the Blessed Redeemer was able to communicate to bring them to the Noblest improvement and Exaltation of Vertue which they can possibly arrive to on this side of Heaven In brief to make us act not only as Rational but as Divine Creatures yea even to render us like God Himself And lastly it not only inspires us with Excellent Principles and promotes the Practice of Holiness but administers the greatest Matter of Joy imaginable This raises our Spirits and fills our Souls with Delight and Pleasure this
Church's Hands by the Prophets and Apostles shall by her be deliver'd over to her Children to the World's End which way of Transmission is the great Prop of our Religion Besides the Apostle enjoins the Thessalonians to hold fast the Traditions which they had been taught whether by Word or his Epistle for he had used two ways of delivering the Truth to them namely Preaching and Writing and other Apostles committed the chief and necessary Heads of their Doctrine to Writing So that the Traditions meant here are the Revealed Truths of the Gospel delivered by the Apostles and Evangelists and are no other than what Christ deliver'd to them according to that of St. Paul I delivered to you that which also I received whence they have the Name of Traditions i. e. they are Evangelical Doctrines delivered to us from those that were taught them by Christ. And whether they were imparted by Word or by Epistle by Preaching or Writing they are the same the same as to substance the otherwise there may be some difference But that which we condemn and that most justly the Papists for is this that they magnify and rely upon Traditions which have no affinity with the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles yea which contradict it in many things and yet they equalize these with the Word of God and sometimes prefer them and the Authority of the Church before that of the Sacred Writings of the Old and New Testament Thus One saith The Church sometimes doth things contrary to the Scriptures sometimes besides them therefore the Church is the Rule and Standard of the things that are delivered in the Scriptures and therefore we believe the Church though she acts counter to the formal Decisions of the Scriptures And an other Famous Doctor gives it for good Divinity that the Decrees and Determinations of a Council are binding though they be not confirmed by any probable Testimony of Scripture nay though they be beyond and above the Determination of Scripture Thus the Holy Writings of the Bible are most impiously disparaged and vilisied by the Pontificians Whereas there is nothing defective or redundant nothing wanting or superfluous in these Writings they assert in the open face of the World that they are short and imperfect and therefore have need of being supplied by Traditions which in some things are of greater Value and Authority than they Again that the Church of Rome oppugneth or rather denieth the Perfection of the Scriptures might be evinced from their constant care and endeavour to keep them in an Vnknown Tongue It is true they have translated them But 1. There was a kind of necessity of doing it the Protestants having turned them into so many Tongues By this means they were compelled as it werâ— to let some of their people see what the Bible was in their own Language But 2. It is so corruptly translated that it is made to patronize several of their Superstitious Follies and Errors And yet 3. They dare not commit these Translations to common View Although in all Countries where People were converted to Christianity in elder times the Scripture was turned into their Language and every one was permitted yea exhorted to read it as is proved by many Writers the Learned Dr. Stillingfleet particularly yet the Church of Rome denieth the common People the Use of it as a thing hurtful and pernicious The Bible as some Bad Book is tolerated to be read with great Caution and Restriction in some Countries only and by some Persons It is like the Sibyls Prophecies of old among the Romans not to be look'd into without the permission and Authority of the Senate none can read it without a Licence from their Superiours so dangerous a thing is the Bible From this Practice the People generally imbibe a strong Prejudice against the Scriptures and believe they cannot be good for them because the Pope and their Pastors tell them they are not Wherefore as one who was once of the Communion of the Church of â—ome hath well observed As soon as ever any Man imbraces Popery he presently throws the Bible out of his Hands as altogether useless to say no worse Which unreasonable and wicked Behaviour of theirs was one great Reason or Motive as he professeth of his returning to the Church of England again For what Considerate Man can think That to be a True Church which teacheth its Members to slight and reject the Word of God which is the Source of all Divine Truth and without which we can neither believe nor practise aright we can neither have Comfort here nor arrive to Happiness hereafter This indeed is not only to null â—â—e Perfection of Scripture but to abolish the whole Body of Scripture it self A third sort of Persons that are Opposers of the Perfection of Scripture are Enthusiasts and such who act out of a truly Fanatick Principle Such were the Familists heretofore whose Pretences to the Spirit were so high that they excluded and renounced the Letter of Scripture which according to their Stile was a dark Lanthorn a liveless Carcass a Book shut up and seal'd with seven Seals the Scabbard not the Sword of the Spirit or if it be a Sword it is the Sword of Antichrist wherewith he kills Christ. This was the impious Jargon of these High-flown Men who made no other Use of the Bible than to Allegorize it and to turn it all into Mystery These have been followed by Others of a like Fanatick Spirit who have made it a great part of their Religion to despise and reproach the Sacred Writ A late Enthusiast or rather one that pretends to be such but designs the Overthrow of all Religion tells the World that the Bible is founded in Imagination that God's Revelations in Scripture are ever according to the Fancy of the Prophets or other Persons he spoke to and that all the Phrases and Speeches all the Discoveries and Manifestations yea all the Historical Passages in the Old and New Testament are adapted to these The Quaker comes next and refuseth to own the Scripture to be the Word of God and the Perfect Rule by which we are to direct our Lives It is a great Error and Falsity saith one of the most considerable Persons of that Perswasion that the Scriptures are a filled up Canon and the only Rule of Faith and Obedience in all things and that no more Scriptures are to be writ or given forth from the Spirit of the Lord. With whom agrees another of as great Repute among that Tribe I see no Necessity saith he of believing that the Canon of Scripture is filled up And again The Scriptures saith he are not to be esteemed the Principal Ground of all Truth and Knowledg nor yet the Adequate Primary Rule of Faith and Manners but they are only a Secondary Rule subordinate to the Spirit And accordingly he adds That the inward Inspirations and Revelations which Men
History both domestieâ— and foreign All that are conversant in this way of Study complain and that justly of the erroneous Misrepresentations of Passages of all sorts among Historians and of our Darkness and Ignorance by reason of these But no such thing is to be fear'd or so much as suspected in the Sacred History because God himself speaks there and therefore we have the surâ—â— ground for our Faith that we can desire There is no Authority so firm as that which is Divine there is no Testimony so strong and valid as that which is from the Holy Spirit And such is that of the Holy Scriptures and consequently it most justly challengeth yea commandeth our Faith and Assent This is the singular Pre-eminence and Advantage which this Book hath above all others that the Penmen of it were directed by the unerring Spirit of God This alone is sufficient to determine and six us it being the most stable as well as the most proper Basis of our Belief even where things that are very Improbable are propounded to us to be assented to Besides as to the seeming Improbability of some things that are related in the Historical Part of the Bible this ought not to hinder us from giving Credit to them Many Persons are wont to look upon these Passages and Stories as Strange and almost Incredible which they observe are not sutable to the Manners Customs Arts and Conversation of the World as it is at present and thence they are enclined to think that there were no such things heretofore But these Men do not well consider nor distinguish between those times and these which are exceedingly Different And moreover if they suspend their Belief of some things which they read in the Old Testament because they see other things now things of a Different Nature they may as well disbelieve all the Other Histories of the Antients that are extant which yet we see they are very backward to do And they have good Reason on their Side because the World is not now as it was then and therefore we must not expect that the things which we read of in those times should be fully conformable and agreeable to what occurs in these latter Days For this Reason a very Solid and Judicious Writer hath defended the Antient History of the Greeks and Latins whereof whatever is strange is in Herodotus and Pliny shewing that though some fabulous Narrations and many gross Mistakes and Errors are intermingled the Strangeness of some Passages which we meet with in them proceeds from the Diversity of Times the Posture of the World having much changed since those things happened Let us make use of the same Reasoning in the present case and when we find several Strange Unusual and Surprizing Matters in the Writings of the Old Testament impute this to the Antientness of them and the great Discrepancy between those Days and these we now live in If we do so there will be no Impediment to our steady Belief of the Truth of them Nay if we weigh things well we shall see it is ridiculous to expect that the Guises and Manners of the World should be the same now that they were 4 or 5000 Years ago for there must needs be new things when the Numbers of Persons are so vastly increased when the Difference of Climes produces such Diversity of Dispositions when Casualty Necessity Industry Wit c. are the Occasions of so many new Occurrences Let this be remembred and seriously thought of and it will dispel our vain Scruples and Disbelief Or if there be any remaining the former Consideration will throughly extirpate them i. e. if we call to mind the Undoubted Certainty and Infallibility of the Scripture which is its peculiar Prerogative and Excellency CHAP. VII A particular Distribution of the several Books of the Old Testament Genesis the first of them together with the four following ones being written by Moses his ample Character or Panegyrick is attompted wherein there is a full Account of his Birth Education Flight from Court retired Life his Return to Egypt his conducting of the Israelites thence his immediate Converse with God in the Mount his delivering the Law his Divine Eloquence his Humility and Meekness his Sufferings his Miracles and his particular Fitness to write these Books A Summary of the several Heads contain'd in Genesis to which is added a brief but distinct View of the Six Days Works wherein is explained the Mosaick Draught of the Origine of all things and at the same time the bold Hypotheses of a late Writer designed to confront the First Chapter of the Bible are exposed and refuted The Contents of the Book of Exodus to which is adjoined a short Comment on the Ten Plagues of Egypt A Rehearsal of the remarkable Particulars treated of in Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy That Moses was the Pen-man and Author of the Pentateuch notwithstanding what some have lately objected against it To demonstrate yet further the Excellency of these Holy Writings I will enter upon the Third way of Proof which I proposed that is I will give you a Particular Account of the several Books contained in the Old and New Testament and I will shew all along the particular Usefulness and Excellency of them I begin first with the Old Testament which is divided by the Jews into three general Parts first Torah the Law which contains the five Books of Moses then Nebiim the Prophets which comprehends the Books of Ioshua Iudges first and second Book of Samuel the first and second of the Kings Isaiah Ieremiah Ezekiel the twelve Small Prophets all which make the second Volume then the Chetubim the Holy Writers in which are included the Psalms Proverbs Iob Canticles Ruth Lamentations Ecclesiastes Esther Daniel Ezra Nehemiah Chronicles and these made the third Volume The Books of this last Rank were written say the Jewish Doctors by the Inspiration of the Spirit but the Writers were not admitted into the Degree of Prophets because they had no Vision but their Senses remained perfect and entire all the while only the Holy Spirit stirr'd them up and dictated such and such things to them which they writ down For you must know that the Old Jews thought nothing to be right Prophecy but what was conveyed in Dreams or Visions But though this be a Rabbinical Conceit and hereby they strike David and some others out of the Number of the Prophets who were the Chief of them yet the Partition of the Old Testament as it may be rightly understood is not altogether to be rejected nay it seems to be allowed of by our Saviour himself Luke 24. 44. where he tells his Apostles that all things must be fulfilled which were written concerning him in the whole Old Testament viz. in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms under these last comprising all the other Parts of the Hagiographa Or you may divide the Books as they stand in their order in the
been said it appears that the Jews weâ—â— very careful and studious very exact and curioâ—â— in Scripture by which means it happens that theâ— is an Impossibility of making any Alteration in 〈◊〉 without being discovered That is the only Reâ—son of my alledging here the Masoretick Notes 〈◊〉 I undertake not to defend the superstitious Râ—â—marks and Criticisms of the Masorites I applaud not their laborious Niceties their childish Transmutations and shuflling of Letters and Syllables their trifling Annotations on the Figure and Make of some Hebrew Letters But I only take notice of God's Providence in making these Critical Men to be very serviceable towards the preserving the Bible of the Old Testament in its Purity The Observations of these Masoretick Doctors who were Persons of great Skill in the Language and well acquainted with all the antient Copies and Manuscripts and who above a thousand Years ago exactly numbred all the Verses Words Letters and even the minutest parts of the Hebrew Text have been a great Security and Preservative to it they have kept it undepraved and uncorrupt and have made the Reading of it certain and unalterable This is the reason why that Excellent and Noble Personage the Learned Picus Mirandula so highly extols the Hebrew Cabala without doubt he saw this Usefulness and Excellency in it Nay before these Doctors of Tiberias drew up their Masoretick Notes there was it is probable extant something of this nature They had before this time some Accompt not only of all the Letters of the Bible but of all the Apices of them for to this our Saviour alludes in Mat. 5. 18. Not one Iot or one Tittle which latter is meant of those little Horns Pricks and Dots belonging to the Hebrew Letters Not only the smallest Letters as Iod but the Cuttings of those Letters were diligently observ'd by the Masoretick Jews And this their nice and almost fond Criticism was serviceable to the keeping of the Hebrew Text entire and unchanged Thus the Masoreth as they express it is a Hedg or Fence to the Law Theâ— critical Notes and Remarks of the old Jews havâ— preserved the Text of the Bible from being corrupted and abused So that we may from henâ— gather that we have in our hands the same Heâ—brew Text which was at first given by God to 〈◊〉 People But some tell us that the Old Testament 〈◊〉 bâ—rnt at the same time when the Temple was 〈◊〉 that Ezra after the Captivity dictated and writ 〈◊〉 over again according to what we find recordâ—â— in 2 Esdras 14. 21 23 24. So there was some Recovery of the Law but the Original Book beinâ— lost it cannot be imagined but that there are many â—aults and Mistakes in This which we have 〈◊〉 present I answer Either this Passage in the Aâ—pocryphal Writer speaks of some other Book distinct from that of the Mosaick Law or it is to bâ— reckoned as fabulous and supposititious and so 〈◊〉 Creditâ— is to be given to it for in Nehem. 8. 2 3. there is mention of the Book of the Law being broughâ— before the Congregation and its being read before 〈◊〉 Men and the Women but not a Syllable of the Maâ—tâ—r mentioned in Esdras is hero to be found Yes 't is implied that the Book of the Law was still the same for you may observe that there is a particular Account of what the Chaldeans destroyed and burnt and carried away at the taking of Ierusâ—â—em but there is not a word of these holy Books which most certainly would have been taken notice of they being of so inestimable a Vaâ—â—â— Morcover if we should suppose the Law was burnt in the Temple yet there were many Copies of it among the Jews which without doubt were preserved We have no reason therefore to suspect that the Hebrew Original of the Old Testament is corrupted But some of the Antient Fathers in the Christian Church as well as some Learned Moderns have asserted that the Hebrew is corrupted I answer first as to the Fathers it is granted that Iustin Martyr declares himself to be of this Opinion In his Dialogue with Trypho he considently assirms that the Jews erased many things out of the Bible and he assigns particular Instances in the Psalms Isaiah and Ieremiah And this they did saith he because they hated Christ and his Religion and thought some of those Places favoured the Christian Cause too much Here by the by you may take notice of that great Mistake and Oversight in Bishop Ward 's Essays where he peremptorily asserts that never any of the Antient Fathers have in their greatest heat of Zeal against the Iews accused them of such Corruption i. e. of the Scriptures But this is not the first time that Iustin Martyr hath suffer'd himself to be impos'd upon in matter of Historical Truth This among others is questionless a gross Mistake of that good Man and his strong Averseness to the Jews and his belief of their Willingness and Readiness to deprave the Scriptures for their own Ends betrayed him to it As for other Fathers as Tertullian Irenaecus Origen Eusebius who it is true sometimes complain that the Scripture is corrupted by the Jews they speak of their adulterating the Text rather as to the Sense than as to the Words they mean that the Translations which the Jews used were false for they generally adhered to Aquila's and Theodotion's Version and preferr'd it before that of the Seventy Whence their Interpretations of Scripture were unsound and erroneous and thereby they sometimes set up Judaism against Christianity But this was done without corrupting thâ— Hebrew Copies of the Bible And that the Jewâ— had been guilty of no such thing is expresly asserted and maintained by Ierom and Augustine two Antient Fathers of a great Fame for Learning and Piety as those before named These worthy Persons refute that Suspicion and Rumour which it seems were then risen namely that thâ— Jews had adulterated the Hebrew Text. Thesâ— Fathers not only declare that they did no such thing but they praise them for their Faithfulness in preserving the Bible pure and uncorrupt Then as to some of the Moderns who have asserted the Hebrew Copies to be faulty and depraved it is easy to see what it was that prompted them to it The Hebrew Text is corrupted and so is that of the Septuagint say the Romanists but the old Vulgar Latin is uncorrupt and infallible so determines the Tridentine Council Several of that Communion have written against the Purity of the Hebrew Copies and laboured to prove them corrupt but Morinus hath shewed himself more zealous than all of them in this Point and he frankly confesseth this was his main Design in it viz. to baffle the Protestants who make the Scripture the Rule of their Faith and Manners If the Originals of the Bible be lost and the Transcripts be defective and erroneous how can the Bible be a certain Rule What will become then of the
Religion of the Protestants who found it solely on Scripture This being uncertain that must needs be so too Wherefore the best and only way is to have recourse to Tradition and to the Church these are the only Rule of what we are to believe and practise Thus you see what the Romish Writers who cry down the Hebrew Text aim at But most of the learnedst Men of that Church have not prosecuted their Aims and Designs this way It is well known they have generally held the Hebrew Text to be uncorrupted And the same is defended by the generality of learned Protestants who havâ— handled this Subject Isaac Vossius is the only Man of Note that holds the contrary i. e. that the Hebrew Bible as it is now is corrupted by the Jews But against him and all others either Antient or Modern who are of this Opinion I offer these following things to be considered If the Jews corrupted the Hebrew Text they did it either before or after Christ's time That they did it not before is evident because first our Saviour never takes notice of any such thing which certainly he would not have omitted at such times as he reproved the Scribes and Pharisees for their known Faults and Offences especially relating to the Law as when he taxed them for making the Law of God of none effect by their Traditions Certainly he would have rebuked them for so gross a Fault when he corrected them for some that were lesser Nay the Jews are not only not reproved for corrupting the Canon of Scripture but on the contrary their Care and Faithfulness in preserving it whole and entire are particularly taken notice of Luke 4. 16 17. Acts 13. 27. 15. 21. and commended Rom. 3. 2. Besides Christ â—endâ— his Aâ—ditors to the Old Testament to read it and â—earch it Iohn 5. 39. Whereas if they had corrupted it he would without doubt have cautionâ—â— them against it Again he and his Apoâ—tles conâ—tantly proved their Doctrine and confuted the Jews out of those very Writings which is an Argument that in our Saviour's time those Books were not corrupted else he and the Apostles would not have so frequently quoted them and â—â—ed the Testimony of almost every particular Book as Authentical and of Divine Inspiration And that the Hebrew Text was not corrupted by the Jews after our Saviour's time is as manifest because the Testimonies cited out of the Old Testament by those that succeeded Christ and hiâ— Apostles are found to be the same in those Writings now without the least Alteration Likewise it cannot be shewed at what time after Chriâ—â— the Corruption or Alteration of the Text began though the Younger Vossius is pleased to say it was presently after the Destruction of Ierusalem which yet he hath no where proved Farther if you observe those Places in the Hebrew Text which some alledg as corrupted by the Jews you 'll find that there was no Occasion or Ground for so corrupting them If they changed the Text it was questionless for their own Ends and to maintain some Error of theirs the Alteration would especially have been in those Places which speak of Christ the true Messias but you will not discover any such thing If any object Psal. 22. 16. They pierced my Hands and my Feet and say that the Jews have there purposely changed Caaru into Caari I ask why did the Masorites restore it to its right Reading If it had been corrupted by the Circumcised Doctors on purpose it would not have been taken notice of here by Men of the same Perswasion but they would have let it remain without any Marginal Correction But seeing they did not it is a sign there was no Intention to corrupt the Text. This indeed they do they add a Keri to the Ketib i. e. instead of Carri sicut Leo in the Text they write in the Margin Caaru foderunt as much as to say that Caaru is the true and genuine Reading This the Masoretick Note here testifies Besides it is evident that the Seventy did read it so and accordingly translated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thus 't is rendred in the Syriack Arabick Ethiopick and Latin But the Place was by chance corrupted because of the likeness of the two Vowels Iod and Vau and not out of design for then the Masorite Jews would not have supplied it in the Margin with that other word Caaru they pierced which agrees with the History of Christ's Sufferings Yea this Word is in some antient Copies in the Text it self which is not denied by the learned Father of the Oratory who had it from Rabbi ben Hajim the great Restorer of the Masora who acknowledgeth that in some of the Hebrew Manuscripts of the Bible which he had seen Caaru they pierced or digged was in the Text. Or why may we not take in both the Words into the Text and so reconcile the Textual and Marginal Reading This we find done by the Chaldee Version which renders the Place thus They did bite or pierce like a Lion as if the Original ran thus Caaru caari foderunt sicut Leo. This in my opinion may be a safe way of composing the Difference about this Text. However not only from this but what hath been said before I think it is manifest that the Jews did not adulterate this Text. And among all those other Texts that are said to be chang'd and adulterated you will scarcely find one that hath reference to that great Concern oâ— the Jews whence we may conclude that the Old Testament remains altogether unaltered I might farther add that the Multitude of Copies was great every-where both before and after Christ's time so that it was impossible to corrupt them all I know some have inferr'd the Corruption of the Original Hebrew from the great difference which is to be found between that and the Version of the Seventy but I shall afterwards when I come to speak of the Perfection of Scripture give a large and full Account of the Reason of this Difference whence I shall make it plain that this Difference proceeds not at all from the Depravation of the Original Hebrew The short then is that the Hebrew Bible is pure and uncorrupt and after all the Disputes about the various Readings it is undeniable that there is no difference in the Hebrew Copies as to any thing considerable and of moment it toucheth not any necessary Point of Religion which we are bound to know and practise In the several Copies the same Historical Passages are related the same Miracles recorded the same Prophecies and Predictions the same Doctrines Laws and Precepts set down and that without any varying So that we are certain of the Integrity of the Hebrew Bible Notwithstanding what hath been suggested to the contrary we are assured that we have the true Authentick Copies of the first Original Writings and in a word that the Hebrew Text is the same that it was and is still in
have are not to be subjected to the Examination of the outward Testimony of the Scriptures but are above them Thus these bold Men out of a pretence of Inspiration vilify the Sacred Volume of the Bible Thus absurdly and irreligiously these deluded Persons out of an Enthusiastick Heat prefer their own private Spirit before the Holy Spirit of God speaking in the Scriptures The Men hold themselves to be Perfect but the Scripture must by no means be so it is weak and imperfect and ought to give way to the Inward Impressions in their Minds which according to them are that more sure Word of Prophecy whereunto they think they do well to give heed as unto a Light shining in a dark Place But we see that they are thereby led into gross Error and Darkness And as to this particular Perswasion concerning the Meanness of the Scriptures they therein as in several other things symbolize with the Church of Rome whence they had their Original They confound Natural Light or Reason with Revelation they hold that Pagans are in as good a Condition as Christians they make their private Dictates as Authentick as the Bible yea they must needs hold that there is no Infallible Rule of Truth or Practice but their own Notions and Sentiments which some of their Writers call Canonical I might observe to you that besides Iews Papists and Enthusiasts there are Others that deny the Excellency and Perfection of the Holy Scriptures as Atheists and mere Politicians who indeavour to perswade the World that all Religion is a Cheat and that This Book is so too Likewise the Generality of Hereticks Seducers and Impostors who it is no wonder debase that which they design to pervert But the bare mentioning of these Persons is sufficient to beget a Dislike of them with all that are Wise and Sober and who are convinc'd of the Scriptures perfection from those Topicks which I have propounded It may be said of most Books as Martial said of his There are some good and some bad things in them and some of a middle Nature But in this Divine Book there are no such Allays all is pure and uncorrupt entire and unmixed there are no Defects no Mistakes in this Infallible Volume given us from Heaven Shall the Turks then when they find a Leaf or any part of the Alcoran on the Ground take it up and kiss it and deposite it in some safe place affirming it to be a great Sin to suffer that wherein the Name of God and Mahomet's Laws are written to be trodden under Feet And shall not we Christians highly value and reverence the Sacred Volume of the Bible the Writings of the Old and New Testament which contain the Words of God Himself and the Laws of the Blessed Jesus which enrich us with that Sublime and Supernatural Learning which is the Rule of our Faith the Conduct of our Manners and the Comfort of our Lives CHAP. II. The Bible is furnish'd with all sorts ofHumane as well as Divine Learning Hebrew wherein the Old Testament was written is the Primitive Language of the World The True Origine of the World is plainly recorded in no other Writings but these The first Chapter of Genesis is a real History and records Matter of â—act It is largely proved that the Mosaâ—ck History gives us a particular Account of the first Rise of the several Nations and People of the Earth and of the Places of their Habitation Also the true Knowledg of the Original of Civil Government and the Increases of it and the diffâ—rent Changes it underwent is derived from these Writings The Courts of Judicature and the several kinds of Punishment among the Jews distinctly treated of The Government among the Heathen Nations The four Celebrated Monarchies or Empires of the World I Proceed now to the Second General Head of my Discourse viz. the Vniversal Vsefulness of the Bible as to things that are Temporal and Seculaâ— Not only all Religious Divine and Saving Knowledg is to be fetch'd hence but that likewise which is Natural and Humane and bâ—longs to the World and Arts. Many believe the former but can't be induc'd to credit the latter for they think the Bible was writ only for the saving of Mens Souls but that all other Knowledg and Discoveries are to be derived wholly from other Writers I have sometimes observ'd that Persons who have had a good Desire to Learning and were greedy Devourers of all other Authors yet have no regard to the Scriptures and fondly imagine there is no Improvement of Mens Notions no enlarging of their Understandings no Grounds of Excellent Literature from the Sacred Writ They perswade themselves that the Bible may serve well enough for the Use of those that study Divinity or make Sermons but that the Writings of Profane Authors must be wholly consulted for other things But this is a gross Surmise and possesses the unthinking Heads of those only that consider not the Matchless Antiquity of the Bible or that on a worse Account refuse to acquaint themselves with these Writings and care not for that Book which speaks so much of God and Religion and checks the Disorders of Mens Lives All honest industrious and impartial Enquirers into Learning know that the Scriptures are the Greatest Monument of Antiquity that is Extant in the whole World and particularly that the First and Earliest Inventions of things are to be known only from the Old Testament especially the five first Books of it In vain do you look for these in the Writings of other Men for though some of them relate very Antient Occurrences yet they are not so old as these and as for those Writers who pretend to some Greater Antiquity and have been so impudent as to think that they could impose upon the World they have been exploded by all Persons of Sobriety and serious Thoughts In Pagan Writers we have some wild Guesses at the Origine of things and the First Inventors of Arts but he that is desirous to have Certain and Infallible Information concerning these must consult the Writings of Moses and other Books of the Old Testament From these alone we learn what were the Antientest Usages in the World and what was the first Rise and Original of them Wherefore I may safely pronounce that no Man can have the just Repute of a Scholar unless he hath read and studied the Bible for in this one Book there is more Humane Learning than in all the Books of the World besides And therefore here by the way I cannot but look upon it as a very Scandalous Mistake that the knowledg and Study of the Holy Scriptures are for Divines only as if these were not to be skill'd in any Humane Learning They that talk after this rate understand not what the Study of Divinity and True Scholarship are for there is no Compleat Divine that is not well vers'd in Humane Literature and there is no Compleat Scholar that is not skill'd in