be agreed also that their Memory might deceive them It is clear then that if the Holy Ghost left them to their Infirmities our warrants for the truth of their Revelations is not over abounding Therefore we must of necessity admit the Guidance of the Holy Spirit VVhen we seriously dive into the writings of these Gentlemen there is a great deal of reason to suspect that they seem to have some regard for the Apostolic Revelations only to make some shew They do not believe they do any injury to their Darling Principle which reduces all Religion to Reason purely Natural They know well that the number of these Revelations is not considerable And should we oppose against them any one that annoy'd them never so little they would from the Infirmities of the Apostles derive an argument which should bring their Revelations to the trial Their Concessions are exactly calculated for their Principles specious appearances which signifie little Such is their Confession of the Infallibility of Jesus Christ They discourse of it in pompous Terms which however are of no great advantage to the Christian Religion For since he has not written any thing all that comes onely to the infallibility of Preaching If a Doctrine taught viva voce with Infallibility be intrusted to Writers that may falsifie it 't is evident that their Writings can be no foundation of a certain Belief And therefore we have a priviledge to examin what they have written by the Rules of sound Judgement And to this it is that they would reduce all Religion But not to speak at present of any other Revelations than what the Apostles had 't is seen that though an Infallible Spirit suggested them they lose the Prerogative of their original Infallibility when they come once to be handled by the Apostles in case the Holy Ghost had suffered those Revelations be obscur'd by human infirmities I say then that the Holy Ghost acts two ways by relation to the truths which he hath revealed by the Apostles First he suggested those truths which he imprinted in their Souls by some of those ways which I have set down wherein the Apostles were in a passive disposition like a piece of Cloth that receives the Colours 'T is in this manner that they were instructed but when they set themselves to instruct others and communicate in writing what the Holy Ghost had taught them he acted after another manner he push'd them forward to write he strengthen'd and refreshed their Memories and so directed their Pens that they wrote nothing which was not to the purpose and according to the most exact Rules of Truth There was then in the written Revelations which they have left us two sorts of Inspiration Inspiration of Suggestion and Inspiration of Direction CHAP. III. Wherein is Explain'd the Nature of the Inspiration of the Sacred Books of the New Testament in reference to things which the Apostles had heard and seen WE must acknowledge that we should expose our selves to very smart Objections in maintaining that the Holy Ghost dictated all the Words and all the Things which the Apostles wrote The Infallibility of their VVritings does not depend upon that Hypothesis as we shall shew hereafter The Holy Ghost suggested to those Holy Men the things which they knew not But as for those things which they knew they had need only of his Direction to render 'em infallible in their VVritings To the end my Notion may be the better understood I distinguish those things which the Apostles knew by the ordinary ways of Knowledge There were some that had a regard to ordinary Education and others that were the Consequences of Instruction in Religion I refer to common Education whatever the Apostles might have learn'd from Nature and Society There are an infinite number of Things which enter into the Minds of the most vulgar Souls even without study I do not pretend that the Apostles were learned and witty Men at the time they were called 'T is known that unless it were S. Paul whose Education had been singular the other Apostles were very rude and unpolish'd and they had reason to make of their Ignorance a Glorious Monument to the Holy Ghost who with such feeble Instruments triumph'd and caus'd the Gospel to triumph in all Places However this is no Hinderance but that it must be agreed that the Apostles had replenish'd their Minds with several things which they had learn'd without the Help of Study They had general Ideas that are obvious to the most illiterate and they had other Ideas with which their Profession and common Conversation furnish'd ' em The Instruction which they receiv'd in Religion was at two times before and after their Call to the Apostleship Before their Call they knew as much as had been usually taught of the Jewish Religion to the common People whether by the Exposition of Scripture or the Rehearsal of some Traditions After their Call for three or four years they saw and heard what is to be read in the Gospels These are those things which enter'd into the Minds of the Apostles by seeing and hearing and which have their Place in the Apostolick Writings Common Knowledge furnish'd 'em with Allusions Metaphors Proverbs and Maxims of Wisdom The Knowledge of Religion challenges the first Rank in Scripture there we see the Christian ingrafted upon the Jew the Gospel added to the Law the Apostles wrote concerning Christianity as People that had been Jews Our Business is to decide how the Holy Ghost guided the Apostles in those things which they knew by the ways already observ'd 'T is clear that a new Suggestion was absolutely useless and as we ought not at any time to have Recourse to Miracles but in a Case of Necessity we should violate that Maxim by affirming that the Holy Ghost suggested and whisper'd into the Ears of the Apostles what they knew before He was not oblig'd to begin but where Nature had ended 't was enough that he spoke when she became silent Let us not imagine however that he was only a Spectator of the Functions of Nature He brought her to perfection and hinder'd her from going astray In the Hands of this great Master the Faculties of the Soul receiv'd a new Degree of Strength the Senses more faithfully admitted the Images of Objects the Memory was refresh'd and confirm'd and the Judgment found the way not to be deceiv'd 'T is my Opinion that it cannot be deny'd but that the Apostles found all these Advantages in the assistance of a Spirit that in a moment taught 'em to speak Foreign Languages that in Answer to their Prayers reviv'd the dead but which appears to us yet more considerable for our Purpose who made choice of the Apostles to make 'em Masters whose Credit should be so great as that the Faith of the People might rely upon their Testimony We have thus seen that the Apostles learn'd by the assistance of their Senses several things before they were call'd and after
whatever befalls the one whether Good or Evil is the Concern of the whole Body we are Prisoners with the Prisoners we are whatever the Faithful are we are seated in Heaven with those who are there already we shall live in those that shall survive at the last day The Figure is bold it may be for a common Style but it naturally agrees with those Ideas of which S. Paul was full in reference to the Union of the Faithful By means of this Explanation 't is easie to see that he never thought himself exempt from death and that what he says in the First Epistle to the Thessalonians no way contradicts what he teaches in the Second Let it then be allow'd for certain that this Example is no Obstruction but that this Apostle and his Colleagues were infallibly directed by the Holy Ghost But it behoves us to return to those things that are only Concomitants of the Doctrine and see whether the Infallibility of the Apostles went so far CHAP VIII Wherein is examined what influence the Direction of the Holy Ghost had over those things that were only Concomitants of the Doctrine I Call Concomitants of the Doctrine certain things which without making any part of the Evangelical Doctrine are join'd with it nevertheless for Illustration sake or for some other Reason as Proverbs the particular affairs of the Apostles Quotations or if there be any thing else of the same Nature As for Proverbs S. Paul cites one to render more sensibly perspicuous what he had spoken concerning the misery of Relapses But it is happen'd unto them according to the true Proverb the Dog is returned to his Vomit again Such is that moral Maxim which S. Paul Cites in the Epistle to the Corinthians Evil Company corrupts good Manners Now according to the Principles that I have already set down these Passages were not inspir'd but laid by way of Direction We are not to seek for any other Infallibility of the Proverbs quoted by the Sacred Authors than that of Aim and Design which consists only in the applications and Consequences Though among these Proverbs there should be any one that it would be a hard matter to make good which however I make it not my Business to examin the Authority of the Holy Ghost would be in no danger for all that provided the use made of it were good and the Consequence true That suffices to keep up the Honor of the direction of the Holy Ghost I speak not here of Philosophic Notions for I do not find that the Holy Ghost permitted the Apostles to make any use of 'em though it may be supposed that they might have learn'd some by Hearsay and for that St. Paul had studied at Tarsus and Jerusalem that is to say in the Schools where Philosophy was in request A Spanish Author Vales de sac Phil. who has diligently over-run the whole Scripture to take notice of such Passages wherein it asserts some Physical Truth observes nothing in the Apostolic Writings unless it be what Saint Peter speaks of the dissolution of the Elements at the last day But this Example wherein it is clear that the thing in dispute is about a reveal'd Doctrine has nothing in common with natural Philosophy neither does it hinder us from asserting that the Apostles religiously abstain'd from touching upon natural Questions The Holy Ghost had no design to make them Masters of Philosophy We find in the Writings of the Apostles that they speak sometimes of their own particular affairs as when S. Paul sends for his Cloak and his Parchmins Now upon those the Direction of the Holy Ghost is no farther concern'd than to take care that the Apostles write nothing indecent and what is contrary to sound Sence When their Pens confin'd themselves within these Bounds he let them alone but if it went astray he took care to reduce it We may expect from this direction that when these Holy men wrote any thing concerning their own affairs they should let nothing escape them unworthy the Gravity of the first Ministers of the Gospel There is a little more scruple to be made in reference to Quotations and some slight Circumstances of matters of Fact related in the New Testament Some think that the Apostles were sometimes mistaken in both these Cases yet without any injury to the infallibility of things in respect of their main and most important Verity I must acknowledge that the Apostles might be mistaken in the Quotations of Authors or in Circumstances of little importance and yet that no solid argument can be drawn from thence against the Fundamental truth of their History But I find nothing strong enough to oblige me to agree that these sorts of Errors are to be met with in the Apostolic Writings I have great reason rather to believe that the Holy Ghost one of whose cares it was to corroborate the Memory of the Apostles would not suffer them to be defective in the exercise of a Faculty which he undertook to strengthen I cannot imagin that a Spirit which had enrich'd the Apostles with such excellent Gifts would abandon his Ministers upon such an occasion Such a Desertion would have been of greater Consequence that it appears to be For though in the Opinion of men of Judgement slight Faults are no way prejudicial to the Doctrine of the Gospel yet considering the great variety of mens Humors and Dispositions such slips make very untoward impressions Let us suppose that the Apostles in citing the Authors of the Old Testament should have quoted Moses instead of Joshuah David instead of Solomon or that they had made a confusion among the Names of the Prophets Let us suppose that these Holy men had contradicted themselves in the relation of the Circumstances of all the Evangelical matters of Fact would not this have imprinted into the Jews a strange Idea of the Apostles an Idea sufficient to have utterly ruin'd the Grand design of the Gospel Now in regard it behoves us to be convinc'd that it was the intention of the Holy Ghost to labour the propagation of the Gospel by the Ministry of the Apostles 't is no less evident in my Opinion that the wise Director did not relinquish them to any such disorder These Considerations are not well weigh'd in the minds of some Authors no more than the Examples which they cite On the other side M. N. has picked up all the Authors he could think of to support his Sentiment touching the faults of memory which he attributes to the Apostles But all this Enquiry could produce no more than three or four Authors viz. St. Jerome Erasmus Episcopius and Capel Upon which I shall make several Observations that bereave M. N. of all the advantage which he reaps by the use he makes of those Authors 1. Let us a little examin the nature of of their Testimony We are not to reckon that of Saint Jerome for M. N. acknowledges that that same Author contradicts himself upon
Spring Moreover we have reason to examin and suspect them because they are not recommended to us by Persons actuated by the infallible Spirit of God This Reason is express'd by the Ancients in other terms for they say that the Apocryphal Books added to the Old Testament want Canonical Authority because they were written by persons who were no Prophets and who lived after Malachi the last of the Prophets Wherein they followed Josephus who has deriv'd from thence the grand Character of the difference which we ought to make between the Canonical Books and the Apocryphal The words of the Author are so remarkable as not to be omitted Answer to Appion l. 1. c. 2. There can be nothing more certain than the Writings authoriz'd among us because they cannot be subject to any Contradiction in regard that there is nothing approv'd but what the Prophets wrote some Ages ago according to the purity of Truth by the Inspiration and Agitation of the Spirit of God They have also written all that pass'd from the time of Artaxerxes to our Time But by reason there has not been as formerly a successive Series of the Prophets there is not the same Credit given to the Books which I have mention'd The Books written after the Prophet Malachi have been constantly rejected in regard he was the last Writer whom the Holy Ghost inspir'd under the Old Testament Euseb l. 8. De monst Evangel Quod ab illo tempore servatoris nullum extet Sacrum Voâ—umen VVhat I have said in respect of the Old Testament takes place in relation to the New Several Books of Piety were compos'd in the Primitive Church the Authors were Persons of Worth and the Books were so useful that the Reading of them was not only recommended to private Persons but they made no scruple to read them in publick For example the Epistle of Saint Clement had the same Honour VVherefore was it that those Books were not put into the number of Canonical that is to say of those Books that are the constant Rule of our Faith and Manners It was not always because they were in some things erroneous but by reason they were not inspir'd by the Holy Ghost that was sufficient to hinder them from being received for Canonical The Question that was put when there was a Dispute about any Book of which they doubted was to know whether or no it were written by a Person inspired Thence it came to pass that in the History of Eusebius we find that Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria pronouncing his Sentence upon the Apocalyps said that he acknowledged it to be the work of some Holy Man inspir'd by the Spirit of God 'T is known also that Origen speaking of the Book written by Hermas Reor enim sancti cujusdam divino spiritu afflati viri id opus esse Euseb h. e. l. 7. c. 21. Quae Scriptura valde mihi utilis videtur Et ut puto divinitus inspirata Origen l. 10. reptam Epist ad Rom. c. 16. Com. 14. said That he believ'd it to be a Writing divinely inspir'd a certain proof that they believ'd those Books which the Church has admitted as Canonical were inspir'd by the Holy Ghost CHAP. V. The Fourth Proof drawn from the honour which the Ancients paid to the Sacred Books of the New Testament WE may draw a very strong Argument to prove that the Primitive Church believ'd that the Sacred Books of the New Testament were inspired from the Honour and Reverence which they paid them I shall begin with that Holy awe which kept the Ancients from attempting any alterations in the Sacred Writings Addenti aut dâ—trahenti poena non modica Iren. adv Heres l 5. c. 30. It was a piece of rashness and Sacriledge to adulterate them either by adding or diminishing They were laden with Anathemas who were so bold as to lay their mending Hands upon those Sacred VVritings We find in the Ecclesiastical History that the Heretics who denied the Divinity of our Lord had the confidence to falsifie the Scripture to accommodate the Text to their Opinions Upon which an Author of the Primitive Ages says that it was not likely that the Heretics were ignorant how criminal an Enterprize of that nature was For says he Quantae porro audaciae sit ejusmodi facinus ne ipsos quidem ignorare credibile est aut enim sacras scripturas à spiritu sancto dictatas esse non credunt ac proinde infideles sunt aut semet ipso spiritu sancto sapientiores esse existimant ac proinde quid aliud sunt quam Demoniaci Euseb h. e. l. 5. c. ult either they believe not that the Sacred Scriptures were dictated by the Holy Ghost and so are Infidels or they imagine themselves to be wiser than the Holy Ghost and then what are they other then Demoniacs They had an inviolable Veneration for the Sacred Scripture Tatianus for having only presumed to put the Epistles of St. Paul into more elegant Language incurred the Censure which may be seen in the Historian last cited Euseb l. 4.29 If the Church were so jealous of the words of the Scripture we may easily judge of the Indignation of the Christians when they saw that any body durst presume to violate the Text it self either by addition or diminution 'T is clear that the Christians would never have been so sensible of injury done to the Scripture if they had not believed it to be the work of the Holy Spirit Some small fragment of Piety affixed to human Works would never have been a crime of Sacriledge For example I see not what great harm it could be to sow to S. Paul's Epistle to Philemon some little Discourse upon that Indulgence which is due from Christian Masters to their Servants were it true that the Epistle to Philemon is a Peice wherein the Holy Spirit had no Share 'T is true there may be something said in dislike of such an Act in regard that Sincerity requires that other Mens Works should be let alone in their natural Dress Nevertheless the Miscarriage deserves not to be treated with the Penalties of Sacrilege there is no reason to make such a noise about it as the Primitive Christians did upon the Alterations that were made in the Writings of the New Testament Nothing more clearly shews the Opinion which the Ancients had of the Inspiration of the Sacred Books than the Honor which they paid 'em in looking upon 'em as Sovereign Decrees in Matters of Religion For which Reason it was that in several Councils they were plac'd upon a Throne as they would have seated Jesus Christ himself had he come visibly to preside in those Holy Assemblies There was the same Honor paid to his Word as they would have done to his Person Which clearly shews with what an Eye of Veneration they look'd upon the Sacred Writings of the New Testament This Honor also no less visibly appears in the use which
that our Divines have made use of in imitation of the ancient Fathers of the Church are made good by that share which the Holy Ghost has in the Sacred VVritings of the New Testament It contains several Oracles which the Holy Ghost did dictate as for other things the Apostles were under the immediate direction of the Holy Ghost who infallibly guiding their Pens adopted whatever they wrote Such a Guidance as cannot be denied without overthrowing Fundamentals VVhich being granted all Divines may bestow all those honourable Expressions upon the Apostolic VVritings and look upon them as the work of the Holy Ghost This is the Idea which we have in general of the Inspiration of these Sacred Writings and which we are now going more particularly to explain CHAP. II. Wherein is explained the nature of the Inspiration of the New Testament in respect of Revelations THat we may have a distinct Idea of the Inspiration of the Holy VVritings 't is requisite to distinguish the Things which they contain which I shall do into three Orders In the first I shall put the Revelations The second is for those things which the Apostles learn'd by the natural assistances of their Hearing and Sight In the third you shall see the Progress which they made by reasoning upon the Truths of the two first Orders This distinction presents it self at first to the mind so that you see the Apostles wrote things which they knew by Revelation by Sence or by reasoning I design this Chapter for the Truths which they understood by way of Revelation There is no need of insisting long upon it because there does not appear to be any Contest between M. N. and us upon this Subject He agrees that the Apostles have said several things by Inspiration Sentim p 240. lb. p 252. I acknowledge says he that the Apostles might have certain Prophetic Inspirations and that they really had such And in another place Not but that they had several immediate Inspirations and several Visions as appears by the Acts by the Apocalypse and by divers other parts of their Writings And toward the end of the twelfth Letter There are several Prophesies scattered in their Writings and the Apocalypse is altogether Prophetic and we ought to give Credit to those Revelations because it was God that sent them immediately to his Apostles M. N. constantly maintains this Thesis in the defence of his Sentiments where he also advances something more to the purpose Defence p. 225. since he believes that God did often dictate to the Apostles the words which they were to make use of We both agree then that there are in the VVritings of the Apostles several things which those Holy Men learn'd by the way of Suggestion There needs no more to put the Business past all dispute but to read the Apostolick writings themselves There it is to be seen that the Apostles were often instructed by all the ways which God made use of to inspire the Prophets with his Oracles I understand from Grotius that according to the Jews this Inspiration was perform'd four ways by Visions in the day time by Dreams in the Night by a Voice from Heaven Solet Deus hominibus voâ—â—tatem suam aut res fuâ—â—â—â— patefacere visis Diâ—â—nis visis sâ—cundum quietem vâ—ce asslatu Giot. in 〈◊〉 Matt. and by the secret suggestion of the Holy Ghost These four Orders of Revelations are to be found in the Apostolic Writings The Apocalypse contains several Visions by Day 't was in the day time that S. Peter had a Vision in the behalf of the Centurion Cornelius The Apostles had also Visions in the Night time Acts 16.9 The Macedonian appeared in the Night That word which said that Old men should dream Dreams was accomplished The Apostles heard Voices from Heaven The Lord said to St. Paul My Grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness There are several instances whereby it appears that the Holy Ghost did secretly instruct the Apostles VVhen St. Peter was pondring upon the Vision which he had seen the Spirit told him Behold three men seek thee Arise therefore and get thee down and go with them without doubting for I have sent them 'T is plain that it was not the Spirit of St. Peter which is spoken of in that place Which I add to the end men may not think that by the Spirit is meant a bare disposition of Piety The Question is about a Spirit who had sent three men to St. Peter The same Spirit the same Person admonish'd him to go and meet them Sometimes also the particular inclinations of the Apostles were withstood by the inspiration of this Spirit so true it is that it never signified the natural inclinations of their Piety The thing is of that importance as deserves a Proof and there needs no more for one to be satisfied than to read the sixteenth Chapter of the Acts. After they were come into Mysia Acts 16.7 they assay'd to go into Bithynia but the Spirit suffered them not A greater Force opposes the particular designs of St. Paul and Timothy The Spirit of God suggested often to the Apostles what they had to do and say VVhat St. Paul says to Timothy may be rank'd among the Revelations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Spirit says distinctly and in express terms That in the later times some shall depart from the faith The Apostles as we shall find hereafter wrote some things wherein the Holy Ghost was no otherwise concern'd than by way of Direction but they wrote other things which he suggested expresly to them And such was this his foretelling the Departure which should happen in the latter times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But it is not enough to have prov'd that the Apostles had Revelations which may not be deny'd without opposing the Scripture All those who desire that Men should believe that they have any Respect for this Sacred Book will agree upon this for a Truth Spinosa himself will acknowledge it He says That 't is beyond all Controversie that the Apostles were Prophets So far we are agreed But if we put the Question a little higher Nemo qui novum Testamentum legit dubitare potest Apostolos Prophetas fuisse l. 1. c. 11. Tract Theoâ—â— and ask how the Apostles have couch'd in writing the Revelations which they had we shall meet with Adversaries M. N. says that we ought to give Credit to those Revelations because it was God who sent them immediately That is certain but if the Apostles have either maliciously or for want of Memory corrupted their Revelations where shall we be then M. N. answers that they were men of Probity and that we ought to rely upon their Sincerity They were men of Probity 't is true but it must be agreed at the same time that it was not an infallible Probity and that it was not impossible but that they might injure the Truth 'T is to