c. 6. that tho there are wonderful stories told in the old Testament yet that is no proof that the things themselves were Miraculous or such as exceeded the power of Natural Agents for the Jews loved to talk big and make a great deal more of a story by their way of telling it than the matter of Fact really was Just so the Socinians when they are pressed with plain Texts of Scripture for the Divinity or Satisfaction of Christ make this their constant Refuge that the Hebrew Language is full of Metaphors and the Writers don't mean half so much as they say Now this is an excellent device to render the Scriptures an insignificant Book or which is much the same make it say whatever these New Expositors please But before this trick will pass these Gentlemen should convince us that since 't is impossible to know the meaning of the Scripture by the words 't is they only have the secret of telling us its true Sense and the Key to these Mystical Characters And here I shall take occasion to reflect upon another passage in these Letters which indeed belongs to the Subject treated of in the former part of this Chapter viz. Concerning the Assistance of the Holy Ghost which our Saviour promised his Disciples but being another Essay of our Author's dexterity in this new way of Interpreting Scripture I chose to make my remarks upon it in this place 'T is his gloss upon that place of St. John z Joh. 16.13 14 15. He shall not speak of himself but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak c. He observes a Fr. p. 254. En. p. 66. that these words must be extremely figurative because the Holy Ghost properly speaking did not hear from God or Jesus Christ that which he was to Inspire the Apostles with From whence it must follow or else this Observation of his is Impertinent that the words immediately foregoing b John 16.13 When the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth must be very Figurative too and not imply that the Spirit really taught the Apostles any thing in a proper Sense Now to pass by this Consequence of his viz. that plain words are to be understood Metaphorically because they are joyn'd with words that have a Metaphor in them I can't but observe thus much for the clearing the sense of this Text that our Saviour uses no other expressions concerning the Holy Spirit here than what he had often used before of himself when he so often says that what he taught he had heard and received from the Father c John 5.30 c. 8.26.40 c. 15.15 And I hope 't will be granted that our Saviour taught his Disciples in a proper Sense without a Metaphor and why then must it follow from this way of speaking that the Holy Ghost did not But to return to our present subject That he says b Fr. p. 241. En. p. 44. which inclines him to believe that the foremention'd Promise of our Saviour the Holy Ghost or Spirit of the Father shall teach you in that hour what ye ought to say means no more then this viz. The Spirit of Courage and Holiness which the Gospel produces in your hearts will teach you what ye ought to say is That in comparing this Promise with the Event it seems not to have been perform'd in any other sense than what he has now given But has he indeed compar'd it with all the Events mention'd in the History of the Acts Not at all only has pick'd out two Instances which he thought he could make Exceptions against Sure if he had dealt fairly and impartially in this matter he would not have pass'd by the Boldness of Peter and John c Act. 4.13 which was so Extraordinary it made the. Sanhedrim wonder nor the Couragious Behaviour of all the Apostles d Act. 5.29 in both which Cases the Apostles told the Sanhedrim to their faces of their Horrid Sin in Murdering the Messias and that there was no way to Salvation but by Believing in him whom they had Crucified The Event in both these Cases seems to come up to the highest Sense of our Savior's Words and if we had an exact History of the Sufferings of the Apostles I do not question but we should find many more Proofs of the Accomplishment of this Promise Since in those few Remains that we have of the Genuine Acts of the Martyrs there are eminent Instances of their Courage in Professing the Truth e v Acta Ignat. per Usserium Edit Martyr Polycarpi ap Euseb H. E. l. 4 c. 15. Acta Martyr Lugd. Vienn Ibid. l. 5. c. 1. Cypriani Passio operibut ejus prefix which at First Sight discover something more than Humane and may justly be look'd upon as one of the greatest and most convincing Arguments of the Truth of Christianity and the Divine Power which accompanied its True Professors I am sure Justin Martyr confesses that this very Argument prevail'd with him to embrace the Christian Religion f Apol. 1. And if the Behaviour of the Martyrs in aftertimes was so Extraordinary we cannot think that the Apostles were in this respect Inferiour to their Disciples Now a man that had a real Concern for the honour of our Saviour and his Apostles and was desirous to magnify the Power of God's Grace and set it in the best Light he could would not have pass'd over all the Evidences for it and only insisted upon those Instances which he thought would lessen and obscure it But let us see whether the Instances he brings do really so much lessen the Promise of our Saviour as he imagines As for St. Paul's Behaviour to the High Priest g Act. 23.3 which is our Author's first Instance h Fr. p. 241. Eng. p. 45. he cannot be ignorant that some Expositors of the best Note i Grot. Estius Beza as well as his Adversary Mr. Simon k Eng. p. 178. Fr. p. 259. understand those words of his God shall smite thee thou whited wall as spoken by the Authority and in the Style of a Prophet as our Saviour call'd Herod Fox l Luk. 13.32 and St. Paul call'd Nero Lyon m 2 Tim. 4.17 And they that maintain this Opinion do not suppose that St. Paul in the next words beg'd Pardon and confess'd that he was to blame for what he said as our Author takes for granted that he did Å¿ Ubi sup But they take this to be the real Sense of the 5th v. tho purposely concealed under ambiguous Terms I cannot believe or own such a man to be High Priest who came into his Place by those ill Acts as Ananias did for if I had look'd upon him as High Priest I should not have transgressed the Law in giving him such disrespectful Language But if we understand the Place in the same Sense which Mr. N. does and own the Apostle to have been surpriz'd
in Christ and his Church Our Author grants k Fr. p. 283. En. p. 113. that God immediately imparted to the Apostles those Prophecies which are to be found in their Writings so that this point need not to be further Insisted upon I proceed therefore to consider their gift of Explaining the Prophecies of the Old Testament and applying them to the times of the Gospel And here 't is to be considered that tho our Saviour did explain many Prophecies to his Disciples after his Resurrection concerning his own Sufferings and Exaltation and the Preaching of the Gospel to all Nations l Luk. 24.27 45 46 47. yet there were several other Prophecies which they could not understand till they were indued with Power from on High and thereby inabled to comprehend the great Mysteries of God's Oeconomy as in several other Instances so particularly in the Rejecting of the Jews and Calling of the Gentiles And therefore those Dispensations of the Old Testament which the Apostles apply to these purposes viz. the Allegory of Ismael and Isaac m Rom. 9.7 Gal. 4.24 of Jacob and Esau n Rom. 9.10 c. by which S. Paul illustrates this matter the words of Moses in his Song o Deut. 32.21 which he applies to the same purpose p Rom. 10.19 as also the words of Habakkuk q Acts 13.41 I say the explaining the Mystical Sense and Design of these and such like Occurrences and Prophecies of the Old Testament is to be reckon'd a peculiar gift bestowed upon the Apostles by the holy Spirit 1. Because they themselves look upon it as such as appears by St. Paul's reckoning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r 1 Cor. 12.8 which word certainly signifies the gift of Interpreting the Mysteries of the Old Testament and applying them to the State of things under the New 2. Because those Providential Occurrences had a secret and hidden design in them which could be discover'd by none but God that order'd them who as he comprehends the most distant Ages in one single view so in his disposing and ordering the more Remarkable Events under the Old Testament had all along an Eye to the times under the New 3. As to the Prophecies 't is not likely that any persons without a Supernatural Illumination could look to the end and utmost Completion of them since the Prophets themselves had not this priviledge granted them as appears from those places ſ Rom. 16.25 1 Cor. 2.7 Eph. 3.9 Colos 1.26 where the Gospel is called a Mystery kept secret since the World began a hidden Mystery and hid from Ages and Generations And especially from those remarkable words of St. Peter t 1 Pet. 1.10 11 12. Of which Salvation by Christ the Prophets have inquir'd and searched diligently who prophecied of the Grace that should come unto you searching what and what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify when it testified beforehand the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow To whom it was revealed that not to themselves but to us they did Minister these things From whence it appears that tho the Prophets were very Inquisitive after the Manner how and the Time when their Prophecies should be fulfill'd yet they had only this general Satisfaction that they should not be fulfill'd in their own time And I think we may infer from thence that the perfect understanding them was reserv'd to the times of the Messias And tho the event would sufficiently Interpret the meaning of several of them yet there were some that needed a greater Light than that to understand them and apply them aright To which we may add that the manner of Interpreting the Prophecies of the Old Testament which the Apostles used is a Rule to after Ages how they are to Interpret the Prophetical Writings and prove the Truth of the Gospel by them and therefore the same reasons which prove the Writings of the Apostles in general Divinely Inspir'd because they are a standing Rule of Christian Faith may be applied to that part of them which consists in explaining the Mystical Sense of the Old Testament Writings But concerning the Mystical Sense of the Prophets I shall have an opportunity to speak more fully in the next Chapter And so much may suffice for the proof of the third general Head viz. That the Assistance which the holy Spirit gave the Apostles was something more than refreshing their Memories and recalling to their minds what our Saviour had said unto them I proceed to shew IV. That the Apostles had an extraordinary Assistance when they were summon'd before Magistrates upon the account of their Religion and to vindicate their Behaviour at that time from the unbecoming and Irreverent Reflections of this Author One would think the words of our Saviour were plain enough in this point u Matt. 10.19 20. Mark 13.11 Take no thought before-hand what ye shall speak for it shall be given you in the same hour what ye ought to say for 't is not ye that speak but the Holy Ghost says S. Mark the Spirit of your Father saith S. Matthew speaks in you If this had been only a Spirit of Courage and Holiness arising from the Belief of the Gospel as Mr. N. pretends w Fr. p. 241. Eng. p. 44. 't would have requir'd a great deal of Care Consideration and Reflection to keep it warm upon their Hearts that it might not cool when danger approached And our Saviour's precluding the use of Humane means proves that it was something more than an ordinary Grace which always requires the Cooperation of our Natural Faculties and shews that 't was as much a new Impulse which the Apostles were to feel upon their minds on such occasions as any Prophetick Inspiration whatsoever But notwithstanding the plain import of the words rather than own an extraordinary Inspiration the natural force of the words must be dwindled away into nothing under the pretence of their being only a Hebrew way of speaking x Fr. p. 244 Eng. p. 49. like The Spirit of jealousie of slumber c. which are found in the Old Testament As if there was no difference in the nature of the Expression between the Holy Ghost or the Spirit of the Father and the spirit of jealousie or stupidity But this is the constant method of our New Interpreters of Scripture that don't care to believe any thing to be there but what Natural Powers can effect and Intellectual ones comprehend When they are pressed with plain words of Scripture they will not out of Good Manners in downright terms deny their Authority but think it more decent to evade it by explaining away all the force of them and alledging the Metaphorical and Pompous way of speaking which the Eastern Languages use which seems to imply a great deal more in it than the Writer really design'd Thus Spinoza tells us y Theol. Polit.
by Passion yet still there will appear evident Tokens of a Divine Assistance accompanying him if we take an entire View of the whole history of his Sufferings at Jerusalem With what an Undaunted Resolution he went thither when he knew beforehand That Bonds and Afflictions did abide him and did not value his Life so he might finish his Course with joy o Acc. 20.23 24. How he persisted in the same Resolution notwithstanding all the Importunities and Tears of his Friends being ready not only to be bound at Jerusalem but also to die for the Name of the Lord Jesus p Act. 21.14 with what Courage he sets forth the Grounds of his Conversion before the enrag'd Multitude q Act. 22. with what Authority he Preach'd concerning the Faith in Christ and the Fundamentals of Christianity to Felix and laid his Sins so home to him that he made him tremble Act. 24.25 How powerfully he pleaded for himself and his Religion before Agrippa r Act. 26. so as to make Impression upon the King himself and almost perswade him to be a Christian He that shall lay all these things together will see Reason to admire the Power of God's Grace in St. Paul's Behaviour at Jerusalem and will not think that that one Slip if it were one is able to obscure the Glory of all the other parts of it And as for that Prudential Act of St. Paul which our Author sayes ſ Fr. p. 242. Eng. p. 46. hath nothing of Inspiration in it viz. his dividing the Council t Act. 23.6 and thereby making one half of them his Friends 't was exactly agreeable to our Savior's Advice to the Apostles u Matth. 10.16 To use all Prudence that was consistent with Innocency as this certainly was But besides it implied an excellent Argument ad homines viz. to Jews in behalf of Christianity namely that it was unreasonable for them to reject that Religion or persecute the Abetters of it whose great Design 't is to establish the Doctrine of the Resurrection the Belief of which Point the chiefest of their own Sects for Reputation look'd upon as one of the principal Articles of their Faith And therefore we find St. Paul knowing what force there was in it insist again and again upon the very same Apology for himself x Act. 24.15 c. 26.6 7. c. 28.20 Nay God himself approved of it as appears by the Vision which St. Paul had to incourage him the very next night after his Appearance before the Council by which our Lord himself gave Testimony to him that he had witness'd a good Confession y Act. 23.11 But 't is a wonder to me that our z Fr. p. 243. Eng. p. 48.49 Author should think St. Stephen's Behaviour and Harangue b Act. 7 a proper Instance to shew that the Apostles and primitive Confessors had no immediate Assistance of the Holy Ghost when they appear'd before secular Magistrates For if Courage to speak the Truth and to back it with unanswerable Arguments be a sign of an Extraordinary Assistance certainly no person ever gave greater Evidence of it than St. Stephen To declare publickly that the Temple and its Worship should shortly be destroy'd c Act. 6.14 was such an Invidious Truth that the Apostles themselves did not think fit at first to speak it openly but shew'd a great respect to the establish'd Worship by constantly attending upon it d Act. 3 1.-18.21.-20 16 -21 26. The Dissolution of the Mosaical Oeconomy being a Truth that the new Converts from Judaism were not yet able to bear But even this Truth St. Stephen had the Boldness to profess and maintain'd it too by a continued series of Argument from Abraham whom the Jews boasted to be their Father down to the building of the Temple Wherein he shews that the Patriarchs and Founders of the Jewish Nation were accepted by God before the Temple or its Service had a Beginning nay that Moses himself the Institutor of this Worship prophecied of Christ e Acts 7.37 and design'd the Tabernacle only for a Pattern of Heavenly things f Ibid ver 44. Besides this St. Stephen all along made Reflections upon the stubborn and refractory Temper of the Jews from the beginning and told them that their Rejecting and Murdering of Christ when he came was but agreeable to their usage of the Prophets who foretold him g Ib. ver 52. I think he that said these things had the Gift of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostles pray'd for h Acts 4.29 in a great measure And tho our Author is pleas'd to say i Ubi supr that St. Stephen mentions divers Circumstances of History which were nothing to the purpose yet for my part I must declare I see none but what are necessary to make it a full and Complete Narrative or else serve to set forth the ill manners of the Jews under the several Dispensations of Providence And I am apt to think St. Luke was of the same mind for abstracting from his Divine Character he was too Judicious a man to trouble himself or his Reader with a Rehearsal of impertinent Circumstances I am sure there are several particulars which are of great use to explain the Writings of Moses k Acts 7.20 26. which we could never have known if this Discourse had not been preserv'd This Gentleman may call these Impertinencies if he pleases but I believe few will follow him in this bold and Unscholar-like Censure and 't is well St Luke was of another mind for we should have had a great Loss if he had not preserved them And as for those particulars which he says l Ubi supr cannot be reconciled with the History of the Old Testament m Acts 7.16 if S. Luke made these Mistakes they have been accounted for above n Supr p. 45 46. if St. Stephen himself did I suppose the same Defence that is made for a Writer will hold more strongly for a Speaker And tho we suppose St. Stephen to have been full of the Holy Ghost when he spake o Acts 6 10.-7.55 yet there 's no reason the Spirit should dictate a History to him which he was before so well acquainted with And why may we not say that although the Holy Spirit were so remarkably present with him at this time that the Glories which were shed forth upon his Soul shin'd thro his Body and made his face look like the face of an Angel p Acts 6.15 yet the Holy Ghost thought fit not to supply the Defect of his Memory in one or two particulars to shew that Inspir'd persons even in their Brightest Minutes are still but men and that the Excellency might appear to be of God and not of themselves What has been said is sufficient to shew what little ground there is for this Author 's unworthy Reflections upon the Behaviour of the First Christians before
even terms with the Jews without taking the Yoke of the Law upon them he after all this could not be really perswaded in his judgment that he ought not to keep company with the Gentile Converts tho his former prejudices might put some weight into the opposite Scale and make him doubtful and wavering Which might make his fear of displeasing the Jewish Christians and giving them offence work more powerfully upon him and prevail with him to comply with them in this matter and St. Paul expresly assigns his fearing to offend them of the Circumcision q Gal. 2 12. as the cause of this his Behaviour But tho this be not a sufficient Reason why any man should dissemble the Truth yet we may observe from St. James's Advice to St. Paul r Act. 21.20 that the Apostles were very tender of giving any offence to the Jewish Converts who were very ſ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 21 20. numerous and whom they justly look'd upon as the most considerable part of the Church and as it were the Elder Brethren having a precedent Right to the Promises before the Gentiles t Act. 3.26 Rom. 15.27 This may be pleaded for an Excuse in behalf of St. Peter tho still we must confess as St. Paul tells us u Gal. 2.14 that he did not walk uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel in this matter And neither the Apostles themselves nor any in their behalf ever pretended that they were exempt from sin but on the contrary we find them freely own themselves to be men of like Passions with others x Act. 14 15. Jam. 5.17 and that they had this Treasure of the Gospel in earthen vessels y 2 Cor. 4.7 and were of the same make with other men And therefore since as our Author truly says z Fr. p. 260. Eng. p. 75. He alone is indowed with an absolute Infallibility who is incapable of sinning I do freely grant that we are no further assur'd that the Apostles were free from Errour than we find them free from Sin which naturally leads men into it I own likewise that this Instance of St. Peter is a good Argument against the perpetual Inspiration or Infallibility of the Apostles if we mean any more by it than a habitual Knowledge of Divine Truth for I cannot think S. Peter was under the immediate Conduct of the Holy Spirit when he was guilty of this Behaviour But I suppose the Apostles might have such an Assistance as was abundantly sufficient to answer all the Necessities of the Church without being always under the immediate Influence of the Holy Ghost which must make them Impeccable as as well as Infallible And even in this case we have reason to admire God's Providence and Care over his Church for so ordering it that St. Paul should be upon the place to interpose and put a stop to this ill Conduct that might else have been of dangerous Consequence and made a Breach in the Church that would not easily have been made up And humanely speaking 't is not likely that St. Peter who had such a Preeminence in the Church would have yielded to a less Authority than that of St. Paul's From whence too may further appear of what use 't was even for Inspir'd persons to consult with each other and act by common Advice which Point I have explained and proved at large above * P. 88. 5. The next Exception I shall take notice of is this Mr. N. tells us a Fr. p. 258 259. Eng. p. 72 73 74. that the Gift of Wisdom and Knowledge or the Gift of Prophecying which he makes all one with the two former was a Disposition of mind which God sometimes infused into those on whom he bestowed it whereby they became fit to instruct and that it did not consist in an immediate Inspiration of what they were to say His reasons for this are two 1. Because this Gift might be improved by Study and Reading as he proves from 1. Tim. 4.13 14. 2. Because the Apostle gave directions to the Prophets and order'd them to exercise their Gifts by turns to prevent that Confusion which the disorderly Use of their Gifts had brought into the Church b 1 Cor. 14. Now he thinks that if the Spirit had Inspir'd them with what to say he would likewise have given them directions as to the time and place Now methinks he that can confound the Gifts of Wisdom Knowledge and Prophecy which any Man that consults the place where St. Paul reckons up the several Gifts of the Spirit c 1 Cor. 8 9. will see are distinct and takes no notice of the Ambiguity of the word Prophecy which is taken in several Senses in Scripture I say he that confounds things that any one who has studied the places of Scripture which treat of the Gifts of the Spirit must needs know to be very different need not have been so nice as to distinguish between a Disposition of mind infus'd into those upon whom God bestowed it whereby they became fit to Instruct and an Inspiring them with what to say For certainly this Disposition infused into the mind if it mean any thing must mean God's giving Men a clear and distinct apprehension of what they were to teach others and I think this is much the same as Inspiring them with what to say since out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and words are only the Expressions of our thoughts unless our Author supposes that when God Inspires a Man with what to say he only puts so many words into his mouth without conveying any Idea of the things themselves to his mind But let us proceed to examine his reasons As to the First I see no inconvenience in asserting that God very often increas'd or withheld his Extraordinary Gifts in proportion to the Industry of the Possessors For since the Extraordinary and Ordinary Gifts agree in this that they are both design'd to assist our Natural Faculties not to supersede them and to incourage our Industry not to slacken it I can't see why that Rule of our Saviour's To him that has shall be given and from him that has not i. e. does not improve and make a good use of what he has shall be taken way d Matth. 13.12 may not be applied to the Extraordinary Gifts as well as to the Ordinary and why Men might not hope God would bestow these Gifts upon them in a greater degree as a reward of their Industry and might not have reason to fear he should withdraw them if they took advantage from thence to be negligent And thus much seems to be implied in that advice of St. Paul e 1 Thess 5.19 Not to quench the Spirit viz. that God may be provok'd to take away these Gifts when he sees them abused or Men's sins may render them Unworthy to be the Instruments of the holy Spirit The story of the Ethiopian
their Authority was immediately Establisht And so much for the proving the Sixth Proposition And I think supposing these Six Propositions proved this Conclusion will plainly follow from what has been said that the Books of the New-Testament were Written by God's Direction and design'd by Him for the Perpetual use and Instruction of the Church and are the only Fixt Rule which he has appointed for this purpose I shall draw some Conclusions from these Premises which will tend to illustrate and explain the Divine Inspiration of the Holy Writings 1. It follows from hence that the Holy Ghost assisted the Apostles as fully when they Writ as when they Preached How far this assistance extended and wherein it consisted I shall examine particularly in the next Chapter at present I intend only to shew that we may presume there is as great a degree of Inspiration to be found in their Writings as was in their Preaching For since the reason why this Assistance accompanied them in their Preaching was the benefit of the Church that they might Guide it into all Truth without any danger of mixing error with it the same reason holds much stronger for their Writings which do not serve for the Instruction of One Age only as their Preaching did but of Many And therefore tho we should suppose that they use Arguments ad Hominem sometimes and proceed upon such Principles as were generally admitted in the Age they lived without nicely examining whether they were true or not yet this only shews that they thought fit to explain Divine Truths in such a manner as was most suitable to the Capacity of the persons they were immediately to Instruct And as we must grant that tho the New Testament was design'd for the use of future Ages yet the Phrase and Style and Argumentation used in it is wholly accommodated to the Sentiments and Usage of that Age in which 't was writ so S. Paul himself does plainly imply that he does not always use the Best Arguments but sometimes such as are best fitted to the Capacities and Notions of those he Writes to For thus we find him express himself by way of excuse for the Argument he makes use of d Rom. 6.19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh which is as much as if he had said I could bring a better argument to prove what I say but this which I make use of is more suitable to your Capacities and may perhaps more effectually convince you than a better 2. It follows secondly that since the Books of the New Testament and the same reason holds as to any other Writings of the same rank and use were design'd to be a standing rule of Faith to Christians the Holy Ghost tho he did not generally Dictate the words which the holy Writers used yet directed them to express their minds in such a manner that those who have a regard to the Dialect and way of speaking in which they write might rightly understand them or at least the Holy Spirit prevented their giving just occasion for Men's errors and mistakes in matters of Consequence by their Phrases and Expressions And such a degree of assistance is absolutely necessary to make these Books a standing Rule of Faith For tho we suppose the Holy Writers used a Popular style and consequently made use of such Hyperboles and Metaphors and other Improprieties of Speech which common practise allows of in all Languages especially where they occasionally speak of Philosophical matters and things not immediately relating to Religion yet unless we suppose them to speak properly in those Terms of Art which are of fundamental use in the explaining the Doctrines of Christianity and upon the sense of which whole Controversies turn and as they are differently taken they alter the very face of the Christian Religion I say except we suppose the Apostles to speak properly i. e. agreeably to their own Simplicity and Plainness of Speech and in such a manner as was most likely to be understood by those they writ to when they treat of matters of great Importance and such as are justly to be reckon'd Fundamental Doctrines the New Testament will not answer the ends of a Rule of Faith For a Book is of no use to explain or decide any Controversy if we can have no sixt rule whereby to judge of its style so as to be in some measure certain what is its true sense And 't is very strange if a Book writ by persons who had an extraordinary assistance from God and which was design'd for Universal use should not be worded with that care which Humane Industry uses in matters of Importance And therefore we have reason to rely upon the assistance of the Holy Spirit even with relation to the Phrase and Letter of the Scripture and to believe that he has so far directed the holy Pen-men that their Phrases and Expressions should not lead Men into error in matters of Consequence but may be rightly understood by those that acquaint themselves with the Dialect in which they writ and consult the Ages nearest the Apostles who must needs be next to their own style the best Judges of their sense If indeed the Socinian Doctrines concerning the Nature and Satisfaction of Christ were true it must be confessed there would be little reason to believe that the Holy Ghost had a hand in wording the Scriptures nay then the Scriptures will appear to be written in such a style as if the Writers design'd to lead Men into error And the Socinians themselves when they make Reason the sole Judge of Sripture and tell us they will not believe any thing contrary to Reason tho it were never so plainly asserted in Scripture do in effect confess that the expressions of Scripture taken in their natural and most obvious sense do not at all favour their Opinions e Socin de Christ Servat l. 3. c. 6. And therefore 't is no wonder to find these Gentlemen warn their Readers so often not to make Inferences from the Phrases of Scripture as if they were used strictly and properly that they so often tell us of the Improprieties and Metaphors which the Eastern Writers and those who imitate them abound with that the Apostles play with Words as Socinus with Reverence speaks f Amavit Paulus in Execrationis verbo esse argutus Socm de Chr Serâ— l. 2. c. 1 and take them sometimes in one sense and sometimes in another Our Author follows them in this as well as in some other things g v Fr. p 234. Eng p. 146. and often cautions h Eng. p 107 111. Fr. p. 280 281. En. p. 11â— Fr. p. 285. Eng. p. 145 146. Fr. p. 233 234. us not to subtilize about the expressions nor stick too close to the Letter of the Scripture since the style of Scripture is so far from being exact that 't is very careless and tells us i Eng. p. 107 116.
Holy Spirit indowed the Apostles I find our Author is very industrious to lessen the Apostolical Gifts as much as he can and to represent them very little above their natural Faculties He indeavours to shew That the Operation of the Holy Spirit upon their Minds consisted chiefly in refreshing their Memories a Fr. p. 254 257. En. p. 66. 70. and bringing to their Remembrance what Christ had said unto them He does indeed say b Fr. 255. En. p. 67. That sometimes the Holy Spirit made them understand by extraordinary Revelations that which Christ had said unto them whilst he was with them but which they then understood not And that they had many immediate Revelations and divers heavenly Visions c Fr. p. 252. Eng. 62. And in another place d Fr. 257. Eng. p. 70. That perhaps the Spirit open'd their Minds after a manner we comprehend not But while he sets out the Objections against the Inspiration of the Apostles in the best Light and with the greatest Force he can he passes over the Evidences for it very slightly and looks upon their Immemediate Inspirations to have been so extraordinary and to have happen'd so seldom that he does not stick roundly to declare e Ubi sup That their Infallibility consisted in relating faithfully what they had seen and heard He likewise endeavours to shew f Fr. p. 240. c. Eng. p. 42 c. That they had not an extraordinary Assistance when they were summon'd before the Secular Powers upon the account of their Religion And he makes this another argument against the Inspiration of the Apostles and other persons in those times whom the Scripture speaks of as inspir'd g Fr. p. 248 249. 259. Eng. p. 57. 74. that they confer'd with one another and submitted to one another's Judgments and did not come to a Conclusion concerning any matter in questino till after long Deliberation and Consultation with each other with many other Cavils of less weight In Answer to which and for the Clearing of this Matter I shall shew I. How far we may allow what he says to be true and in what Cases the Apostles did not speak or act by Inspiration II. I shall shew that excepting those Cases the Apostles writ and spake by the particular Assistance and Direction of the Spirit III. I shall shew that the Assistance of the Holy Spirit did not consist only or chiefly in Improving their Natural Faculties or Strengthening and Refreshing their Memories IV. I shall shew that they had an extraordinary Assistance when they were summon'd before Magistrates upon the Account of their Religion and vindicate their Behaviour under those Circumstances from the unbecoming Reflections which Mr. N. has made upon it V. I shall vindicate the Inspiration of the Apostles and other inspir'd persons from the rest of the Objections which he advances against it I. As to the first of these Inquiries What were the Cases wherein the Apostles did not act or speak by Inspiration I conceive we may allow them to be these following 1. Where they treat of the common Occurrences of Life and such things as have no Relation at all to Divine Truths As when St. Paul speaks of his design to take Rome h Rom. 15.24 in his way to Spain and to call at i 2 Cor. 1.16 Corinth as he went into Macedonia but yet it appears he was uncertain as to that Resolution k v. 1 Cor. 16.7 and did not actually l v. 2 Cor. 17. make it good Many Instances of the like nature might be alledg'd m v. 1 Cor. 1.16 r. Joh. 6.19 Act. 19 Hitherto we may refer Slips of memory in matters of no consequence some Examples of which there are to be found in in the N. Testament n v. Mat. 27.9 Act. 7.16 2. Such things as were matters only of Humane Prudence being of an Indifferent nature in themselves and consequently not the proper Subjects of a Divine Revelation For matters of Prudence i. e. Where God has given men no fix'd rule but left them at liberty to determine for themselves according as their circumstances shall direct as they are not the proper Subjects of a Divine Law so neither are they of a Divine Revelation Such is the Case of married persons where one party is an Vnbeliever which St. Paul considers o 1 Cor. 7.12 and resolves by the Rules of humane Prudence and therefore tells us before hand that 't is He that speaks not the Lord taking his measures from the general Law of Christian Charity For as to this Case I look upon Mr. Thorndike's p Laws of the Church p. 117. Opinion as the most probable which is That the Apostle look'd upon Marriage made by persons before they were Christians to lay no stricter Obligation upon the Parties than the Laws which they were under when the Marriage was contracted design'd to lay upon them So that if two persons who were under the Laws of the Roman Empire married and afterward one of them turn'd Christian this did not at all alter the Conditions of the Marriage in respect of the Converted Party from what they were before nor in a Marriage contracted by Subjects of the Roman Empire under the state of Heathenism is the Converted Party by virtue of his imbracing Christianity afterward oblig'd anew by the stricter Ties of the Christian Law concerning Marriage but only by those which the Roman Laws required upon which Terms the Marriage was made at first and so might upon just occasion take Advantage of the Privilege which the Roman Laws permitted of being Divorc'd for other Causes besides that which was allowed by our Saviour Now the reason why the Laws of Christianity do not extend to a Marriage contracted under a state of Heathenism I conceive to be this because Heathen Marriages being not in their own nature Indissoluble as Christian Marriages are but the Parties having reserv'd to themselves a liberty to part from each other in such Cases as the Laws of each Country allowed the nature of the Marriage-contract still continues the same after the Conversion of either Party which it did before i.e. Dissoluble unless the Believing Party can perswade the Unbelieving to oblige himself to the Observation of those stricter Laws of Matrimony which are injoin'd by Christ Without which mutual Consent the Marriage continues the same it was before while both Parties were Unbelievers and consequently the Laws of Christ do not reach this Case being applicable only to those Marriages which are made in the Christian Church or at least which are made Christian by an After-act and mutual Consent of the Parties to submit to the Christian Law in this particular This Opinion seems to be countenanc'd by the Apostle in the 15. verse of that Chapter q 1 Cor. 7.15 If the Vnbeliever depart a Brother or Sister is not under Bondage in such Cases the most natural Sense of which Words is
I leave it to God and his own Conscience to Judge I proceed to shew III. That the Assistance which the Holy Spirit gave to the Apostles did not consist only in refreshing their Memories or Improving their Natural Faculties but was in several respects a new degree of supernatural Knowledge Our Author is willing to believe as appears by the places h Fr. p. 254 -257 Eng. p. 66. 70. I have before cited that the Assistance the Holy Ghost gave to the Apostles did chiefly and in a manner only consist in refreshing their memory and recalling to their mind what our Saviour had taught them And agreeably to this opinion he tells us i Fr. p. 255. En. p. 67. that when our Saviour promises his Disciples k John 15.26 That the Holy Ghost shall teach them all things and bring all things to their remembrance these latter words apparently explain the foregoing as if the Holy Ghost's teaching them was nothing else but bringing to their remembrance what Christ had taught them before Now I deny not but that our Saviour declar'd to his Disciples the whole Counsel of God and therefore when he gave them Commission to go and teach all Nations he makes this the Rule they were to go by in Preaching viz. to teach whatever he had commanded them l Matt. 28.20 as containing the whole Doctrine of Christianity but granting all this yet 't will appear from several instances that the Assistance of the Spirit was something more than bringing to their remembrance what Christ had said unto them For 1. Some things our Saviour did not only not explain to them fully but likewise made use of such Expressions when he spoke of them as were accommodated to the Notions the Apostles were prepossess'd with Thus when He discoursed to them of the Nature of his Kingdom he made use of such Expressions as in their most natural and obvious Sense did imply that 't was to be a Temporal One for he described the happiness which his Disciples were to enjoy in it by eating and drinking at his Table and sitting upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel m Luke 22.30 Matt. 19.28 Which Expressions did tend directly to confirm them in their prejudices concerning the Worldly Grandeur of Christ's kingdom our Saviour not thinking it a proper season as yet to wean them from these Opinions which had taken such deep root in their minds that they could not be extirpated all of a sudden but must be removed by gentle and easy degrees Now to give the Apostles a right understanding as to this matter 't was not sufficient the holy Spirit should recall to their memory the words which our Saviour had used upon this subject for those alone would rather confirm them in the false Notions they had entertain'd concerning these things than instruct them in the true one but 't was further requisite that the Spirit should give them a clear and distinct apprehension of the Spiritual Nature of Christ's Kingdom and wherein the Glory and Happiness it promises consists and should further inform them for what Reasons our Saviour chose in compliance with their apprehensions and in conformity to the Style of the Old Testament to wrap up these things in Obscurity and discourse of them under the vail of Types and Figures And I think this was to inlighten their minds with a new degree of Supernatural Knowledge 2. But besides those things which our Saviour concealed under Types and Figures There were others he obscurely Express'd in Parables As the Calling of the Gentiles in the Parable a Matt. 20.5 6. of the Housholder that went out at the latter end of the Day to hire Labourers into his Vineyard The rejection of the Jews under the Parable b Matt. 22.1 of the persons invited to a Marriage Feast who would not come Several other instances of the same kind might be given Now to understand these things perfectly something more was requisite than just to remember our Saviour's words as is plain by the Disciples asking our Saviour the meaning of another Parable of his viz. That of the tares of the Field c Matt. 13.36 v. c. 15.15 The words they remembred perfectly well but were at a loss for the meaning and design of them and therefore desir'd him to explain it to them And by the same Reason there was need of a greater degree of Illumination to certify them that the Gentiles were to be Fellow-heirs and partakers of the Promises of Christ than the bare putting them in mind of those short hints our Saviour had given them concerning this matter would amount to And accordingly we find that St. Peter had need of a Vision d Act. 10. to instruct him in this matter and even that extraordinary Revelation seem'd scarce sufficient to convince him of this truth For afterward notwithstanding the Vision he had formerly seen he relapsed again into his old notions and separated himself from the Gentile-Converts at Antioch e Gal. 2.11 Which is a pregnant instance how much need the Apostles had of an extraordinary degree of Clearness and Evidence fully to instruct and convince them in those points of Christianity that were opposite to the Opinions they had formerly imbraced and that something more was requisite to that purpose than just to remember what our Saviour had said upon this Subject For even that Vision it self did not fully explain to St. Peter God's Counsel and purpose and 't is likely he thought there was no more implied by it than that he should receive those Gentiles who voluntarily offer'd themselves The first that were sent to Preach the Gospel to the Gentiles were S. Paul and S. Barnabas when the Holy Ghost separated them for this purpose f Acts 13.2 comp with ver 46. And 't is upon this Account that St. Paul calls himself g Rom. 11.13 Gal. 2.9 Eph. 3.1 1 Tim. 2.7 the Apostle of the Gentiles and says in express terms that the Salvation of the Gentiles by their being Incorporated into the Church and making one Body with the Jews was a Doctrine which was but then newly h Eph. 3.5 6. REVEALED to the Apostles and Prophets by the SPIRIT And we may observe that the same S. Paul sometimes expresses the Knowledge of the Gospel with which the holy Spirit furnisht the Apostles and Inspir'd persons of those times by the word i 1 Cor. 14.6 26 30. 2.10 Eph. 1.17 3.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to imply that in several respects it was not so much a Revival of what our Saviour taught them while he was upon Earth as a piece of Knowledge intirely new and a distinct Revelation 3. We may instance in another sort of true and proper Inspiration which belong'd to the Apostles and that is The gift of Prophecy it self and of applying the Prophecies of the Old Testament to the times of the Gospel and shewing that they are truly fulfilled
Opinion that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Conclusion of the Letter which he finds so much fault with is for all that a very elegant Expression He has printed the Close of this Synodical Epistle in great Letters as if it had something more than ordinary in it and were a manifest argument of his side but as Big as the words look whoever considers them will find there 's very little sense in his Application of them CHAP. III. Concerning the Inspiration of the PROPHETS I Do not see much in our Author that reflects upon the Authority or Inspiration of the Prophets But since I am engag'd in the Subject of Inspiration and those persons who have no great esteem for the Sacred Books fancy there are many things relating to the Prophets liable to Exception I think it will not be altogether impertinent or beside my main Design which is to Vindicate the Authority of the Holy Writings if I take a short View of those Considerations which tend to establish the Authority of the Prophets and to answer some of the most Popular Objections against them I shall therefore I. Consider the Personal Qualifications of the Prophets II. I shall consider the chief Design of their Prophecies III. I shall resolve some Difficulties which relate to the Prophets themselves or their manner of Writing I. As to the first 't would in a great measure take off mens Prejudices against the prophetical Writings if they would but consider what manner of men the Prophets were and what excellent Qualifications they were indowed with Men that are glad of any Argument that makes Religion look like a Cheat think they have a great Advantage against all sorts of Prophecy because there have been so many Cheats of this kind and they find that usually the persons that pretend to a prophetick Spirit are in all other respects of such shallow Intellectuals and such mean Qualifications that no wise man would take their Advice in any thing of ordinary concern and therefore 't is very unlikely God should make choice of such persons to be his Messengers and the Conveyers of his Will to men But if they would likewise consider how unlike the Prophets of the Old Testament were to these Pretenders both as to their Intellectuals and their Morals 't would go a great way to discover how vastly different they are from each other and the Truth and Excellency of the one would more evidently appear by comparing it with the evident marks of Imposture and Meanness which are found in the other As to the Intellectual Accomplishments of the true Prophets they had usually an Ingenuous and liberal Education as appears by the Institution of the Schools of the Prophets so often mention'd in the History of the Kings And we find 't was reckon'd a wonder that Saul should be among the Prophets a 1 Sam. 10 11 -19.24 because he had not been Educated suitably to that Profession So God's calling Amos to this Office from being a Herds-man was extraordinary and unusual as he himself intimates b Amos 8.14 And indeed the style of the Prophets plainly discovers them to have been Men of a good Education and therefore the Criticks have all observed what great difference there is between Amos's style and that of the other Prophets which they justly impute to their different Education Isaiah's style is Elegant c Isaiae dictio purissimaâ—ntor omnes qui post Mosen scripserunt ejus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pulcherrimae Grot. in Is 50 4. and Lofty Jeremy's shews him to have been a great Master of Rhetorick d Mirus in affectibus concitandis Jeremias Idem Ezekiel plainly discovers in his way of writing great skill in Architecture and Geography Daniel's Wisdom was so famous even when he was young that it became a Proverb among the Chaldeans to say Art thou wiser than Daniel e Ezek. 28.3 And not to descend to any more particulars we find that all their writings are full of Powerful Exhortations to Vertue of weighty and Pathetick Representations of the heinousness of those Vices which were then prevailing and the miseries which would attend them We find they set forth the absurdity of Pagan Idolatry f Is 40.18 c. 44.9 c with great strength and smartness of Argument and endeavour to give Men clear and distinct Notions of Gods Spirituality g Is 40.12 c. Unity h Jer. 10.11 12. Is 44.6 Omnipresence i Jer. 23.23 24. Is 66.1 Universal Providence of which the foretelling how Free Agents will determine themselves is a signal instance and Justice in rewarding Men according to their works k Jer. 18.7 c. Ezek. 18. They unfold the methods of Providence in disposing of Kingdoms l Jer. 25. and making use of wicked Princes and Nations to be the Instruments of God's Justice in punishing the sins of others m Is 10.6 c. Ezek. 29.18 19. Such discourses don't look like the idle dreams of a Melancholy and disturb'd fancy but do indeed answer the Character they pretend to And those Men who will not believe them to be of Divine Original ought in reason to allow them to be the Product of a settled Judgement and can't in Justice but grant that if the Prophets did not foresee what was to come by a Prophetical Spirit yet they made very probable Conjectures by a Natural Sagacity since the event has so plainly justifyed a great part of their Predictions And if they will not be perswaded that God inlightned the minds of the Prophets by an extraordinary Revelation yet they can't in Justice deny but that they discourse of the Nature of God and of his Providence and of the Obedience which he requires with as great a degree of clearness and certainty as Men's Natural Faculties can arrive to And therefore 't is not without reason that Origen does often in his Books against Celsus n P. 18 -177.-260.-359 Ed. Cant. insist upon this That Moses and the Prophets instructed Men in the nature of God and of their duty much better than the acutest Philosophers among the Heathens So malicious and groundless is that pretence of Spinoza where he tells us o Theol. Polit. c. 1. p.m. 21. that the Prophets did not agree in their Notions about the Nature of God because forsooth different Prophets saw different Signs of the Divine Presence As if they could not distinguish between a Symbol of God's Presence and the Divine Nature it self And he may as well say that Moses took the Cloudy Pillar to be God himself and by the same reason he must conclude that Moses thought the Cherubims and the Cloud upon the Mercy-seat which he himself order'd to be made to be God or at least to resemble his Essence and then I think he would have been guilty of greater Idolatry than Aaron was in making the Golden Calf 2. If we consider the Moral Indowments of the Prophets we shall find
the Publick Worship both in the Jewish and Christian Church ever since they were made i See 1 Chr. 6.31 they were always us'd at the time of offering the Sacrifices which was the most solemn part of the Jewish Worship k 1 Chr. 16.40 41. Ecclus. 50.16 17 18. Ezra restored this Service assoon as the Foundation of the Second Temple was laid l Ezr. 3.11 The Evangelists tell us m Matt. 26.30 Mark 14.26 that our Saviour and his Disciples Sung a Hymn after the Paschal Supper which Learned Men suppose to have been the same Collection of Psalms which the Jews used upon that Solemnity St. Paul Exhorts the Colossians that the Word of God should dwell richly in them and especially recommends the Psalms to their use n Coloss 3.16 The Visions in the Revelations where Saints and Angels are represented Worshipping and Praising God do certainly in many things allude to the Customs o See Rev. 4. ver 4 5 6 7. c. 5 8 -8.1.-11 19 which the Jewish and Christian Church at that time used in their Publick Service which two Churches then differ'd very little in the manner of their External Worship And in these we find the Heavenly Devotions consist altogether of Hymns and Songs of Praise p Rev. 5 9.-14.3.-15.3 which is a good Argument to prove that the Singing of Psalms was the most considerable part of the Christian Worship in that Early Age q V. Cl. Dodwel c. Grot. c. 4. as it had formerly been of the Jewish I deny not but in that Inspir'd Age they used several Hymns of their own Composing r 1 Cor. 14.26 Euseb H.E. l. 5. c. 28. l. 7. c. 30. yet 't is certain from the Testimony of many Ancient Writers ſ See Dr. Hamm. Preface to his Paraphr upon the Psalms that David's Psalms still were most in use and in highest esteem And this is one Argument of it viz. because all the Hymns Compos'd by the Ancient Christians have been lost time out of mind except very few which can be attributed to nothing so probably as to the Difuse of them by reason of the more Frequent and Constant Use of the Book of Psalms And 't is not likely the Christian Church would have been beholding to the Jewish Temple for their Forms of Worship especially when we consider how much more Noble a Subject for Praises and Hymns the Christians had by the Clear Revelation of the Gospel if they had not been perswaded that God design'd the Book of Psalms for the perpetual Use of the Church to be both a Pattern and Treasure of Devotions at once to Enlighten our Minds and Warm our Affections and teach us to Pray and Praise God with the Spirit and with the understanding also And if what I have said prove that this was God's Intent in stirring up Holy Men to make these Excellent Pieces of Devotion I think 't will be sufficient to satisfy any Reasonable Man that the Book of Psalms deserves a place among the Inspir'd Writers without Nicely determining how great a share the Holy Spirit had in making these Composures and how much is to be ascribed to the Authors own Study and Meditation Since 't is very hard in any Case to Define the manner how God's Grace does Cooperate with Man's Indeavours and the Spirit like the Wind to which our Saviour compares it t John 3.8 does sufficiently discover it self by its effects tho we can't Comprehend the Manner of its Operation And 't is no wonder that should not be easily Intelligible by us who are Ignorant how our own Soul acts within us and after what manner Outward Objects make an Impression upon it But saith Mr. N. z Fr. p. 228. En. p. 23. the Imprecations which are found in many of the Psalms can't proceed from the Good and Merciful Spirit of God and consequently the Authors of those Psalms could not be Inspir'd This being the only Considerable Objection against the Psalms to take off all Prejudice against the Use of so Excellent a Book I shall indeavour to give a distinct Answer to it in these Three particulars 1. In the First place therefore I desire it may be Observed that many of those Expressions which seems at first Sight to import Wishing Mischief and Destruction to others do really wish no more harm to them than that they may be Disappointed in their Enterprises and Vndertakings For example that Expression a Psal 70.2 Let them be b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ashamed or Blush and c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is Synonymous with the Former and rendred by the LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. all which words signify Shame Confounded that seek after my Soul means no more but this Let them be fill'd with that shame and Confusion of Face which follows a Disappointment Now since 't is lawful to Oppose the Designs of our Enemies and to use all honest means to prevent their bringing them to pass it can be no harm to wish and pray that they may be Unsuccessful in their Attempts against us And in this Sense are all those Imprecations in the 35th Psalm to be understood 2. Secondly let it be considered that all those Expressions which are commonly Translated by way of Imprecation may be as fitly rendred by way of Prediction and we may Read They shall be Ashamed instead of Let them be Ashamed Nay this way of Interpretation is more agreeable to the Letter of the Hebrew where the words are not in the Imperative but in the Future And if we take these Expressions in this Sense then they imply no more than a Denouncing God's Judgements against Wicked Men if they still persist in their Wickedness And thus to Denounce the Terrors of the Lord against Sinners is so far from being a piece of Uncharitableness that 't is the highest Act of Charity we can shew to them and the most effectual means to awaken them to a sense of their Condition and what they are to Expect except they Repent And if this Interpretation be true as nothing hinders but it may then all Mr. N's Objections c Ub. supr against the 109th Psalm vanish immediately for according to this Interpretation it only contains a Prediction of the Miseries that were to befall the Person whoever he was under whom Judas was Represented And the Denunciation of the Psalmist against his Family will be liable to no other Exceptions than that Prophecy of Isaiah against Babylon d Isaiah 13.16 Their children shall be dash'd in pieces before their eyes their houses shall be spoiled and their wives ravished And St. Peter himself seems to have understood this Psalm in no other sense for he tells us e Acts 1.16 that the Holy Ghost in this Psalm spoke before or PROPHESIED f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the mouth of David concerning Judas But besides this it was an Usual way of Speech among
Ridiculous Petions to their Gods d Pers Sat. 2. Horat. l. 2. Sat. 3. Epist 16. l. 1. And for those places of this Chapter which are more liable to Exception if Mr. N. would have consulted what Learned Commentators have said upon them he would not have thought them so Useless and Trifling as he pretends But our Author himself seems to be at a loss for Objections since he is willing to take Advantage of Agur's modest Confession of his own Ignorance e Prov. 30.2 and concludes from thence that he can be a man of no Authority But I believe Mr. N. is the first that ever thought a man's Modesty a sign that he wanted Wisdom or that Humility made a man Unqualified for Receiving the Influences of God's Spirit Our Author objects nothing against Ecclesiastes and the Canticles but what has been Objected several times before and as often Answered for which reason I shall be more Brief in Refuting him 'T is certain that the Design of Ecclesiastes is to set forth the Vanity of Humane Life which Solomon does by shewing how Empty and Unsatisfactory all those Ends are which men usually propose to themselves as the greatest Happiness this World can afford such as are Knowledge f Eccles. 1. Pleasure g Ch. 2. Honour and Authority h Ch. 3. and 4. and lastly Riches i Ch. 5. and 6. Further he takes notice how men's Ignorance and the Obscurity in which the Great and Weighty Points concerning the Immortality of the Soul a Future State and the Methods of Providence are Involved do occasion a great deal of Misery and Trouble to Mankind Whilst Ill men take advantage of the Difficulties which may be objected against these Truths and from thence conclude that there 's no Providence nor Future Judgment and thereby harden themselves in k Ch. 8. 11 14. ch 9. 3. Wickedness or give themselves up to Sensuality and say Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die l Ch. 3. 18 c. And even good men are now and then in a great Perplexity about these things by reason of the Obscurity and Difficulties with which they are beset and begin to doubt and stagger in their Faith m Ch. 1. 13 -8 16 17. If men would therefore view the Scope and Design of the whole Book and not take it by Piece-meal or examine each Sentence apart they might easily see that when the Author proposes Doubts concerning Providence and a Future State he does not speak his own Sense for in several places he plainly asserts God's Ordering and Disposing of all things n Ch. 3. 11 14 -7 13 -9 1 -11 5. and speaks of another Life and a Future Judgment with the greatest Clearness and Assurance of any of the Canonical Writers of the Old Testament o Ch. 3. 17 -11 9 -12 7. 14. And therefore the Design of those other places which seem at first to contradict these is only to shew that the Obscurity of these Great Articles of Faith had often fill'd his own and other good Men's minds with Perplexing thoughts and that the Generality of Men took Incouragement from thence to mind only Sensual Pleasures and make no Conscience of Injuring and Oppressing others So that the uncertainty and Imperfection of Humane Knowledge as to these things was a great Ingredient in the Vanities of Life and one of those sore Travels which God hath given to the Sons of Men to be exercised therewith p Eccles. 1.13 And we may observe that when he mentions the Doubts concerning the Immortality of the Soul he Introduces them with this Preface q c. 3. 18. I said in my Heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may very properly be rendred According to the words or way of speaking used among the Generality of Men and 't is the very same Phrase as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which St. Paul uses r Rom. 3.5 in a like Case where he does not speak his own Sense but sets down an Inference which Wicked Men would be apt to make from what he had said But if any desire further satisfaction concerning this Book or the Song of Solomon I must refer them to that Excellent Commentary which the Reverend and Learned Bishop Patrick has Publish'd upon these two Books where he has with great Clearness explain'd the Sense and Design of them both and particularly as to the Latter has shewed ſ Preface how fitly the Mystical Vnion between Christ and his Church is Represented in it under the Persons of a Bridegroom and Bride that Allegory being agreeable to the Notions of all the Prophetical Writers of the Old Testament who constantly express God's being in Covenant with the Jews by his being Married and a Husband t Ps 45. Is 54 5.-62 4.5 Jer. 3 14.-31.32 Hos 2.2.7.16 Ezek. 16.8 to them and in pursuance of the same Metaphor reprove their Idolatry under the names of Adultery u Is 57.7.8 Jer. 3.1 c. Ezek. 16.15 c. ◠c. 23. Hos c. 1. 2. Fornication and going a Whoring after other Gods and the same Metaphor is alluded to by Christ and his Apostles in the New Testament x Matt. 22.2 Joh 3 28 29. 2 Cor. 1.2 Eph. 5.31 32 Rev. 19 7.-14.4 All which is made out by that Reverend and Excellent Author with so much Learning and Exactness and does so fully Vindicate this Book from the Rash Censures of those who have doubted of its Authority and from the Profane Interpretations which some Wanton Fancies have applied to it that 't would be Unpardonable Presumption for me to think I can add any thing upon this Subject to that Great Man's Judicious and Accomplisht Labours THE CONCLUSION ANd now I have Finish'd my Undertaking and have given a particular Answer to all the Arguments Mr. N. has advanc'd against the Divine Inspiration of the Holy Scriptures I have not to my Knowledge pass'd by any thing which is of Weight in any of the Letters nor dissembled the True Force of any of the Objections contain'd in them And upon the whole matter it appears that the Main Strength of the Book may be Compriz'd in this one Argument viz. That Book can't be of Divine Authority nor Written by God's Direction where there are any Marks of Humane Industry and of Men's making Vse of their Natural Talents of Memory or Invention in the Composure The Falseness of which Assertion I have shewed in several places of the Foregoing Discourse and at present I shall only make this further Remark upon it for a Conclusion of the whole Discourse viz. That at the same Rate of Arguing a Man might prove that God had no Hand in Governing the Ordinary Course of this World by his Providence nor Fitting Men for the Next by his Grace For we see nothing brought to pass in the World without the help of Natural Agents and God requires Men to work out their Salvation with as much
sure his Disciples would never pretend to know more then their Master Having thus considered the Cases in which the Apostles spake or writ without Inspiration I proceed in the II. Place to shew that Excepting those Cases the Apostles writ and spake by the particular Assistance and Direction of the Spirit Our Author confines the Infallibility of their Preaching and Writing to those things which they Learn'd from Christ or related as spoken by him p Fr. p. 256 257. Eng. p. 69 70. But as to the Arguments which they fram'd upon those Principles and the Consequences they deduc'd from the Old Testament here he supposes them to have used only their own Memory and Judgment tho he grants these Discourses of theirs are to be received because there 's nothing in them but what is conformable to the Doctrine of Christ and to right Reason and nothing that can lead us into the Belief of what is false or contrary to Piety q En. p. 112 131 135. Fr. p. 282 283. 224 227. This as exactly as I can gather is all the Authority he allows the Sermons and Writings of the Apostles and this indeed is as much Authority as can be given to any Humane Discourse and tho it does not exclude all possibility yet it excludes all likelyhood of error But as we look upon the Apostles to have been somewhat more than Sound Divines or Men that very well understood the Doctrine which they were to teach others so their Discourses and Writings have been always esteem'd of an higher Rank than any Religious Treatises purely Humane which however solid and true they may be are to be judged of by these Writings and are no further true than they agree with them The Scripture makes this the Characteristick of an Apostle whereby he was distinguisht from the other Inspir'd persons who were then in the Church viz. that he did not learn the Gospel in an Humane way r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 1.11 compar with ver 12. 1. v. 1 Cor. 2.10 but purely by Revelation S. Paul might have been sufficiently instructed in the Gospel by those who were Pillars in the Church ſ v. Gal. 2.6 9. so as to have been out of all likelyhood either of mistaking any part of it himself or leading others into error but we see this way of Instruction was not sufficient to advance him to the Dignity of the Apostolate and therefore Christ himself made a particular Revelation of the whole Gospel to him t v. Ubi supr 1 Cor. 11.23 Eph. 3.3 4. that he might not be Inferior in any respect to the chiefest Apostles And since the Gospel was communicated to him and the rest of the Apostles by Divine Revelation only that they might teach it to others whether by Word or Writing with the greater assurance and certainty and without any danger of error their Discourses which were design'd for the Instruction of the Church must be the effects of this supernatural habit of Christian Knowledge which God infus'd into their minds I have shewed in the former Chapter u P. 29. that the same Assistance accompanied the Apostles in their Writing which did in their Preaching and therefore shall now speak of these two indifferently and shew what kind of Authority the Apostles claim'd in either of them S. Paul says w 1 Cor. 2.10 that God has revealed the deep things and the Mysteries of the Gospel to the Apostles by the Spirit which probably were the same things Christ told his Disciples they were not able to bear while he was with them x John 16.12 Such was particularly the Doctrine of the Cross which S. Paul's Discourse chiefly relates to in that place y 1 Cor. 1.18 c c. 2.2 These things S. Paul says z Ib. ver 13. they spoke and taught others and that too in the Words which the Holy Ghost taught them Where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comprehends their style a Ver. 1. 4. as well as their Arguments and shews there 's a greater regard to be had to the style of the Apostles than our Author b v. loc supr citat p. 35. is willing to allow and even for that very Reason which he alledges as an Argument why 't is not dictated by the Spirit viz. because 't is plain and without any Affectation of Wit or Learning and conform'd to the style of the Old Testament For this style however Negligent and Careless our Author may think it c Fr. p. 233. En. p. 145. the Apostles used by the direction of the Holy Ghost as appears from this place It follows immediately Comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signify Explaining Illustrating d v. Grot. in locum i. e. proving one Divine Revelation by another the Revelations of the New Testament by those of the Old At last the Apostle concludes e Ib. ver 16. We have the mind of the Christ and therefore ye are to hearken to us and receive what we say tho in many things not agreeing with the Principles of Philosophy or Worldly Wisdom which the Apostle in the Verses before f 1 Cor. 1.20 c. c. 2.1 c. had undervalued in comparison of the Gospel In all which Discourse S. Paul plainly ascribes his and the rest of the Apostles Preaching to the Instructions the Holy Ghost gave them without making any restrictions and particularly that part of it which consisted in drawing Consequences and bringing Proofs from the Old Testament Again we find the same Apostle threatning those that despise his Advice as not despising man but God who gave the Apostles his holy Spirit g 1 Thes 4.8 that they might teach with uncontroulable Authority And I think we may fairly conclude from hence that St. Paul expected all his Precepts and Instructions should be submitted to not meerly as coming from one of the Governours of the Church but as having something more then Humane Authority and being derived from the Spirit of God For what he says in this place tho it immediately respect only those Advices which are contain'd in the foregoing part of the Chapter may by parity of Reason be applied to all other Apostolical injunctions for as the words are general and do not specify that the Apostle deliver'd these particular Rules by an extraordinary Revelation more than any others which he elsewhere gives so neither are the Advices such in their own Nature as require a greater degree of Inspiration to deliver them than the other Exhortations and Commands which are every where to be found in the Apostolical Writings From whence I conclude we ought to look upon those Writings as a Divine Rule of Faith and Practise and that he who despises or undervalues them despises not man but God who gave his holy Spirit to the Authors of them And how far our Author may be guilty of this fault