Fact which they have asserted in the midst of the most cruel Torments and even until Death That Jesus Christ sent down upon his Apostles the miraculous Gifts of the Holy Spirit is a Fact of which all Jerusalem was a witness fifty days after the Feast of the Passover when Jesus Christ was crucified it is as remarkable a Fact as ever happened twelve Fishermen of Galilee maintain in the face of the whole Jewish Nation that the same Jesus whom the whole Nation had demanded to be crucified but fifty days before and who did actually suffer upon an infamous Cross is risen from the dead and ascended into Heaven after he had eaten and drunk with them and had appeared several times to them after his Resurrection and that he had given them the power of speaking all sorts of Languages and of healing all manner of Diseases That they spoke divers Languages is a Fact most notorious the truth whereof appears from the Conversion of the World which was found to be fill'd with their Disciples but a few years after this Fact was done That they had the power of healing all Diseases as well as their Master is a Fact the truth whereof is establish'd upon indisputable testimonies insomuch as their Successors received the same Gift by the laying on of their Hands Two hundred years after Tertullian mentions this Gift as being at that time well known amongst Christians That the Apostles after they were rejected by the Jews preached the Gospel to the Gentiles who also received it is a Fact of which there are so many proofs in the World that it cannot be called in question That the converted Jews strongly opposed themselves against the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles pretending as the Jews now do that the Messiah with his Gifts and Graces was confin'd to their Nation is a Fact so well attested that it cannot be called in question if we consider the first dispute which gave occasion to the first Council of the Apostles and to the contests of S. Paul with those of his own Nation That since that time the Apostles and their Disciples have maintained by their Writings and Disputes and finally by their Martyrdom that Jesus was the Messiah that they have constantly stood to this claim alledging the Facts which the Gospel proposes and maintaining that the matters there related were exact Accomplishments of the Promises of God and of the ancient Prophecies That all this is unquestionable one needs only read their Sermons and Speeches set down by S. Luke and their Epistles one needs only peruse the Heathen History and the Works of those that succeeded the Apostles who followed their footsteps in establishing the truth of the Christian Religion That the Apostles discharged their followers from the Ceremonies which Moses prescribed obliging them only to the Essentials of Morality That they annul'd the Law which permitted Divorces without sufficient cause and Polygamy these are things which none who have read their Writings or those of their first Disciples can in the least question Lastly That they foretold many things as well as their Master that they published their Predictions which they have extended to the end of the World and the return of Jesus from Heaven to judge the World and that they have recorded the particulars of many considerable Events observed by the Christians which have happened from time to time these are Facts as well known and as incontestable as any thing can be in the World of such a nature Whole Nations are Witnesses of it differing Sects Interpreters who have several Opinions concerning these Prophecies the Contests of the Jews the Opposition of Atheists the Cavils of Hereticks the Cruelty of Tyrants all these concur to prove clearly that the Christians received these Prophecies from the Apostles as well as the truth of them since even these Oppositions were foretold as well as the Persecutions Thus I have given you a view of the greatest part of the most important Articles which are contained in the Christian Religion and I think that they are so solidly grounded upon proofs of Fact that I can assert with reason That no Facts in the World can be produced so well established as these are which are the Fundamentals of our Religion What Facts are there which are attested by whole Nations as the Miracles of Jesus Christ were What Facts are there about which men were so careful to inform themselves as when a Man pretends to the Title of the Messiah What thing can we suppose that requires a stronger conviction because of the difficulties it involves than that of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ for those who were Eye-witnesses of his Crucifixion that is who had seen him punished by the Magistrate the horrour of all his own People and in all appearance forsaken of Heaven To speak the truth as there cannot be a greater instance of fanatical folly than to attribute to twelve poor Fishermen whose Master was crucified at Jerusalem by publick order and by an effect of the hatred of the whole Nation I say to attribute to them the design of perswading that People and the Gentiles also that this man was raised again from the dead that he rules in Heaven that he has bestowed upon them the miraculous Gifts of speaking all sorts of Languages and healing all manner of Diseases if this Jesus had been never raised from the dead nor had bestowed such Gifts upon them the mind of Man not being capable of so great folly So we have all the reason in the World to conclude That since they have attested this Fact and confirmed it by all the proofs which might convince those who tho' they were not prejudic'd yet were astonish'd at the difficulty of the things themselves so that nothing can be more certain than Facts so confirmed as we pretend that these actually were CHAP. XVII That it cannot be questioned whether the Books of the New Testament were written by the Apostles BEfore we alledge those Arguments which will invincibly confirm the truth of the Books of the New Testament I desire the Reader to make these three or four Reflexions which seem to be very important to our present design The first is That we can scarcely conceive a more simple and strong way of proving a Fact than what we find in the Books here mention'd The design of the four Evangelists for instance is to prove that Jesus the Son of Mary is the promised Messiah and that in his Birth his Life his Doctrine his Death and Resurrection we meet with all the Characters which the Prophets attributed to the Messiah How do the Evangelists execute this their design In the most proper way imaginable to convince others and most proportionable to their design They simply relate the Facts and Facts so clear that if we do not question the truth of them we cannot doubt that Jesus is the Messiah They relate the most important of these Facts as things that happened in
last Objection of Atheists is answered 120 Chap. 22. The Consequences of what we have proved in our foregoing Observations upon the Book of Genesis 126 The Contents of the Chapters of the Second Part of the First Volume Chap. 1. THat it cannot reasonably be doubted but that Moses is the Author of Exodus and of the three other following Books Page 137 Chap. 2. That both the Character of Moses 's person and the nature of the things he relates has always made Men read his Books with attention 146 Chap. 3. That the truth of the Miracles related by Moses cannot reasonably be doubted of 153 Chap. 4. A Continuation of the proofs of the truth of the Miracles wrought by Moses 158 Chap. 5. That Moses 's Description of the manner of God's giving him his Laws is evidently true 164 Chap. 6. Some other proofs that confirm Moses 's Description of the manner how the Law was given and promulgated 169 Chap. 7. That there is no just Exception can be made against Moses 's History in what relates to the Oracles which he hath recorded in his Books 173 Chap. 8. That the Testimony of the Jews is a constant proof of the truth of the Oracles related by Moses 177 Chap. 9. That it appears by the nature of his Relations that Moses had the Messias in view when he wrote the Book of Genesis 180 Chap. 10. That the same perswasion appears throughout the whole Conduct of Moses until his Death 185 Chap. 11. That Balaam 's prophesie which Moses relates is a further Argument of the same perswasion in him 188 Chap. 12. That one may see also in Moses 's Law plain Footsteps of God's Design in distinguishing these from whom he would have the Messiah to be Born. 194 Chap. 13. That the manner of God's promulgating his Law amongst the Israelites did much conduce to the distinguishing them from all other Nations 200 Chap. 14. That God seems to have designed to keep up a Spirit of Jealousie in the very Bosom of the Jewish Nation 206 Chap. 15. That Circumcision was a means of distinguishing the Israelites from other Nations 212 Chap. 16. That the Law of Moses engaged the Jews to the study of their Genealogies that they might certainly know that of the Messiah 219 Chap. 17. A Solution of some Difficulties in these Genealogies 223 Chap. 18. That the manner whereby the Law of Moses fixed the people of Israel to the Land of Canaan was to keep them separated from other Nations 228 Chap. 19. That the Law tied the people of Israel to the Land of Canaan and by several other means established the distinction betwixt Tribes and Families amongst them 234 Chap. 20. That the Laws which Moses made coneerning the state of Virginity did principally relate also to the Messiah which holds also as to several other Laws 241 Chap. 21. That it was the design of God by all these Ceremonies and particularly by that Veneration which he inspired the Jews with for the Tabernacle to preserve the Idea's of the Messiah whom he had promised in their minds by distinguishing them from all other Nations 249 Chap. 22. That it appears by the Books of Moses that this whole Model which God had framed was to last but until the coming of the Messiah 256 To the Courteous Reader THE Errata's are so small that they will not disturb the sense any where and so few that we need not trouble the Reader with a Table of them And therefore hope he will take such inconsiderable pains upon himself and excuse the Author REFLEXIONS UPON THE BOOKS OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE For the Establishing of the Truth OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION CHAPTER I. Concerning the Fundamentals of the Christian Religion WE are to consider three things in the Christian Religion the Matters of Fact it propounds to us for true the Promises it affords us and the Worship it commands The Matters of Fact it propounds to us as true are that God created the World that he formed the first Man from whom the rest of mankind have been propagated that a while after this Man was created he violated the Law God had given him and that whereas he deserved to have perished for this his disobedience God was pleased instead thereof to comfort him with the hopes of a Saviour which was to be born of the Seed of his Wife that God hath actually sent this Saviour into the World which comprehends the whole Oeconomy of Christ viz. His Birth Life Preaching Miracles Death Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven c. The Promises it vouchsafes are the forgiveness of our Sins the Resurrection of our Bodies and a state absolutely happy for ever in Heaven And lastly the Worship or Divine Service it prescribes consists in Obedience to the Law of God in Prayer for the pardon of our Sins and his Protection and in a grateful Acknowledgement of what we owe him for all his Benefits towards us The first of these three parts of the Christian Religion viz. The Truth of the Matters of Fact it relates may be said to be the foundation of the other two viz. The Promises and Commands It is impossible to be perswaded that God hath created this World in which we live and made Mankind of one and the same blood that after the Fall he promised to save Men and did actually redeem them in sending Jesus Christ who suffer'd Death and being rais'd the third day Ascended into Heaven c. I say it is impossible to look upon these Facts as true without being assured that God will accomplish the Promises he hath made to us And it is as evident that we cannot be convinc'd of the truth of these Matters without being sensible of a strong obligation laid upon us to perform all the Duties of the Christian Religion As soon as a Man reflects upon his being Gods Creature he finds himself naturally oblig'd to obey God universally according to his utmost ability but when he comes further to believe that God did not destroy the first Man for his disobedience but was graciously pleased to promise him a Saviour for himself and all his Posterity and when moreover he is assured that God hath really sent this Saviour in the way and manner the Gospel relates to us we cannot conceive but that he must find himself under the highest engagements imaginable of rendring to God a religious obedience and believing his Promises But there is yet another obligation whereby Man is bound to obey God to pray to him and to offer him all manner of Religious Worship God by redeeming him hath obtained a new claim to and right over him and a more indispensable obligation is laid upon Man to submit himself to God in all religious Concerns as being not only created but also redeemed by him Reason acknowledgeth that if the truth of these things be once admitted nothing can be more just and natural than those consequences which the Christians thence infer All the difficulty
make appear elsewhere The Third and last thing is That it was not easie to impose a forgery upon those times because their Lives were yet of a great extent tho' inferiour to those who lived before the Flood To these we may add this further Consideration that as the Jealousie which was between the Family of Seth and of Cain was a great means to preserve inviolably the important Truths of the Creation and first Promise a like Jealousie now being risen amongst the Sons of Noah Cham being Accursed of his own Father in the person of Canaan and the same being propagated to their Posterity it could not but effectually contribute to rescue these important Truths from Oblivion and particularly the Promise of the Messiah conceived in these words The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpent's head In a word Judg. VIII 23. IX 8. Talm. Hier. fol. 11 col 4 gloss in h. l. Avodazara c. III. fol. 43. col 1. De Dea Syr. p. 1069. we may not only in reference to the matter in hand take notice of what Lucian relates concerning the Religion of the Assyrians which did so lively preserve the memory of the Deluge and of what was done to Noah by his Son Cham when he scoffed at the Nakedness of his Father but also that the God of the Sichemites was called Baalberith whose Symbol was the figure of the Privy parts of a Man which seems a manifest allusion to their descent from the Family of Cham the Sichemites being some of the Posterity of Canaan It is also very natural to conceive First of all that it was from those old Pretensions that the Canaanites took occasion to prophane the most â—oly things with such shameful Idea's Secondly That it was in detestation of these Idea's that God ordered the killing of the Priests of Baal And Thirdly That it was for the same reason that the Jews were commanded to destroy them utterly Fourthly This was also the reason why the Israelites were so often desirous of imitating their Crimes In the Fifth place As we see that upon the like account the Moabites and Ammonites took Chemosh for their God and that the Women of those Nations were very zealous to propagate their Religion of which we have an Instance in Jezabel the Wife of Ahab so God was also willing to inspire his People with Horrour and Detestation for their Religion or any Alliance with them Lastly As there does appear a very great Conformity and resemblance between the first Birth of the World from the first Chaos and its being born again after the Deluge between Adam the first Man and Noah the second and between the Jealousies sprung up in both their Families upon the account of the Promise of the Messiah So this conformity could not but very naturally contribute to preserve the Memory of those Ancient Events which Noah and his Children had delivered to their Posterity with all the care which is taken to preserve the Tradition of the fundamentals of Religion CHAP. XV. That we find the Family of Abraham and his Posterity till Jacob fully perswaded of those Truths IT is no less easie to conceive how the distinct knowledge of these Truths was in process of time handed down to Jacob and his Posterity This I shall briefly explain I need not take notice here that the Religion practis'd by Abraham and his Posterity suppose these Matters as constantly owned and known It cannot be deny'd but that Lot having followed Terah and Abraham when God called the latter out of Chaldea might thence suppose that this Heavenly Call did separate and distinguish him from the rest of the Posterity of Shem and gave him a right as well as Abraham to pretend to the priviledge of fulfilling the Promise of the Messiah or at least to see it fulfill'd in his Posterity This we may infer from the Incest of Lot's Daughters their Crime which in another view appears very monstrous doth clearly prove that they were strongly possess'd with this hope which their Father had raised in them I know that some Interpreters suppose Lyra in Genes XIX that they were moved to commit this Incest from a pious intention of preserving Mankind as imagining to themselves that as the Deluge had drowned all Men besides Noah and his Family so the Flames which destroy'd Sodom had consumed all Mankind which they were the more ready to believe because they might have heard from their Father that the World one day was to perish by Fire Beres Rab. part 23. But indeed it may be consider'd as proceeding from a very different Motive the Jewish Doctors plainly averring that this was done by them in hopes of bringing forth the promised Redeemer And if we look upon this action of theirs in this view with reference to the Promise of the Messiah which was the grand object of the hopes of all those that fear'd God it is natural to conceive that considering their Father as one whom God had peculiarly chosen from amongst the Posterity of Shem to execute the Promise of the Messiah and seeing that their Mother was changed into a Statue of Salt they conceived themselves in some sort authoriz'd to surprize their Father in that manner and the rather because they conceived on the one hand that none of the Canaanites upon whom God had now begun to pour forth so hideous a Vengeance as a beginning of the Execution of the Curse against Cham having any part in this chiefest of Blessings could ever Marry them after that God had so manifestly separated and call'd forth their Father from amongst them and on the other hand supposing that God would dispence with the irregularity of this action by reason of their being reduced to an extremity There be three Circumstances which greatly confirm this my remark upon the Motive of their Incest The First is That they are represented to us as those who had behaved themselves very chastly in the midst of the Impurities of Sodom and that besides we find they design'd no such thing till after the Death of their Mother The other is That we see them contriving the thing together and that in a Matter which naturally is apt to separate the greatest Friends where the Motive proceeds from a Spirit of uncleanness Nor indeed do we find that they continued in this Incest The Third is That they were so far from being asham'd of an action in it self so criminal or concealing the knowledge of it from Posterity that they gave those Names to the Children born of this their Incest that might perpetuate and divulge the memory of this their action the one calling her Son Moab as much as to say Born of my Father and the other hers Benammi a Name of a like signification with the former This Observation is very necessary because these two Sons became the heads of two great People the Moabites and the Ammonites whose Kingdoms lasted above 1300 years and lived on
to have designed to keep up a Spirit of Jealousie in the very Bosom of the Jewish Nation WE have seen in general that God by giving his Law to the Israelites intended to discriminate them from all other Nations of the World and in particular from those Nations which had shewed themselves to be jealous of that distinction I mean from the Moabites the Ammonites the Ismaelites and the Edomites as I shall hereafter shew I have likewise observed that God by his Conduct and his Oracles did also excite a Spirit of Jealousie amongst the several pretenders to the Promise I come now to shew that God hath follow'd the same design in his Law and that he hath made use of that Jealousie as of another means to make that People which he had separated from all other Nations keep up always amongst themselves a lively Notion and Expectation of the Messiah Perhaps the Reader may think that these Reflections may interrupt the Series of the Observations I have undertaken to make upon Moses's Law But besides that I shall resume them presently so one may easily discern that these two Remarks concerning the Spirit of Distinction and the Spirit of Jealousie kept up in the Bosom of this people ought to be well considered by those that desire to know the Genius of God's Laws and the original Causes of all the Transactions related by Moses and by the other sacred Authors who acted in pursuance of that Design which appears in those Laws which Moses gave to the People of Israel I begin with two general Reflexions which I think are very useful in the explication of God's Conduct upon this Occasion Two things as I have already observed have conduced to keep up that Jealousie whereof Moses has given so many instances in the Book of Genesis The first is The Preference which God hath commonly given to the younger Brothers before the elder The second is The choice which God hath made of such particular persons as appeared absolutely unworthy of God's choice So that here one see 's a continual Series in the Jewish History written by Moses and by the Prophets who made the same Observations upon that Model which Moses had given them First of all The Tribe of Judah is preferred before all the other Tribes of Israel and particularly before the Tribe of Reuben which afterwards occasioned the Insurrection of some Reubenites in their Sedition against Moses wherein Corah Dathan and Abiram perished Just as God's preferring Abel offended Cain and as Joseph's Brethren conspired together to put him to death because of his Dreams which foretold his greatness and their fall Secondly One see 's that Phares Judah's youngest Son is preferred not only before all the other Children of Judah but even before Zerah the eldest of the Twins which Judah had by Thamar just as Jacob was preferred before his Brother Esau tho' they were Twins and Esau born the first of the two One see 's afterwards That God having chosen Jesse of all the Posterity of Phares David the youngest of all his Sons was preferred before his Brethren when God was pleased to translate the Kingdom to the Tribe of Judah and to the Family of Jesse Just as we saw before that in the Election of the first King whom the Israelites desired to be set over them that he was chosen by Lot by an extraordinary effect of Providence out of the Tribe of Benjamin tho' the youngest of all Jacob's Children Thus one see 's that Solomon the youngest of David's Children was preferred before his Brothers and that the same Solomon built the Temple of God in the Tribe of Benjamin tho' he himself was of the Tribe of Judah We shall afterwards see That the Messiah was descended from David by Nathan Son to one of David's younger Children and by Resah Zorobabel's youngest Son from whom the Blessed Virgin drew her Original The second Remark is about the care God hath taken by his choice of some particular persons to accomplish the promise to furnish those with pretences and objections who might be interessed to oppose the Restrictions which God had made in favour of their equals for as they served to keep up a Jealousie amongst all the pretenders to the Promise so they also served to preserve a distinct knowledge of it and to make them inquire more diligently after it In short as we see that the Ismaelites might upbraid Sarah both with her frequent Rapes and with her Cruelty to Agar and Ismael As the Edomites might upbraid Jacob's Posterity with Rebecca's supplanting their Father Esau and cheating him of his Blessing so likewise we may observe that God not only chose Thamar to have the Messiah descend from her but also would have her Incest with her Father in-Law recorded What might all the other Tribes of Israel say were there then no honest Women in Israel that the Messiah's Ancestors must descend from those that were born of an Incestuous Commerce What probability is there that God should choose the Tribe of Judah Had not all the other Children of Judah a fairer pretension to this priviledge than Phares could have And might not their Posterity revive against the Posterity of Phares that severe Law against Bastard Children which we read of Deut. XXIII God chose in the like manner Ruth the Moabitess and had her History written and his choice recorded as if he had intended to prepare an excuse for those of the Israelites who afterwards would refuse to submit to David What probability is there might they say that God would have the Messiah to be born of a Moabitess seeing it was by his order that Moses caused all those Israelites to be put to death who after the pronunciation of Balaam's Prophesie held any commerce with the Daughters of Moab Was there any likelihood that such a thing could be possible especially seeing there was a Law which God would have to be inserted in Deuteronomy which excludeth the Moabites from the possibility of ever being admitted into the people of God. But at least was not this choice of Ruth the Moabitess a fair cause of Jealousie to all the other Families of Judah God caused the Adultery of Bathsheba the Mother of Solomon to be carefully recorded as it were on purpose to excuse the Rebellion of those who afterwards sided with Jeroboam against Rehoboam and his Authority Is it probable might these Rebels say that God would have chosen that Bloody Cruel Man David that Adulterer that he and Bathshebah should beget the Messiah together Had Jesse no other Children besides David And if David must needs have been the Man why should Solomon born of Bathshebah be preferred before all his Brothers There are three things considerable in this Matter The First is That God having given to Joshuah the conduct of the Israelites after he had formerly raised Joseph so much above his Brethren by his advancement in Egypt and given to his Tribe two portions of the Land of Canaan
of the shadow of Death upon them hath the light shined Thou hast multiplyed the Nation thou hast encreased the joy they joy before thee according to the joy in Harvest and as men rejoyce when they divide the spoil I shall afterwards take notice That the time of the Messiah was to be distinguished by an incredible abundance of Spiritual Gifts and so this shall suffice at present to prove that the Messiah was to be a very great Prophet CHAP. XVIII That the Messiah was to propound a new Covenant from God with all men THis is a Truth which is easily gathered 1. Because all Nations before they could be made partakers of the Blessing of God by the Messiah according to the promise made to Abraham were first to be received into the Covenant 2. From the nature of that Covenant it self of which Moses was the Mediator the end of which was to separate the Jews from other Nations some of which were not capable of being received amongst them till after several Generations whereas they were to be made partakers of this Blessing by the Messiah 3. Because in effect all the Ceremonial Law was only added to the Moral as it were contrary to God's principal intention and only upon occasion of the Jews worshipping the Golden Calf as St. Gal. 3.19 Paul observes in the Third Chapter of his Epistle to the Galatians Besides it appears that God at divers times had given sufficient hints concerning this 1. He had proposed a new Priesthood of the Messiah which was to abolish the Levitical Priesthood and this is the more remarkable forasmuch as David who pronounced that Oracle Psalm CX was he who first form'd the design of building the Temple to which all the Levitical Service was annexed 2. We find him rejecting in some sort the Levitical Ministry after he had despised it in comparison of the Spiritual Worship Psalm XL. vers 6. Sacrifice and Offering thou didst not desire mine ears hast thou opened Burnt-offering and Sin-offering hast thou not required And Psalm L. vers 8 9 10. I will not reprove thee for thy Sacrifices or thy Burnt-offerings which have been continually before me I will take no Bullocks out of thine House nor He-goats out of thy Folds for every Beast of the Forest is mine and the Cattel upon a thousand Hills And Psalm LI. verse 17. he tells us that the Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit in opposition to the Sacrifices which the Law prescribed and to signifie their imperfection the Law having appointed none for the expiation of Murther or Adultery Isaiah follows David Chap. 1. vers 11 12 13 14 and 15. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices unto me saith the Lord I am full of the Burnt-offerings of Rams and the fat of fed Beasts and I delight not in the blood of Bullocks or of Lambs or of He-goats When you come to appear before me who hath required this at your hands to tread my Courts Bring no more vain Oblations Incense is an abomination unto me the new Moons and Sabbaths the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even the solemn meeting Your new Moons and your appointed Feasts my Soul hateth they are a trouble unto me I am weary to bear them And when you spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of blood And Jeremiah speaks much to the same purpose Chap. VII v. 21 22 23. But besides God directly promiseth this new Covenant by Isaiah Chap. XLII vers 6 7. I the Lord have called thee in Righteousness and will hold thine hand and will keep thee and give thee for a Covenant of the People for a Light of the Gentiles To open the blind eyes to bring out the Prisoners from the Prison and them that sit in Darkness from the Prison house It is natural to observe That in this place where God speaks of the Messiah as the Jews themselves confess he expresly declares two things 1. That the Messiah should be a Covenant of the People that is that he should mediate a Covenant between God and the People 2. That the fruit of this Covenant was to extend to the Gentiles which plainly implyes that it was not the old Covenant forasmuch as from it several were excluded The same Covenant is also mention'd Chap. XLIX vers 8 9. Thus saith the Lord in an acceptable time have I heard thee and in a day of salvation have I helped thee and I will preserve thee and give thee for a Covenant of the People to establish the Earth to cause to inherit the desolate Heritages That thou maist say to the Prisoners go forth to them that are in darkness shew your selves they shall feed in the ways and their pastures shall be in all High-places He pursues the same Notion Chap. LV. vers 3 4. Incline your ear and come unto me hear and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you the sure mercies of David Behold I have given him for a Witness to the People a Leader and Commander to the People Than which nothing can be more particular And to the same purpose he speaks Chap. LXI vers 8 9. For I the Lord love Judgment I hate robbery for Burnt-offering and I will direct their work in truth and I will make an everlasting Covenant with them And their Seed shall be known among the Gentiles and their Off-spring among the people all that see them shall acknowledge them that they are the Seed which the Lord hath blessed It is as clear as the day That God in these Oracles promiseth an irrevocable Covenant because he calls it an Everlasting Covenant in opposition to the former He takes notice also in the same Book That the said Covenant was to be propounded in the midst of the Nations and that then that Blessing of God should be known according to the ancient Oracles which was promised universally to all Nations This is that which God more particularly explains afterwards by the voice and pen of a Prophet who was of the order of Priests thereby to prevent all sorts of Exceptions Jeremiah in effect speaks to the same purpose Chap. XXXI vers 31 32 33 34 35 and 36. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the Land of Egypt which my Covenant they brake altho' I were a husband to them saith the Lord But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their heart and I will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall
that Alexander preserved them in the Enjoyment of their Rights and Liberties as they enjoyed them under the Kings of Persia and in particular exempted them from paying any Tribute every seventh year because then they did not sow their Ground and consequently could not reap And if we find that Ptolemy took Jerusalem on a Sabbath day the Jews making Conscience of defending themselves because the Law required their ceasing from all work from whence Agatharcides an Heathen Author takes occasion to blame their Law if we find him carrying a great number of Jews with him into Egypt yet withal we find him treating them with as much kindness as the Macedonians themselves appointing distinct places in Egypt and Lybia for their Habitation If we find that powerful Princes such as Antiochus Epiphanes and some others of his Successors broke the power of the Jews prophaned their Temple and forc'd great numbers of them to abjure their Religion yet we see them also at the same time giving the highest instances of an immoveable constancy and courage in defence of their Law and in enduring the most exquisite Tortures we see others of them encouraged with the love of their Country as well as Religion putting themselves into a posture of defence purifying the Temple and celebrating a Festival which is observed even at this day and lastly obtaining favourable Treaties at the hands of their Enemies as may be seen in the Books of the Maccabees and in the Twelfth Book of Josephus his Antiquities yea we find their name and glory at that time spread as far as Lacaedemon with which Common-wealth they made an Alliance during the High-Priesthood of Onias One see 's them after this so considerable under the Successor of Antiochus their Persecutor that even those Kings sue for their Alliance with great presents One see 's that Ptolomy Philometor granted to Onias the Son leave to build a Temple in Egypt for the convenience of those Jews whom Ptolomy the Son of Lagus had carried thither as well as for those who left their Country for the oppression of the Seleucidae for Judea being situate between Syria and Egypt was ordinarily the Theatre of War between those two States 'T is here worth our noting That the Jews undertook the building of the Temple in Egypt as thinking themselves authoriz'd by that Prophecy Isai XIX 24. it being a thing otherwise forbid by the Law. One sees in the same Prince's Reign a great contest between the Samaritans and the Jews about the pre-eminence of their Temples at Jerusalem and Mount Garizim decided by him in favour of the Jews on which occasion the Jews shewed that Prince their Law and acquainted him with the Series of their History to confute the Samaritans pretensions One see 's after this when the Jews had conferred the Soveraignty and High-Priesthood on Simon that their State became so powerful that under Hyrcanus his Successor they were in a condition to attacque their Enemies in Syria and compel the Edomites to admit Circumcision Aristobulus his Son was crowned his Brother succeeded him in the Royal Dignity and left the State in a flourishing condition notwithstanding the Civil and Foreign Wars he was engaged in We find afterwards That the intestine Divisions among the Successors of those Jewish Princes did by degrees open a gap for foreign power to enter and prevail over them Pompey siding with Hyrcanus took Jerusalem and made the Jews tributary to the Romans but without changing any thing in their Religion Julius Caesar a while after bestowed the Kingdom of Judaea upon Herod the Edomite Augustus after him used the Jews with the same Equity as Pompey before him had done as appears from one of his Declarations publish'd in favour of the Jews of Egypt and Asia recorded by Josephus This Herod and Augustus are the same under whom our Saviour Jesus Christ was born It is evident therefore That the State of the Jews has continued distinct from other Nations and sufficiently known from the time of the Prophet Malachy until Herod We may also truly assert That whatever inclination the Jews of old had for the Idolatries of their Neighbours yet we don't find them given that way during this interval between the last of their Prophets and Herod as if the charge and command of that Prophet Malachy had always sounded in their Ears Mal. IV. verse 4. Remember the Law of Moses my Servant c. One see 's that the Jews under the Maccabees in great numbers suffered Martyrdom rather than abjure their Religion and that they observed the Ceremonial Law with all carefulness of which Augustus himself was witness One see 's that under Strangers and Heathen Kings they exempted themselves from answering any Suit at Law on the Sabbath day from paying Tribute the seventh Year and preserving the Rights and Priviledges of their Temple in spight of all opposition Lastly one finds them during Herod's Government supported by the favour of the Roman Empire in refusing to set up the Emperour's Trophees for fear least some Images might be hid under them which they looked upon as a Crime against their Law. I am not ignorant that since Malachy some Heresies sprung up among the Jews their Commerce with the Greeks who applyed themselves to Philosophical Speculations having contributed to make them much more Disputacious than they were before The Authority likewise of their Kings who were High-Priests also may have had a great stroke in blemishing the Purity of their Religion But yet the Disputes which we find amongst them as that of the Fatality of Events did not at all touch the Substance of their Religion They no sooner found the Spirit of Epicurisme to creep in amongst them but they framed such additions to their publick Liturgy as they thought most proper to eradicate or at least condemn that Corruption I confess also that the Pharisees and Doctors of their Law had greatly alter'd their Morality in making their own Explications by the great Authority which they had amongst the People to pass for Authentick but yet this change and corruption in their Morals as to practice did not go so far as to abolish the Laws themselves which were only wrested from their true meaning This was indeed a great Corruption but not such a one as could make it to be no more the same Religion So that we may boldly assert which is a thing very important to our present purpose That the State and Religion of the Jews have continued sufficiently entire till the time of the appearing of the Messiah in the World for their preserving of whatsoever was necessary viz. as well the Books of the Old Testament as the knowledge of those Oracles which foretold the coming of the Messiah together with the Knowledge of these Principles according to which the Prophets have spoken in their Predictions concerning him REFLEXIONS Upon the BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT To Confirm the TRUTH OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION THE PREFACE I Have shewn in my
he who had made himself so famous by his Sorceries becomes a Disciple S. Luke in a History of the Actions of thirty years relates the continual Miracles wrought by the Apostles and particularly by S. Paul whom he constantly followed It seems to me that if one considers the History it self and the person who made it that it will appear to be a true and faithful Relation however there are other testimonies which invincibly establish the same Truth 1. The Gospel was in effect established in most of the Provinces and great Cities of the Roman Empire S. Paul writes to the Christians of Thessalonica Corinth and Ephesus to the Galatians Colossians c. which is an evident Argument that there were Christians every where that is Disciples of these twelve Fishermen who understood nothing but their native Syriack Language How then were all these Nations converted without supposing the truth of the Miracle at the Pentecost 2. The Apostles speak to them of these miraculous Gifts as of a common thing S. Paul employing some part of his first Epistle to the Corinthians to regulate those disorders which arose in the Church by reason of the abuse of those Gifts S. James speaks of the power that the Priests had to cure the sick and S. Paul wishes for an opportunity of going to Rome to communicate those Gifts to the Romans 3. They take occasion to raise the Dignity of the Gospel above that of the Law in calling it the Ministry of the Spirit in opposition to the Letter of the Law notwithstanding the Tables of the Law had been given to Moses in so very illustrious a manner It is of great moment here to consider Three things which alone are sufficient to confirm the truth of the Christian Religion The first is That this Mission of the Spirit is alone sufficient to convince Mankind of the Divinity of Jesus Christ God gave to Adam a power of speaking one Language and afterwards he divided the same to make a confusion amongst the Builders of Babel and Jesus Christ doth the same thing to confirm the Glory and Belief of his Divinity God vouchsafes the power of Miracles to some Jesus Christ communicates it to a far greater number Miracles not having been so generally wrought because no People ever had that power in all the foregoing Ages The Father wrought so few Miracles that he might leave to the Son this means of making himself known The Son had the glory of pouring forth the Holy Ghost in a greater abundance than the Father thereby to supply the shame of his humiliation This is the true Reason why the Scripture saith That the Spirit was not yet given because Jesus Christ was not yet glorified The second is That from this Miracle one ought to infer these two Conclusions The first is That God was fully pacified by the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ the Apostles constantly representing the Passion of our Saviour as a Sacrifice offer'd by him The other is That from that time forward Mankind was conscerated to God as his Temple Jesus Christ in his prayer before his Death expresses himself much in the same manner as Solomon did at his Dedication of the first Temple and Fire from Heaven falls down on his Sacrifice Jesus Christ consecrates his Apostles to be the living Stones of his Temple and causes the heavenly Flames to fall down upon them as had formerly been granted at Solomon's Dedication of the first Temple The third is That the Jews themselves cannot conceive a more glorious or magnificent Accomplishment of the ancient Oracles concerning the effusion of the Holy Spirit at the time of the Messiah than what we find related by S. Luke whereof the whole World may see the visible Effects in the Calling of the Gentiles to the Christian Religion from whence one may rationally conclude That Jesus Christ must be acknowledged for the Messiah whom God had promised CHAP. XV. That according to the Prophecies the Apostles of Jesus Christ have called the Gentiles to the profession of the Christian Religion WE have already seen what was the design of God and that the distinction which he made of the Jews from other Nations was only that the Messiah might by that means be the more certainly known in whom all Mankind had a right as being promised to Adam God renew'd the Idea of this truth in a very lively manner when he assured Abraham before he gave him the Law of Circumcision That in his Seed all Nations should be blessed Jacob enlightned by the Spirit of Prophecy on his Death-bed plainly takes this truth for granted when he says that the Messiah whom he calls Shiloh was to be the expectation of the Gentiles Gen. XLIX Why doth he not say That he was to be the expectation of the Jews but because he supposeth that they were to be rejected and the Gentiles called in their stead One see 's in the Psalms and in the Prophets until Malachi inclusively a thousand Declarations of this future Calling of the Gentiles to the Faith of the Messiah and tho' the most part of the Idea's which the Prophets make use of seem to be very figurative describing the Messiah as a Conquerour who was to subdue the whole World to his Dominion by the force of Arms yet we find a great many others interwoven with them which only relate to the Profession of the Religion of the Messiah and which not being capable of any other Sense sufficiently determine the others so as not to perplex the Reader with those seeming Obscurities But Jesus Christ very distinctly declares this in divers places and above all in the XXIV of S. Matthew This Gospel saith he shall be preached throughout all the World. Now nothing could ever be more exactly fulfilled than these ancient Oracles have been let the Jews cavil as long as they please about our application of many of the Prophecies of the Old Testament to our Saviour let them put a sense upon the Scriptures which treat of this Subject contrary to what the Jews who were contemporary with Jesus Christ ever did and to the most of those with whom the first Christians as Justin Tertullian and others from time to time disputed yet at least they cannot deny but that the thing has been exactly fulfilled It is clearer than the day that nothing could be more exact All Christians from one end of the World to another worship the God of Israel according to the Prophecy of Malachi Jesus Christ subjected them to the Moral part of the Law of Moses The Mahometans themselves have learnt of the Christians to acknowledge no other God but the God of Israel The multitude of false Gods which the World worshipped are vanished from all places where Christianity has been planted and very few are left in comparison of those which are already destroy'd so that we must consider the thing as already gone very far In truth while things continue thus one may reasonably maintain against the