it should be believed as an Article of the Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation And this is a sufficient and solid Proof of a thing 's not being Necessary to Salvation that it is not contain'd in Scripture This then we assert that these Writings are Plain and Perfect as to all Matters that are Necessary and accordingly are able to put an End to all Controversies which relate to Salvation And if Men will not end them with This Rule they will never do it with any This is the Chief Perfection of Scripture that in it the whole Will of God as to those things that have a necessary Tendency to our Happiness and consequently are the only Necessary Things to be known and done by us is plainly revealed The New Testament particularly is the last Revelation of God's Will and Counsel and nothing is to be added to it or taken from it which makes it a Perfect Standard of Belief and a Compleat Rule of our Lives in which there is nothing short and defective nothing superfluous and redundant Here are all the Principles of True Religion and all the Measures of Holy Living so that whilst we proceed according to this Perfect Canon we are infallibly certain of the Truth of what we believe and of the Rectitude and Lawfulness of what we act On this sole Account the Holy Writ excels all Writings in the World besides 3. We are to adjoin this that as it is a Light to our Vnderstandings and a Rule of our Lives so it is the grand Procurer of our Comfort Ioy and Tranquillity Alas they are Cold Topicks of Consolation which the Writings of the Best Moralists afford us When our outward Distresses and Miseries much more when our inward and spiritual Maladies increase upon us Epictetus and Seneca with all their Spangled Sayings are too mean Physicians to take us in Hand The Great Cicero when in the Close of his Life he was reduced to marvelous Difficulties declared that his Learning and his Books afforded him not any Considerable Arguments of Comfort that the Disease of his Mind which he lay under was too great and too strong to be cured by those Ordinary Medicines which Philosophy administred to him There must be some greater Traumatick some more powerful Application to these Wounds to work a perfect Cure And this Divine Book is able to furnish us with it This alone can remove our Pains and Languors and restore us to an entire Health This faith the Psalmist is my Comfort in my Affliction Thy Word hath quickned me And again Vnless thy Law had been my Delight I should then have perished in my Affliction It was this which upheld and chear'd him in his greatest Straits and yielded him Light and Joy when all things about him look'd black and dismal If but a small part of the Bible had this blessed Effect how powerful and successful will All of it prove if we duly consult it seriously meditate upon it and give it admittance into our Hearts If the Apostle could say Whatsoever things were written asore time in this Book were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the scriptures might have Hope how much greater Hope must needs be administred to us in all Conditions of Life but more especially in the Day of Trouble and Calamity when we have the Scriptures not only of the Old but New Testament to repair unto This latter especially will be a never-falling Spring of Contentment and Joy to us In these Books we have a true and perfect Landskip and View of the World Here is unmask'd and laid open the Vanity of it Here we are assured that many of the Gay things which it presents us with and which fond Minds so dote upon are but empty Bubbles deceitful Phantoms and Apparitions mere Conceits and Castles in the Air. Here we are inform'd that a Prosperous State is not really Good that an Overplus of Riches and Worldly Abundance does frequently prove a Clog to vertuous Minds and that Excess of Pleasures is too fulsom and luscious and takes away that purer Relish of spiritual and heavenly Delights yea that Men generally find a worse Effect of them for when they are gorged and clogg'd with them they revolt from God when they are waxen fat they kick against Heaven So their Worldly Plenty is turn'd into the worst of Punishments and this Plethory is their Disease On the other side we are taught in these Writings that Crosses and Afflictions are not evil in themselves yea that they are Good and Medicinal and advance our spiritual Health that they are so far from being a hindrance to our Happiness that they are a part of it for otherwise the Afflicted would not be so often pronounced Blessed That God's Afflicting a Man is Magnifying of him and setting his Heart upon him It shews that God is greatly concern'd for his Good and that the Almighty hath more care of him than he hath of himself Here we are instructed that we have ground to suspect our Condition if we be wholly exempted from the Distresses of this Life and that not to be Chastised is a Mark of Bastardy Here we learn the true use and end of all those Adverse Dispensations which we meet with viz. that they were designed to try us to make us know our selves and to inform us how evil and bitter a thing it is to offend the Divine Majesty to awaken us out of our Sloth and Security to hold us in Action to keep us in Breath and Exercise as Carthage was useful to rouze Rome's Valour to abate our Pride and Haughtiness and make us humble and submissive Creatures to check our immoderate Passions and Pursuits after earthly things to disintangle us from these Snares to free us from these Charms to keep us from being suck'd in and swallowed up in the powerful Circle and Eddy of this World as who knows not that it is True Philosophy that the World is made up of Vortices to cause us to look after Better Things when these are taken from us to reclaim us from our evil Courses and to reduce us unto Vertue and Goodness to excite us to a Renunciation of all Trust and Confidence in our selves and the transitory Enjoyments of this World and to depend upon God alone It is this Book whence we are acquainted that our Sufferings make us conformable to Christ our Master and therefore are Honourable Badges of Christianity That the Curse which usually attends outward Crosses is taken away by our Saviour's Death That the Calamities of the Faithful are Chastisements rather than Punishments That no Adverse Accidents can do us any hurt if we believe in Jesus and abandon our Sins That the Pressures of this Life are serviceable to make us pity those that are in Misery to know and relish the Love of Christ in suffering for us to inhanse the Comforts of a Good Conscience to commend
A DISCOURSE Concerning the Authority Stile and Perfection OF THE BOOKS OF THE Old and New-Testament WITH A Continued Illustration of several Difficult Texts of Scripture throughout the whole Work By IOHN EDWARDS B. D. sometime Fellow of St. Iohn's College in CAMBRIDGE LONDON Printed and Sold by Richard Wilkin at the King's-Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCXCIII Imprimatur S. Blithe Procan Deput Io. Beaumont S. T. P. Io. Covell S. T. P. C. Roderick S. T. P. Cantabr April 13. 1693. TO THE Right Reverend Father in God SIMON Lord Bishop of ELY MY LORD YOVR Kind and Generous Acceptance of my former Vndertakings which justly merits my most Thankful Acknowledgments which I here render to Your Lordship hath encouraged me to make this Offering of another little Treatise and to request You to take both it and its worthless Author into Your Protection Your Name alone is a sufficient Amulet against the Censures which these Papers may be exposed to by being made thus Publick None will venture to damn that Book which Your Lordship shall be pleased to Patronize I am confident of the Goodness of the Cause which I have Espoused but I am as sensible on the other hand of my great and manifold Defects in the managing it However I entertain good hopes of finding my Readers in some measure favourable to this Enterprize when they shall behold Your Lordship's Name which is the known Name of Learning and Piety prefixed to it by My Lord Your Lordships Most Humble and Devoted Servant Iohn Edwards THE PREFACE WHAT I had prepared for the Publick View concerning the Authority Stile and Perfection of Scripture I intended to have Published together in one Volume but finding that the Present Age is not for Great Books I am content to comply with it so fâ—r especially perceiving the First Part of this my Undertaking to swell into a moderate Octavo I am willing it should go into the World alonâ— and accordingly I now Publish that First Pâ—rt only intending to treat of the Stile and Perfection of Scripture either in one or two Volumes afterwards The whole Attempt is of near Aâ—â—inity with my foâ—mer Undertaking viz. of Criticizing on several Texts of Scripture especially such as are Difficult and giving the Resolution of them I have all along whilst I have mention'd sâ—veral Passages of Holy Writ to which the Opinions or Practises of the Pagans refer given an Explication generally of them So that I am still in pursuit of my former Dâ—sign and I make it my Business to clear and illustrate the Sacred Writings especially that part of them which is most Obscure and Difficult But the more particular Design of these Papers is to aâ—â—eâ—t the Truth and Authority of those Ancient and Divine Writings and that from the Testimonies of our professed Adversaries viz. Pagans and Iews It were folly to deny that divers of these things are mentioned in other Authors and partly to the same purpose that I have produced them as indeed what useful Subject is there that hath escaped the Pens of the Learned but then it will be fitting if not necessary for me to add in a just Vindication of my present Attempt that so far as I have conversed with Writers I never met with any that Traced this Noble Subject both through the Old and New-Testament which is the Design of this present Work I know some have hinted at a few of these Remarks and most commonly without insisting on the Reasons and Grounds of them and without examining the particular Circumstances belonging to them But I have not contented my self with this superficial way of delivering these things but have endeavoured to Search into the true and genuine Original of them which hath occasioned several Just Discourses and enlarged Disquisitions on the various Matters which occur under those Heads In brief I have amply prosecuted this Argument by offering a vast number of Particulars from my own Enquiry and Observation I have designedly Treated on this Theme which scarce any have done I have methodically digested my Materials according to the Histories or other Passages in the Bible to which they have reference in Iewish or Pagan Writers And Lastly I have made the whole Serviceable to this excellent Purpose viz. the attesting and confirming the Truth of the Sacred Scriptures But the main of this Preface shall be spent in vindicating my Interpretation of 1 Cor. 15. 29. In my former Enquiry into that Text where I maintained that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our Translators rendeâ— Baptized for the Dead is according to the truâ— and proper Signification of the Words in that place to be Translated Baptized on the Account or by reason of or for the sake of the Dead Which Interpretation I perceive some are backward to entertain because they doubt whether the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 join'd with a Genitive Case be taken in that sense in Prophane Authors They grant it is Equivalent with the Latin causâ gratiâ or in gratiam but they think that these and consequently the Greek Preposition always refer to and denote some Advantage or Benefit Therefore according to these Persons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should rather be rendred for the benefit of the Dead because this is the Acception of the Preposition in the Writings of all Prophane Authors But to this I might reply and that with most justifiable Reason that I am not obliged to prove that this Preposition is used in Pagan Writers in the same Sense that I assert it to be used in this place of St. Paul Who knows not that some Authors have a particular and individual Sense of some Words appropriated to themselves and it is in vain to look for the same Acception of them in other Writers The Commentators on Homer Aristophanes Herodotus or any other good Greek or Latin Author take notice that such a Word or Phrase is used by these Writers in a Sense different from what is found in others and this is Satisfactory to the Learned But especially if they find that one of these Authors useth the same word more than once in this peculiar Sense they are confirmed in the belief of this singular meaning of it So it should be here for this is certain that the Authority of the New-Testament is every whit as good as that of the foremention'd Authors or any other Any fair Critick will readily grant that if I produce two or three places in the New-Testament where the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath the Signification which I affix to it I perform my Task well enough And this I have already done in my Enquiry into that Text where more than the fore-named number of places is brought to confirm that particular Sense of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I have propounded I could have mentioned Gal. 1. 4. and 1 Pet. 3. 18. and other Texts made use of by Grotius where he thinks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be rendred
numbred among the Books of Canonical Scripture And thus we have argued from the Tradition and the Testimony of the Church And if this be done as it ought to be done it is valid for the Truth of the Copies the Canonicalness of the Books and the like are not decidable by Scripture it self but in the Way that all other Controversies of that nature are As you would prove any other Book to be Authentick so you must prove the Bible to be viz. by sufficient and able Testimony There is the same reason to believe the Sacred History that there is to believe any other Historical Writings that are extant Nay the Testimonies on behalf of the Holy Scriptureâ— are more pregnant than any that are brought for other Writings Besides all that can be said for the Sacred Volume of the Bible which is wont to be said for other Writings I have shewed you that there are some things peculiar to this above aâ—â— others The main thing we have insisted upon is this that the Books of the Old and New Testament have been faithfully conveyed to us and that they are vouched by the constant and universal Tradition both of the Jewish and Christian Church and that these Books and no others are of the Canon of Scripture for to be of the Canon of Scripture is no other than to be owned by the Universal Church for Divinely Inspired Writings The Church witnesseth and confirmeth the Authority of the Canonical Scriptures for she received them as Divine and she delivers them to us as such Yet I do not say that the Church's Testifying these Books to be the Holy Scriptures gives an Absolute and Entire Authority to them A Clerk in the Parliament or any other Court writes down and testiâ—ies that such an Act or Decree or Order was pass'd by the King Magistrate or People and he witnesses that he hath faithfully kept these by him and that they are the very same that at such a time were made by the foresaid Authority but the Authority of this Act Decree or Order rests not in the Clerk but wholly in the King Magistrate or People So the Church recordeth and keepeth the Sacred Writings of the Bible and bears witness that they have been faithfully preserved and that they are the Genuine Writings of those Persons whose Names are presixed to them bâ—t the Divine Authority of the Scriptures depends not on the Church but on the Books and Authors themselves namely their being Inspired And indeed this Authority of the Scriptures cannot depend on the Church because the Church itself depends on the Scriptures These must be proved before the Church can pretend to be any such thing as a Church We cannot know the Church but by the Scriptures therefore the Scriptures must be known before the Church It follows then that the Papists are very unreasonable and absurd in making the Ultimate Resolution of Faith to be into the Testimony and Authority of the Church This we disown as a great Falsity but yet it is rational to hold that the Church's Testimony is one good Argument and Proof of the Truth of the Sacred Scripture according to that known Saying of St. Augustine I should not believe the Gospel if the Authority of the Church did not move me Not that he founds the Gospel i. e. the Doctrine of Christianity and the Truth of it on the Testimony of the Church as the Papists are wont to infer from these Words and frequently quote them to this purpose No the Father's meaning is this that by the Testimony and Consent of the Church he believed the Book of the Gospel to be verily that Book which was written by the Evangelists This is the Sense of the Place as is plain from the Scope of it for he speaks there of the Copies or Writings not the Doctrine contained in them The good Father relies on this that so great a number of knowing and honest Persons as the Church was made up of did assert the Evangelical Writings to be the Writings of such as were really inspired by the Holy Ghost and that they were true and genuine and not corrupted And the whole Body of Sacred Scripture is attested by the same universal Suffrage of the Church i. e. the unanimous Consent of the Apostles and of the First Christians and of those that immediately succeeded them several of which laid down their Lives to vindicate the Truth of these Writings This is the External Testimony given to the Holy Scriptures It is the general Perswasion and Attestation of the Antient Church that these are the Scriptures of Truth that they were penn'd by holy Prophets and Apostles immediately directed by the Spirit who therefore could not err It was usual heretofore among the Pagan Lawgivers to attribute their Laws to some Deity tho they were of their own Invention intending thereby to conciliate Reverence to them and to commend them to the People But here is no such Cheat put upon us God himself is really the Author of the Holy Scriptures these Sacred Laws come immediately from Him they are of Divine Inspiration There is no doubt to be made of the Divinity of the Scriptures and consequently there is assurance of the Infallibility of them CHAP. III. The Authority of the Bible manifested from the Testimonies of Enemies and Strangers especially of Pagans These confirm what the Old Testament saith concerning the Creation the Production of Adam and Eve their Fall with the several Circumstances of it Enoch's Translation the Longevity of the Patriarchs the Giants in those Times the Universal Flood the building of the Tower of Babel I Have propounded some of the chief Arguments which may induce us to believe the Truth and Certainty of the holy Writings of the Old and New Testament I will now choose out another for the sake chiefly of the Learned and Curious which I purpose to inlarge upon yea to make the Subject of my whole ensuing Discourse I consider then that we have in this Matter not only the Testimony of Friends but of Enemies and Strangers and it is a Maxim in the Civil Law and vouched by all Men of Reason that the Testimony of an Enemy is most considerable The Iewish and Christian Church as I have shewed already give their Testimony to the Scriptures but besides these Witnesses there are Others there is the Attestation of Foreigners and Adversaries These fully testify the Truth of what is delivered in the Holy Bible we have the Approbation of Heathen Writers to conâ—irm many of the things related in the Old Testament and both Professed Heathens and Iews for we must now look upon these latter as profess'd Enemies when we are to speak of the Christian Concern attest sundry things of the New Testament and vouch the Truth and Authority of them Here then I will distinctly proceed and first begin with the Old Testament and let you see in several Particulars that even the Pagan World gives Testimony to this Sacred Volume
use of this Testimony especially that the first of these in his Dialogue with Trypho where his design is to convert that Iew to Christianity omits it wholly But to him that considers things aright this will not seem strange for if he looks into these Fathers he will find that their grand enterprize and design were to convince the Iews out of the Old-Testament which they profess'd they heartily believed and imbraced and therefore those learned and pious Writers fixed here and were not solicitous to go any farther What need was there of flying to human Authors when this divine and inspired Volume furnished them with abundant Arguments and Proofs against Iudaism It would have been unnecessary and superfluous to alledge the Testimony of this Person though never so credible when they had so many infallible Authors to vouch them and the Religion which they had espoused Again this late Critick tells us that this Testimony is against Iosephus's mind he being a Iewish Priest a legal Sacrificer and most tenacious of the Iewish Religion He was of the Sect of the Pharisees and one of the Princes of the Mosaick Church therefore it is unlikely that he would leave any such thing upon record in his Writings Those that know Iosephus's Sect and Life cannot believe saith he that these words were his Yes they very well may for he doth not absolutely assert our Saviour to be the true Messias but only that he was the Person who was called Christ and that excellent Worth and even Divinity appeared in him and he farther bears witness that this excellent Person who was of old prophesied of was not treated according to his transcendent merits but was barbarously put to death by his Country-men and yet that in a miraculous manner he was revived and thereby gave an undeniable proof of his Innocency and Integrity All this though it be a most remarkable Attestation of our Saviour yet might have been said as really it was by a Iewish Sacrificer by a strict Pharisee by a tenacious asserter of the Mosaick Riligion The whole Testimony is but the result of an unprejudiced and honest Mind such as this Historian was Master of And if it be true what this Criticizer mentions and attempts to prove out of Origen that Iosephus had before this writ against Christ the Testimony thereby becomes the more remarkable because it is a great argument of the irresistible power of the Truth and that there was a wonderful change wrought in this Person And truly this Objector himself mentions that which may induce us to believe it for we read saith he in Iosephus's Book which he writ of his own Life that he having gone through all the Iewish Sects was admitted at last into the discipline of Banus a Disciple of Iohn the Baptist. Thus this Author answers himself and what he had before objected namely that this Historian wrote against his own mind if these words of his were true It is not likely that he spoke contrary to his Perswasion if he was entred into the discipline of Iohn Baptist who had been Christ's fore-runner for thereby this Author imbibed a good opinion to say no more of the Founder of Christianity What this Critick farther saith that if this Testimony were Iosephus's he would have said a great deal more than he doth is very fâ—ivolous and not worth taking notice of And so is that that the Stile plainly betrays the Cheat it being frigid and lax putid and inert as he saith whereas it is evident to any competent Judge that the Language is nothing of this nature but is like the rest of the Historian's Stile Lastly we are beholding to him for finding out the Author of the Cheat who he affirms is Eusebius as if he had lived before or at the same time with Iosephus that is as if one of the Fourth Century was contemporary with him that flourish'd in the First He perempâ—oâ—ily tells us that Eusebius clapt in this Passage meerly out of design namely to gratifie a party of Christians and to carry on the Cause And that we may give credit to this he falls very severely on this worthy Man and both ignorantly and maliciously finds fault with him This is the course that our angry Critick takes but no sober and judicious Person can allow of it for it may be plainly discern'd that this Writer was resolv'd upon it to run down this Testimony of the Iewish Historian by any kind of artifice whatsoever but when we come to examine the Methods he takes they are found to be of no force what he offers for proof is groundless precarious and inconsistent After all that he hath said this Iewish Testimony and the Credit of its Author remain impregnable What though we have granted that in some things he is faulty and where is their an Historian that is not what though he omits some remarkable Occurrences and mistakes the order of Time of which he could not come to a certain knowledge Notwithstanding this his Testimony in this matter may be valid nay we have all the reason imaginable to believe it is such for he was capable of attaining to a full knowledge of what he here writeth There is then no ground to think that he imposed upon his Reader or spoke against his Perswasion but on the contrary it is reasonable to look upon him as one that freely uttered his mind and shew'd himself to be Ingenuous Faithful and Impartial Such was he esteemed to be by those ancient Writers who had oceasion to make use of his Testimony and such was his Character with all those Persons who have since used the same in Confirmation of the History of the Gospel And truly it is a full and pregnant Ratification of it an attesting no less than the Life Death and Resurrection of our Saviour This latter especially being attested by a Iewish Priest is considerable This Person knew nothing of that Cheat which the Iews labour'd at first to put upon some and therewith to stifle the truth of Christ's rising from the dead namely that his Disciples came by night and stole him away He tells us plainly and expresly that Christ was restor'd to Life on the Third Day after he was put Death which is exactly according to the Narrative in the Gospels I will conclude then with the words which a Pious Father useth after he had recited Iosephus's Testimony of Christ If our very Enemies saith he dare not oppose the truth who will shew himself so obstinate as not to give credit to those things which are as clear as the Sun yea much clearer If Iews and Pagans bear witness to Christ we Christians are obliged to listen to their Testimony and to abominate the practise of those who endeavour and that with no little art and pains to enervate and destroy it Again Iosephus confirms the Truth of the Evangelical History by relating several other things which are recorded there Thus he speaks
excellent Philosophy in several Places of Holy Scripture yet these Writings were never intended mainly for this End but for one far higher and nobler Hence it is that you hear the Holy Writers speaking sometimes not according to the very Nature of the things but according to their Appearance and the Opinion Men have of them Yea they oftentimes express themselves according to the received Opinions although they be erroneous and false as in the Instance before mentioned Theodoret gives us the Reason of it in his first Interrogatory upon Genesis he bâ—gins his Work with This that the Holy Script 〈◊〉 wont to sute its 〈◊〉 of Teaching to the 〈◊〉 of the Learne◠〈◊〉 d in another Place 〈◊〉 like purpose 〈◊〉 Scripture saith he 〈◊〉 as is most 〈◊〉 and fit for Men. The 〈◊〉 Ghost in it is pleased to condescend to their Capacities and to adapt himself to their shallow Apprehensions Thus frequently in the Scripture corporeal Properties are attributed to God you read of his Face and Back-parts Exod. 33. 23. and that these latter were seen by Moses which is spoken by way of Anthropopathy as Divines commonly speak i. e. after the manner of Men in compliance with their weak Capacities As when a Man's Face and Fore-parts are seen there is a considerable Discovery and Knowledg of his Person but when he is seen behind only it is imperfectly so was it when God appeared to Moses he shew'd himself to him not fully but in part as when a Man turns away his Face from another and lets him see only his Back-parts And so in other Places of Scripture we read of God's Eyes Ears Hands Feet and other bodily Parts and Members but we must not forget here the old Rule of Cyril of Alexandria When Members and Parts are attributed to God it is said after the manner of Men but it is to be understood in a Sense sutable to the Divine Nature And Athanasius hath the like Words on this Occasion But the not attending to this gave Rise to the Sect of the Anthropomorphites who pervesly understanding those Texts which ascribe these Parts to God held him to be Corporeal and of Humane Shape Tâ—ey 〈◊〉 not knowing not rightly interpreting the 〈◊〉 which sometimes speak after the Guise of 〈◊〉 in condescension to 〈◊〉 shallow Understandâ—â—â— Thus Gen. 6. 6. It 〈…〉 Lord that he 〈◊〉 Man and 1 Sam 〈◊〉 The Lord repented 〈◊〉 he made Saul King are 〈◊〉 that is as spoken in a vulgar manner and after the way of Mortals who when they repent abandon their former Doings So when God is said to repent that which we are to understand by it is this that he acts in a contrary manner to what he did before As in the forementioned Places it repented the Lord that he made Man the meaning is that he purposed to destroy Mankind viz. with a Deluge for so you find it explain'd in the next Verse the Lord said I will destroy Man whom I have created And when 't is said The Lord repented that be made Saul King the meaning is that he â—â—â—â—osed to depose him and set up another as you read he gave Order in the Words immediately following in the next Chapter Therefore Theodoret saith well God's Repenting is no other than the changing of his Dispensation And thus we are to interpret this Expression where-ever it occurs in Holy Writ for in many other Places God is said to repent of what he did as knowing that the Phrase of this Sacred Book is oftentimes fitted to the Apprehensions and Language of Men and not the absolute Reality of the thing That of St. Chrysostom is certainly true God accommodates himself sometimes to humane Infirmity when he speaks in Scripture So those Words are to be understood in Gen. 11. 5. The Lord came down to see the City And again ver 7. Let us go down which are spoken in a vulgar manner and with respect to the shallow Conceptions of Mankind And the same Expression is used in Gen. 18. 20 21. Exod. 3. 7 8. Psal. 144. 5. Isa. 64. 1. God is here said to come down which signifies God's taking more than ordinary Notice of the Actions of Men and his designing to do some extraordinary thing The Scripture calls the Angels that appeared to Abraham Men because they feem'd to be such The Man Gabriel you read of in Dan. 9. 21 because he appear'd in the Shape of Man And so in the New Testament the Angles at our Saviour's Sepulchre are stiled young Men because as to outward Appearance they were such Nothwithstanding what some Commentators have said upon 1 Sam. 28. 15. Samuel said to Saul and again ver 16. Then said Samuel I am fully perswaded that those Words are spoken according to the Appearance not the real Truth of the thing The Name of Samuel is given to the Devil or Spectre that appeared but we are not to think that Samuel himself in Body and Soul appear'd for 't is ridiculous as well as impious to imagine that the departed Saints are at the Command and Disposal of a Necromantick Witch a Cursed Sorceress a Hellish Hag as if she could fetch them down from the Celestial Regions when she pleaseth But this she did she raised a Spectre or substituted some Person who resembled Samuel whom she represented to Saul's Sight as if he were the Prophet Samuel indeed Thence we read in this Sacred History that Samuel said to Saul because he who appear'd in Samuel's Likeness was thought to be Samuel and thought to speak to Saul Thus a Learned Father long since expounded this Passage of Scripture and gives us this as the Reason of it We find this saith he to be the Custom of Scripture that oftentimes it relates that which is only in appearance instead of what is true and real And with him agrees another of the learned Antients The Sacred History saith he calls the Apparition Samuel because Saul believed it to be the real Samuel for the Scripture speaks frequently according to other Mens Belief and Notions So it usually calls those Gods that are not really such but because the false and feigned Deities of the Heathens were reputed True Gods by them therefore the Name of Gods is given them often in the Old Testament and sometimes in the New But to confine my self to this latter here we find several things delivered not according to the Reality of the Matter spoken of but according to the Sense and Notion of others So I understand our Saviour's Words Matth. 12. 5. The Priests in the Temple profane the Sabbath i. e. by killing of Beasts and doing other laborious Work they according to you profane that Holy-day according to the Notion which you Pharisees have of keeping and breaking the Sabbath and according to which you condemn me and my Disciples as Profaners of that Day The Phrase used by St. Mark ch 1. 32. is according to a very vulgar Conceit
which is of the like Signification with a Vessel of Choice for what is desired is chosen Thus in a few Instances I have shewed that the Evangelical Writers do Hebraize and in many more I might have done the same For tho the New Testament hath not so many Hebraisms as is imagined by some Criticks yet it is not to be doubted that Christ and his Apostles used them very frequently It is evident that a great part of the Phrases of the New Testament are according to the Hebrew Propriety yea sometimes they agree more especially with the Rabinical and Talmudick way of Writing as Ludovicus Capellus and others have endeavoured to demonstrate Thus the Pillar and Ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3. 15. is the Title by which the Great Sanhedrim of the Jews was ordinarily stiled saith Dr Lighfoot Raca which is used Matth. 5. 22. as a Word of Reproach is common among the Talmudick Doctors for their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same with the Syriac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifies a vain empty Fellow Christ follows the Language of the Rabbins and Talmudâ—sts when he uses the Word Heaven for God as in Matth. 21. 25. he ask'd the Jews whether Iohn's Baptism was from Heaven i. e. from God or of Men. I have sinned against Heaven i. e. God saith the Prodigal Son to his Father Luke 15. 18. This was the Stile of the Eastern People and of the Jews particularly as you find in Dan. 4. 23. 1 Macc. 3. 18. And this was the usual Language of their Rabbins they used Shamajim instead of God And in other Instances it might be shewed that the Sense of several Places in the New Testament is manifested and illustrated by the Knowledg of the Hebrew Phrase and Stile For which Reason it was necessary to say something of this Matter having undertaken to discourse of the Stile of Scripture We must remember that there are frequent Hebraisms in these Greek Writings the Authors themselves being Hebrews and they likewise making use of the Stile of the Old Testament and fetching thence several Expressions which are purely Hebrew Thus they must needs retain the Hebrew Idiom and way of Speaking and thus the Old Testament and New agree the better and the former gives constant Light towards the understanding of the latter 6thly Though there is a Great Variety of Words and Phrases in the New Testament and though this Part of the Bible was not written in Attick but Hebrew Greek yet this is to be asserted that there are no Soloecisms in it I add this here because some of old and others of late have unadvisedly suggested the contrary and have been so hardy and presumptuous as to aver that the Sacred Scripture especially the New Testament abounds with Soloecisms This is particularly said of St. Paul's Epistles by an Antient Father whose Unhappiness it was to speak several things too daringly and presumptuously That Cilician Currier saith he for so he calls St. Paul that sorry Tradesman was skill'd only in Hebrew which was as it were his Mother-Tongue to him and therefore hath many Soloecisms and Barbarisms in Greek And the same Author in another Place speaks to the like purpose and taxeth this Apostle for want of Grammar and Syntax Among the Moderns you 'l find Erasmus charging not only St. Paul but the rest of the Apostles with this Defect in their Writings There are many Soloecisms saith he in their Stile by reason of the frequent Hebraisms which are used by them And those worthy Reformers Luther and Calvin were not afraid to talk after this rate The former after his bold manner imputes false Grammar to the Evangelists and Apostles as you may see in his Writings And the latter expresly avoucheth that the Greek of the New Testament is Defective and particularly he holds that St. Peter writ false Greek as in 1 Epist. ch 3. v. 20. where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Dative for a Genitive Case And he fastens this Grammatical Soloecism on him merely to evade the Doctrine of Purgatory which cannot but greatly scandalize the Papists when they shall consider that this Great Reformer is not ashamed to disparage and vilify the Scriptures that he may thereby evade a Popish Doctrine yea this must needs be offensive to all others likewise who cannot but see that there was not the least Reason for his fancying the Change of one Case for another in this Place for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exactly answers to and agrees with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had been the Word here it had indeed been false Greek but now 't is impossible for Calvin or any Man else to make it such Beza follows his Master and outdoth him for he every where finds fault with the Greek of the New Testament and holds that the Stile is disturb'd and corrupted yea that there are frequent Soloecisms in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 12. 40. should have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he saith and therefore he condemns it for naughty Grammar Whereas any unprejudiced Man may see that there is only an ordinary Ellipsis in the Words the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is understood as it is in several other Texts But the unsufferable Boldness of this Writer is partly founded on that Perswasion of his that the Spirit did not dictate Words to the Prophets and Apostles but only the Matter which I have shew'd before in another Discourse to be an incredible Assertion Castellio though of a different Judgment in other things from Calvin and Beza agrees with them in this that there are several Ungrammatical Passages in the Apostles Writings Upon Rev. 1. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he noteth that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is a Soloecism saith he but such do often occur in St. Paul Cannot this Author be content with the Credit and Reputation of having turned the Bible into neat Latin unless he condemns the Apostles for their false Greek And where I pray is this false Greek Not in this Place which he mentions and conâ—equently it is not reasonable to believe that it is in any other In this Place any impartial Eye may see that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one Relative for another which is a common thing among Writers I could shew him forty Places in the Best Greek Authors where the like Change is made And that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is frequently left out in the most Approved Writers among the Grecians cannot be denied by any Man that hath had any Acquaintance with them yea 't is often left out in the New Testament and no fault is found with the Stile where it is so Why therefore should we think it a strange thing that it is omitted in this Place Here is Good
Wide Cavity of the Whale which Ionas was taken into in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this Capacious Hollowness was the distressed Prophet lodged three Days and three Nights In this Belly of Hell for so likewise he calls it Chap. 2. 2. and by this Phrase we further see that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the word here used by the Septuagint is not properly taken but signifies some Dark Invisible Receptacle he was both tormented and preserved and at last as we read in the Sequel of this History when the Lord spake unto this Fish it vomited out Jonah on the dry Land Chap. 2. 10. which let me observe to you further intimates to us the truth of this Notion which I have presented to you for Vomiting is an Emission of something not out of the Belly but out of the Mouth or Stomach If Ionas had been in the Belly or Entrails of the Fish he had been emitted another way not by Vomition Thus I have briefly given my Conceptions of that Text of Scripture and from the whole it is evident that it speaks of a Whale properly so call'd for our Blessed Saviour positively and expresly determines it to be such and of the Vast Cavity of its Mouth and Iaws which in respect of their huge extension may deserve the Name of a Belly rather than of those Parts I know that the Almighty God who made the Creature at first could afterwards have framed and disposed its Throat or any other Passages as he pleas'd With the greatest Reverence I acknowledg this But if we can solve the Works of God and his Providence in a natural way I think we are obliged to do it and at the same time we adore the God of Nature Although it must be confess'd that if we respect the Power and Soveraignty the Providence and Will of God it might be the Belly of this Fish properly so denominated which was the Place where the Fugitive Prophet was lodged yet seeing Naturalists have given us this Account of the Whale that the Passage of its Throat is so strait that a Man's Body cannot be convey'd through it and seeing we are not sure that God alter'd the Frame and Disposition of this Part and seeing likewise that the Word which the Holy Ghost useth is capable of a double Sense we may be invited on these Considerations to think that it was the Vast Mouth of this Fish which is here meant And truly the Wonderfulness of the Occurrence is not at all hereby abated for to preserve Ionas so long in the Whale's Mouth was as great a Miracle if we consider all things as to preserve him in its Lower Belly Then as for Fowls Birds and Insects there is a great Ambiguity in the Old Testament as to some of these Tsippor is a common Name of all Fowls as in Psal. 104. 17. and other Places but sometimes it is more particularly taken for a Sparrow as in Psal. 102. 7. So in Psal. 84. 3. some certain Species of Birds are signified because the Swallow is mentioned in the same Place Kore 1 Sam. 26. 20. which we translate a Partridg is a Night-raven according to the 70 Interpreters It is a Woodcock or Snipe saith One whom I have often quoted Ajah Lev. 11. 14. Iob 28 7. is rendred in the Septuagint and Vulgar Version and in ours a Vulture but according to Arias Montanus it is varia a vis i. e. a Pie according to others it is a Crow and 't is thought by others to be a Kite But we need not be solicitous to know which of these it is for it is likely we can never attain it or if we could it would be of little Advantage to us for the Sense of these Places of Scripture depends not on our knowing what sort of Animal this or that is Deror Psal. 84. 4. is in our English Translation a Swallow but according to the Greek and Latin it is a Turtle and so Bochart indeavours to prove Kippod which we translate a Bittern Isa. 14. 23. ch 34. 11. is according to R. Solomon a kind of Owl but Luther will have it to be an Eagle Yea some rank it among other Species of Animals for according to the Vulgar Latin and Pagnin it is a Hedg-hog according to R. Kimchi and R. Ioseph a Snail according to others a Beaver Avenarius comes nearest the Truth who tells us it is the Name of a Fowl unknown to us in these Parts But this we are certain of and we need not look any further that it is some Fowl or other Animal that frequents desert and desolate Places because of these the Text speaks So when the Psalmist complains that he is like a Pelican in the Wilderness and like an Owl of the Desart Psal. 102. 6. we need not be inquisitive whether the former word Kaath be rightly translated or whether it should be rendred a Bittern as 't is by Ierom and Bochart nor are we to care whether that latter word Kos certainly signifies that flying Creature which we call an Owl or whether it be an Houp 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vpupa according to Symmachus or a Night-raven according to the Seventy and St. Ierom or a Falcon according to R. Solomon and Pagnin or a Pelican according to some others I. R. Kimchi was in the right who saith 't is the Name of some unclean Bird not known to us But this is enough that it was some Solitary Creature of the feather'd Order that kept in remote Places because it is said to be an Inhabitant of the Desart and so it is used here to set forth the present Solitude and mournful Condition of the Psalmist Chasidah which we translate a Stork Psal. 104. 17. and Ier. 8. 7. is according to St. Ierom a Kite but the same Word in Iob 39. 13 is rendred by us an Ostrich and so 't is in the Vulgar Latin which shews the Ambiguity of the Word Tachmas Lev. 11. 16. is translated by us a Night-hawk by the Targum the Seventy St. Ierom and Arias Montanus an Owl by the Arabick and Avenarius a Swallow by Bochart an Ostrich The like Disagreement is there in rendring the word Tinshemeth Lev. 11. 18. which we english a Swan but according to Arias Montanus it is Porphyrio according to R. Solomon a Bat according to Bochart a Chameleon Some say 't is a Bittern others an Owl others a Daw. And to let you see the Uncertainty of the Word in the very same Chapter it is reckon'd among the Creeping things ver 30. and is rendre◠a Mole To add one more viz. Anaphah which we render a Heron Lev. 11. 19. but according to the Seventy it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Vulgar Latin Charadrios i. e. a Sea-bird call'd by some Icterus It is a Kite say the Talmudists and Targum It is a Ring-dove a Pie a Lapwing a lesser sort of Owl say others It is a Bird call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Saviour's Passion who designedly and on purpose depraved the Greek Copies of the Bible They were the Authors of several Interpolations Additions Omissions Changes in the Order of the Words and where-ever they saw occasion to make such Alterations as they thought would be to their purpose Accordingly we find that their Translation is depraved in five very considerable Prophecies viz. Isa. 9. 1. Hos. 11. 1. Zech. 9. 9. 12. 10. Mal. 4. 5. all of them relating to the Proof that Iesus Christ is the True Messias If any Man peruseth these Texts and compares the Hebrew and the LXX's Version together he will easily be induced to believe that this latter hath been corrupted by some Jews on purpose to serve their Inâ—idelity and Averseness to Iesus and that they might not be urged by Christians at any time from the Testimonies in this Greek Translation Object But if the present Version of the LXX be so faulty and vicious why is it quoted by Christ and his Apostles why is it followed by them generally as was before acknowledged If the Evangelists and Apostles who were immediately directed by the Holy Ghost quoted this Translation surely the Authority of it is unquestionable Answ. It cannot be denied that the Writers of the New Testament often cite the Version of the Septuagint yea and I will grant moreover that they follow this Translation when it differs from the Hebrew thus St. Luke ch 3. v. 36. takes in Cainan into the Genealogy because he found it in the LXX St. Luke Acts 13. 41. or rather St. Paul in his Sermon recited by him retains the corrupt Version of Hab. 1. 5. The same Apostle in Rom. 3. 13. follows this Version though it takes in four or five Verses more than are in the Original In Rom. 9. 33. the same Apostle alledgeth Isa. 28. 16. Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed which is not according to the Hebrew but the Greek In Rom. 11. 8. he quotes what Isaiah saith ch 29. v. 10. but not according to the Original but the Septuagint though their Translation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be disagreeing with the Hebrew In Phil. 2. 15. he uses the same Words and Order that are in the LXX although they invert the Order of the Words in the Hebrew which is this in Deut. 32. 5. a perverse and crooked Generation but they render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a crooked and perverse Generation So in Heb. 10. 5. he produceth that Place above-mentioned a Body hast thou prepared me although these Words disagree with the Letter of the Hebrew and are wholly conformable to the Septuagint And lastly to name no more at present when the Apostle tells us that Iacob worshipped leaning upon the top of his Staff Heb. 11. 21. it is evident as hath been already shewed that he follows the Seventy who in their unpricked Bibles read Matteh a Rod or Staff for Mittah a Bed Thus it is frankly acknowledged that the Writers of the New Testament make use of the Greek Translation of the Iewish Elders even when they depart from the Original Text. And there was good Reason for it because the Greek Version was at that time generally received and approved of by the Iews wherefore the Apostles being to deal with these Men they prudently made use of it and quoted it upon all Occasions And it was better to do so than to give a stricter and exacter Translation of their own because this might be liable to Scruple and Controversy whereas the other was universally entertain'd and approved of Besides as a Christian Rabbi observes the Iews who were to read this New Testament could not quarrel with the Quotations because they were taken out of the Book which was translated by those that were Iews and those very Eminent ones too And then as to the Gentiles also there was a necessity of the Apostles using the LXX's Translation in their Writings because these understood not the Hebrew Tongue wherefore it was requisite to take their Quotations out of this Translation lest otherwise the Gentiles in whose Hands the Greek Bibles were observing that what the Apostles cited was not according to These should question the Truth of it and of the New Testament it self Thus there was a kind of Necessity of using this Translation oftentimes but this is no Proof of its being faultless and void of all Mistakes and Errors The Inspired Writers used this Version not because they wholly approved of it but because in their Circumstances they could not do otherwise But further I answer that though the Evangelists and Apostles followed this Translation generally yet it is as certain that they did not do it always The Reader may see here several Places drawn up to his View wherein this is apparent and among them he will find those Five Prophecies before-mentioned and see that the Evangelists follow not the Seventy in their Translation of these Texts they knowing that they were derogatory to the Messias and to the whole Gospel The Evangelists differ from the Seventy's Version in these following Places Mat. 1. 23. taken from Isa. 7. 14. Mat. 2. 6. Mic. 5. 2. Mat. 2. 15. Hos. 11. 1. Mat. 4. 10. Deut. 6. 13. Mat. 4. 15. Isa. 9. 1. Mat. 8. 17. Isa. 53. 4. Mark 1. 2. Mal. 3. 1. Mark 10. 19. Exod. 20. 12 13 â— Luke 1. 16 17. Mal. 4. 5 6. Luke 2. 23. Exod. 13. 1. Luke 4. 4. Deut. 8. 3. Luke 4. 18. Isa. 61. 2. Luke 7. 27. Mal. 3. 1. Luke 10. 27. Deut. 6. 5. Iohn 1. 23. Isa. 40. 3. Iohn 6. 45. Isa. 54. 13. Iohn 12. 15. Zech. 9. 9. Iohn 12. 40. Isa. 6. 10. Iohn 19. 36. Exod. 12. 36. Iohn 19. 37. Zech. 12. 10. I might have drawn up the like Catalogue of Places in the Epistles I only direct your Eye at present to these ensuing ones Rom. 4. 17. Gal. 3. 8. Gal. 4. 30. taken from Gen. 17. 4. 12. 3. 21. 10. More particularly I might observe to you in pursuance of what I have asserted that the Evangelists and Apostles do not always make use of the LXX's Translation that when these Inspired Writers of the New Testament have occasion to quote the Old they sometimes keep themselves to the Hebrew Text exactly and have no regard at all to the Words of the Greek Interpreters It was long since noted by St. Ierom that when either St. Matthew or our Saviour in his Gospel quotes the Old Testament they follow not the LXX but the Hebrew Again sometimes the Apostles follow neither the Hebrew nor the Septuagint but use some Words and Expressions of their own and Paraphrase rather than Translate This they do to bring the Texts they alledg closer to the purpose inserting such Words as give an Emphasis to them and shew the true Scope and Design of the Texts Therefore we cannot we must not hence infeâ— that either the Hebrew Original or the Seventy's Version are corrupted because it