Import signifies a disposing of something is most commoâ—â—ly applied to such a Disposal as is either by Covenâ—â— or Testament Hence it is sometimes rendred 〈◊〉 Covenant and sometimes a Testament especially among the Lawyers the latter Sense prevails and accordingly you will find that a Last Will and Testament is express'd by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Imperial Institutions and other Law-Books translated into Greek We may here join both Senses together for what God hath agreed to by Covenant with Man that Christ bequeaths and gives by Testament Now we must prove both these i. e. we must make it evident that the Covenant and Testament are True before we can receive any Advantage and Benefit from them There is a Necessity of evidencing the Truth of the Scriptures which are this Covenant and this Testament otherwise we can build nothing upon them Here then I. I will evince the Truth and Authority of the Scriptures which is the great Basis of all Theology II. After I have largely insisted on this I will proceed to give you an account of the Nature of the Stile and Phrase of these Holy Books III. I will advance yet farther and demonstrate the Excellency and Perfection of them The Subject of our present Undertaking is the first of these in handling of which I shall but briefly and concisely make use of those Arguments which are commonly insisted upon by Learned Writers till I come to fix upon a Topick which is not commonly yea which is very rarely and by the by used in this Cause and this I will pursue very largely and fully I hope with some Satisfaction to the Reader There are many Arguments to demonstrate the Truth and Authority of the Holy Scriptures and shew that they are worthy to be believed and imbraced by us as the very Word of God Some of these Arguments which are to prove the Truth of these Writings are in common with those that prove the Truth of the Christian Religion on which I shall have occasion to insist at another time but my Design at present is to propound those which are more peculiarly and properly fitted to evince the Truth of the Scriptures And these are either Internal or External The Internal ones I call those which are either in the Scriptures themselves or in Vs. The Characters of Divinity which the Scriptures have in Themselves are either their Matter or the Manner of the writing them I begin with the first the Matter of them and here I will mention only these three Particulars 1. The Sublime Doctrines and Verities which are in Holy Writ In reading this Book we meet with such things as cannot reasonably be thought to come from any but God himself In other Writings which are most applauded the choicest things which entertain our Minds are the excellent Moral Notions and Precepts which they offer to us which are all the Result of Improved Reason and Natural Religion But here are besides these Notices of a peculiar Nature and such as are above our natural Capacity and Invention as the Creation of the World in that Manner as is represented to us in these Writings the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity the Eternal Decrees the Incarnation of Christ the Son of God the Redemption of the World by his Blood the whole Method of Man's Salvation the stupendous Providence of God over his Church in all Ages the Coming of Christ to Judgment and in order to that the raising of all Men out of their Ashes These and several other Doctrines deliver'd in the Sacred Writings cannot be imagined to come from any but God they carry with them the Character of Divinity as being no common and obvious Matters but such as are towring and lofty hidden and abstruse and not likely to be the Product of Humane Wisdom A God is plainly discovered in them for the most Improved Creatures could never have reach'd to this pitch Any serious and thinking Man cannot but discern the peculiar Turn and singular Contrivance of these Mysterious Doctrines which argue them to be Divine We may therefore believe the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles to be the Word of God because of the wonderful Height and Sublimity of those Truths which are contained in them 2. The Exact Purity and Holiness both of Body and Soul of Heart and Life which are enjoin'd in these Writings are another Testimony of their being Divinely Inspired For though some other Books dictate Religion and Piety yet this is certain that all the true and just Measures of them were taken originally from this one Exact Standard which was prior to them all as I shall shew afterwards Besides the Love and Charity the Humility Meekness and all other Vertues which the Scriptures describe to us far exceed the most advantageous Representations the most exalted Ideas which the Heathen Moralists give of them These therefore are emphatically and eminently called by St. Paul the Holy Scriptures 2 Tim. 3. 15. because they breath the most consummate Goodness and Piety and that antecedently to all Writings whatsoever because every thing in them advanceth Holiness and that in Thought Word and Actions The End and Scope of them are to promote Sanctity of Life to make us every way better and even to render us * like God himself The Holy Scripture was intended to set forth the Divine Perfections to display the Heavenly Purity and thereby to commend the Excellency of a holy Life And it is certain that if with sincere and humble Minds we peruse this Book of God we shall find this blessed Result of it it will marvellously instruct us in the Knowledg of the Divine Attributes especially of God's Unspotted Holiness it will tincture our Minds with Religion it will pervade all our Faculties with a Spirit of Godliness and it will thorowly cleanse and sanctify both our Hearts and Lives which proves it to be from God But because I shall have occasion to say more of this when I treat of the Perfection of the Scriptures I will now dismiss it 3. To the Matter of Scripture we must refer the Prophecios and Predictions which are contained in it These I reckon another Internal Argument because they are drawn from what is comprehended in the very Scripture it self What a vast number is there of Prophecies of the Old and New Testament which we find fulfilled and accordingly are Testimonies of the Truth of these Scriptures Here I will a little enlarge and first I will begâ—n with that ancient Prophecy of Noah God shall enlarge Japheth and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem and Canaan shall be his Servant Where are foretold things that happened above two thousand Years afterward for the Posterity of Iapheth viz. the Europeans especially the Greeks and Romans among other Conquests gain'd the possession of Iudea and other Eastern Countries which were the Portion of Shem. Again it was fulfilled thus by Christ's coming and preaching the Gospel and by his
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
Demosthenes more especially who no less than three times in one Oration uses the Word in this manner and in another place once or twice but I think I have sufficiently establish'd my Notion already by what I have produced You see plainly that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath not absolutely a reference to a Benefit or Advantage but that 't is of a large import and signifies in general on the account or for the sake and more especially that it denotes an Impulsive Cause properly so call'd and is used to express those things or Persons that put Men upon Action which was the thing I undertook to make good and I challenge any Man to disprove it I have defended the Signification of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of Classical Authors that I might thereby obviate the Scruples of some Inquisitive Persons and give some Satisfaction to the Curious and make my Exposition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more clear and demonstrative when 't is seen that it is founded on the Acception of that Preposition not only in the New-Testament but in Prophane Authors and in a Word that I may render my whole Undertaking on that Text the more acceptable to the Learned part of Mankind To this rank of Persons I devote all my Endeavours of this kind but that which I now offer to the World is more especially designed for the Use of younger Students in Sacred Learning such as are Beginners and Candidates in Theology though I am well satisfied that these Critical Researches will â—ot be useless to those of a higher Character A CATALOGUE of the Difficult Chapters and Verses in Holy Scripture which are Explain'd in this Book being set down in the same Order that they are there mentioned II. CHap. of Daniel Concerning the Image whose Head was of Gold c. Page 9 VII Chap. of Daniel Concerning the Four Beasts p. 10 VIII Chap. of Daniel Concerning the Ram and He-Goat p. 13 XI Gen. 4. Let us make us a Name lest we scattered abroad c. p. 127 XXXVI Gen. 24. This was that Anah that found the Mules in the Wilderness c. p. 147 XV. Judg. 15 16 17 c. Concerning the Iaw-bone of the Ass wherewith Sampson slew a thousand Men. p. 149 XXXVIII Isai. 8. The Sun returned Ten degrees by which degrees it was gone down p. 200 XXXIII Deut. 17. Where Joseph is compared to an Ox or Bullock and why p. 214 II. Luke 1 2. There went out a Decree from Caesar Augustus that all the World should be Taxed p. 352 II. Matth. 2. We have seen his Star in the East Vers. 7. Herod enquired of them diligently what time the Star appeared Vers. 9. The Star which they saw in the East went before them c. Vers. 16. Herod slew all the Children that were in Bethlehem from two Years old and under according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the Wise Men. p. 360 XXIV Matth. The former part which speaks of the Destruction of Ierusalem and the parallel Chapter of St. Luke viz. the XXI p. 394 The Author's Vindication of his Interpretation of 1 Cor. 15. 29. Praef. ERRATA PAge 18. l. 28. for Ahaz read Hezekiah p. 37. l. 15. for end r. erre p. 99. l. 8. dele not p. 151. l. 15. dele not p. 212. l. 30. r. with Ham. and l. 26 27. correct the Hebrew words And do the same in other places p. 227. l. 21. r. unutterable p. 238. l. 11. r. on p. 241. l. 9. r. deus is p. 248. l. 18. r. ex Aetheris l. ult for that r. at other times p. 250. l. 17. r. Martinius p. 255. l. 26. r. tornare p. 334. Marg. Quotations misplaced p. 349. Marg. 3 last lines put Apolog. 2. ad Sen. after the Quotation Sed cum c. And put b before Adv. Gent. p. 363. l. 33. r. other Pagans p. 364. l. 26. r. Silver locks p. 376. l. 11. dele citeth the same testimony and. p. 411. l. 7 10. r. Cedrenus What other Faults have escaped the Reader is desired to Correct Advertisement AN Enquiry into several Remarkable Texts of the Old and New-Testament which contain some difficulty in them With a probable Resolution of them By Iohn Edwards B. D. In Two Volumes in Octavo Sold by I. Robinson I. Everingham and I. Wyat in St. Paul's Church-Yard and Ludgate-street OF THE Truth and Authority OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES CHAP. I. The Internal Testimonies or Arguments to evince the Authority of the Holy Scriptures viz. 1. The Matter of them that is the Sublime Verities the Holy Rules the Accomplish'd Prophecies contain'd in them Vnder which last Topick several particular Predictions chiefly in the Book of Daniel are explain'd and shew'd to be fulfilled Further 't is demonstrated that the foretelling of future Contingences of that nature especially so long before they come to pass could be from God only 2. The Manner of these Writings which is peculiar as to their Simplicity Majesty and their being immediately dictated by the Holy Ghost 3. Their Harmony 4. The particular Illumination of the Spirit I HAVE chosen a very Noble and Important Subject to exercise my Pen and to entertain both my own and the Reader 's Thoughts and Contemplations with for no Book under Heaven can possibly be the Rival of the Holy Bible none in the World can pretend to the transcendent Worth and Excellency of these Sacred Writings Here not only all Natural or Morâ—â— Religion but that also which is Supernatural is fulâ—ly and amply contain'd Here is the Decalogâ—â— written by God himself and transcrib'd out of the Law of Nature besides that there are frequentlâ— interspersed in these Writings other choice Rulâ—â— and Precepts of Morality But Supernatural Relâ—gion being the chief this is the main Subject of thâ—â— Sacred Volume and this you will find partly deâ—livered by the Inspired Prophets of the Old Testament and partly by Christ Iesus himself in perâ—son and by the Evangelists and Apostles in the New Testament Of these Holy Scriptures I am tâ— treat which are the Standard of Truth the infallible Rule of Faith and Holiness and the Ground work of all Divinity for this being the Doctrinâ— which is according to the Word of God deliver'â— in Sacred Writ we must necessarily be acquainted with This and know in the â—irst place that it iâ— True and make it evident that it is so If aâ—â— Estate be given a Person by Will he must firâ—â— prove that Instrument to be True and Authenticâ—â— before he can challenge any Right to what is demised him in it So it is here God bequeaths us aâ— Inheritance i. e. Life and Salvation and Eternaâ— Happiness and the Scriptures are as it were the Will and Testament wherein this is plainly exprest and whereby it is conveyed to us Especially thâ— Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles deservâ— that Name and thence are stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Greek word which in its Original
Church's Hands by the Prophets and Apostles shall by her be deliver'd over to her Children to the World's End which way of Transmission is the great Prop of our Religion Besides the Apostle enjoins the Thessalonians to hold fast the Traditions which they had been taught whether by Word or his Epistle for he had used two ways of delivering the Truth to them namely Preaching and Writing and other Apostles committed the chief and necessary Heads of their Doctrine to Writing So that the Traditions meant here are the Revealed Truths of the Gospel delivered by the Apostles and Evangelists and are no other than what Christ deliver'd to them according to that of St. Paul I delivered to you that which also I received whence they have the Name of Traditions i. e. they are Evangelical Doctrines delivered to us from those that were taught them by Christ. And whether they were imparted by Word or by Epistle by Preaching or Writing they are the same the same as to substance the otherwise there may be some difference But that which we condemn and that most justly the Papists for is this that they magnify and rely upon Traditions which have no affinity with the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles yea which contradict it in many things and yet they equalize these with the Word of God and sometimes prefer them and the Authority of the Church before that of the Sacred Writings of the Old and New Testament Thus One saith The Church sometimes doth things contrary to the Scriptures sometimes besides them therefore the Church is the Rule and Standard of the things that are delivered in the Scriptures and therefore we believe the Church though she acts counter to the formal Decisions of the Scriptures And an other Famous Doctor gives it for good Divinity that the Decrees and Determinations of a Council are binding though they be not confirmed by any probable Testimony of Scripture nay though they be beyond and above the Determination of Scripture Thus the Holy Writings of the Bible are most impiously disparaged and vilisied by the Pontificians Whereas there is nothing defective or redundant nothing wanting or superfluous in these Writings they assert in the open face of the World that they are short and imperfect and therefore have need of being supplied by Traditions which in some things are of greater Value and Authority than they Again that the Church of Rome oppugneth or rather denieth the Perfection of the Scriptures might be evinced from their constant care and endeavour to keep them in an Vnknown Tongue It is true they have translated them But 1. There was a kind of necessity of doing it the Protestants having turned them into so many Tongues By this means they were compelled as it werâ— to let some of their people see what the Bible was in their own Language But 2. It is so corruptly translated that it is made to patronize several of their Superstitious Follies and Errors And yet 3. They dare not commit these Translations to common View Although in all Countries where People were converted to Christianity in elder times the Scripture was turned into their Language and every one was permitted yea exhorted to read it as is proved by many Writers the Learned Dr. Stillingfleet particularly yet the Church of Rome denieth the common People the Use of it as a thing hurtful and pernicious The Bible as some Bad Book is tolerated to be read with great Caution and Restriction in some Countries only and by some Persons It is like the Sibyls Prophecies of old among the Romans not to be look'd into without the permission and Authority of the Senate none can read it without a Licence from their Superiours so dangerous a thing is the Bible From this Practice the People generally imbibe a strong Prejudice against the Scriptures and believe they cannot be good for them because the Pope and their Pastors tell them they are not Wherefore as one who was once of the Communion of the Church of â—ome hath well observed As soon as ever any Man imbraces Popery he presently throws the Bible out of his Hands as altogether useless to say no worse Which unreasonable and wicked Behaviour of theirs was one great Reason or Motive as he professeth of his returning to the Church of England again For what Considerate Man can think That to be a True Church which teacheth its Members to slight and reject the Word of God which is the Source of all Divine Truth and without which we can neither believe nor practise aright we can neither have Comfort here nor arrive to Happiness hereafter This indeed is not only to null â—â—e Perfection of Scripture but to abolish the whole Body of Scripture it self A third sort of Persons that are Opposers of the Perfection of Scripture are Enthusiasts and such who act out of a truly Fanatick Principle Such were the Familists heretofore whose Pretences to the Spirit were so high that they excluded and renounced the Letter of Scripture which according to their Stile was a dark Lanthorn a liveless Carcass a Book shut up and seal'd with seven Seals the Scabbard not the Sword of the Spirit or if it be a Sword it is the Sword of Antichrist wherewith he kills Christ. This was the impious Jargon of these High-flown Men who made no other Use of the Bible than to Allegorize it and to turn it all into Mystery These have been followed by Others of a like Fanatick Spirit who have made it a great part of their Religion to despise and reproach the Sacred Writ A late Enthusiast or rather one that pretends to be such but designs the Overthrow of all Religion tells the World that the Bible is founded in Imagination that God's Revelations in Scripture are ever according to the Fancy of the Prophets or other Persons he spoke to and that all the Phrases and Speeches all the Discoveries and Manifestations yea all the Historical Passages in the Old and New Testament are adapted to these The Quaker comes next and refuseth to own the Scripture to be the Word of God and the Perfect Rule by which we are to direct our Lives It is a great Error and Falsity saith one of the most considerable Persons of that Perswasion that the Scriptures are a filled up Canon and the only Rule of Faith and Obedience in all things and that no more Scriptures are to be writ or given forth from the Spirit of the Lord. With whom agrees another of as great Repute among that Tribe I see no Necessity saith he of believing that the Canon of Scripture is filled up And again The Scriptures saith he are not to be esteemed the Principal Ground of all Truth and Knowledg nor yet the Adequate Primary Rule of Faith and Manners but they are only a Secondary Rule subordinate to the Spirit And accordingly he adds That the inward Inspirations and Revelations which Men
Proposition it is impossible it should gain the Assent of any intelligent and sober Person When we consider the Nature of these Prophecies and what they aim at we must needs own them to be from Him to whom all Future Things are Present and who is the Cause as well as the Foreseer of them And therefore when we observe that the things which the Writers of Holy Scripture have delivered are actually come to pass we may with reason conclude that their Writings are not Forgeries but on the contrary that the Penmen of them were Inspired Persons that they had the Gift of Prophecy which is an infallible Testimony of their Authority These things being thus foretold so long before and being exactly verified since it undeniably follows that the Books which contain these Predictions and are founded on them are True and Certain These Predictions coming from God are an aâ— red Proof that these Writings were endited him they being so great a part of them Thiâ— that which an antient Father long since deliverâ— The foretelling of future things saith he 〈◊〉 Characteristick Note of the Divine Authority 〈◊〉 the Scriptures for this is a thing that is aboâ—â— humane Nature and the Powers of it and 〈◊〉 only â—e effected by the Virtue of the Divine â—â—â—rit We may rely upon it as an impregnaâ— Maxim that the Spirit of Prophecy and the Fâ— filling of Prophecies are a Divine Proof of 〈◊〉 Truth of the Scriptures and are a sufficient Grouâ— to us of believing them to be the Word of Goâ— Thus from the Matter of the Holy Scriptures 〈◊〉 have undeniable Evidence of the Authority aâ— Truth of them Again the Manner of these Writings is anotheâ— Proof of the Divine Authority of them Theâ— are not writ as others are wont to be the Penmeâ— of these Sacred Books do not speak after the raâ—â—â— of other Writers How admirable is the Simplâ— city and Ingenuity of these Men all along Theâ— do not hide their own or others Failings yea eveâ— when they are very gross and scandalous thuâ— Moses recorded not only Noah's Drunkenness and Lot's Incest but his own rash Anger and Unbelieâ— and David registers in the 51st Psalm his own Murder and Adultery Ieremiah relates his own unbecoming Fears Discontents and Murmurings chap. 20. 7 8 14. The Writers of the New Testament conceal not the Infirmities and Defects 〈◊〉 the gross Miscarriages of themselves and of â—heir Brethren as their cowardly leaving of Christ 〈◊〉 his Passion Iohn's falling at the Feet of an Anâ—el to worship him Thomas his Infidelity Iohn â—nd Iames the Sons of Zebedee their unseasonaâ—le Ambition Peter's denying of Christ even with â—erjury This free and plain dealing of the Wriâ—ers of the Old and New Testament shews that â—hey are not the Writings of Men. A Man may â—ee that there is no worldly and sinister Design â—â—rried on in them but that the Glory of God is â—holly intended by their impartial discovery of â—he Truth Which was long since taken notice of â—y Arnobius in answer to that Cavil of the Pagans hat the History of the Gospel was writ by poor 〈◊〉 People and in a simple Manner Therefore â—aith he it is the more to be credited because they write so indifferently and impartially and out of Simplicity This Impartiality and Sincerity of theirs are an irrefragable Argument of the Truth of their Writings And here also you will find an excellent and admirable Composition of Simplicity and Majesty together Though the Strain be High and Lofty yet you may observe that at the same time it is Humble and Condescending To which purpose a Learned Father saith well The Language of Divine Wisdom in the Scripture is Low but the Sense is Sublime and Heavenly whereas on the contrary the Phrase of Heathen Writers is Splendid but the things couched in them are Poor and Mean The Scripture-Writers make it not their work to set off and commend thâ— Writings by being Elaborate and Exact Hâ— are no set Discourses no pointed Arguments 〈◊〉 affected Strains of Logick The Writers 〈◊〉 the Bible saith another antient Father did 〈◊〉 make their Writings in a way of Demonstration these unquestionable Witnesses of the Truth being above all Demonstration Nor shall yâ—â— find here that the Writers strain for Eleganciâ— and florid Expressions as other Authors are wonâ— here is no quaint and curious Method no formâ— Transitions no courting of the Readers no unnecessary Pageantry of Rhetorick to gain Admiration and Attention Especially the Stile of the Evangelists and Apostles is not tumid and affected but plain and simple and scorns the Ornamenâ— and Embellishments of Fancy for as an oâ— Christian said rightly Truth needs no Fucus anâ— Artifice and therefore the Sense not Words are minded in Scripture All good Men ought to be pleased with this Simplicity and Plainness of the Holy Stile of which there is a memorable Instance in an Ecclesiastical Historian who tells us that Spiridion a notable Confessor for the Christian Faith reproved one Tryphilius an Eloquent Man and converted by him to Christianity some time before because speaking one time in the famous Council of Nice he did instead of those Wordâ— of Christ Tolle grabatum tuum say Tolle lectum tuum humilem he reproved him I say and that very sharply for disdaining to use the word which the Scripture it self useth It is true the Words of Scripture seem sometimes to be common and rude and altogether ungraceful sometimes I say for I shall shew afterwards that Scripture is not destitute of its Graces of Speech but that seeming Commonness and Rudeness are great Tokens of the peculiar Excellency of the Stile of Scripture Gregory the Great excusing the Plainness and Rudeness of his Stile in his Comments on Iob professeth that he thought it unworthy of and unbecoming the Heavenly Oracles to restrain them to the nice Rules of Grammar Surely the Writers of the Bible might say so with more reason it became them not to stand upon those Niceties and Formalities of Speech which are so frequent in other Authors for it is fitting there should be a difference between Humane Writings and Divine I agree with a late Ingenious Author who declares that it fits not the Majesty of God whose Book this is to observe the humane Laws of Method and Niceness of Art Inspired Writings must not be like those of Men. The singular Grace of these is that they are not Artificial and Studied but Simple Plain and Careless and that their whole Frame and Contexture are not such as ours An artificial Method is below the Majesty of that Spirit which dictated them This would debase the Scriptures and equal them with the Writings of Men. Wherefore the oftner I look into that Sacred Volume and the more I observe it the more I am convinced that the Pens of the Writers were wholly directed by a Divine Hand For take any of the Books either Doctrinal
nothing in Scripture that looks like Inconsistent and Contradictory Upon a diligent Search we shall discern a mutual Correspondence in the Stile Matter and Design of these Writings we shall find a happy Concurrence of Circumstances and an admirable Consistency in the Doctrines and Discourses in so much that we shall be forced to acknowledg that upon this single Consideration it is reasonable to believe that these Writings were endited by the Holy Spirit This Harmony then of the Scriptures I may justly reckon among the Inward Notes of the Truth of Scripture because it is adjoined to the Matter of it which is of the very Intrinsick Nature of it What Iustinian professes and promises concerning his Digests in his Preface to them that there is nothing Clashing and Contradictory in them but that they are all of a piece is true only of the Sacred Laws of the Evangelical Pandects which contain in them nothing Dissonant and Repugnant The Old and New Testament the Prophets and Apostles are consonant to themselves and to one another which is a great Argument of the Truth of them There is nothing in one Place of Scripture opposite to the true Meaning which the Holy Ghost hath revealed and asserted in another The Contents of the whole Book whether you look into the Doctrinal or Historical Part of it have nothing contradictory in them All the Authors of it agree in their Testimonies and assert the same thing and consent among themselves It is the Nature of Lies and Forgeries that they hang not together as Lactantius on the like Occasion hath observed Especially if you search very inquisitively and narrowly into them you will perceive that they are thin and slight and may easily be seen through But the Contents of these Writings have been diligently inquired into and with great Care and Industry examined by all sorts of Persons and yet they are found to be every ways Consistent with themselves and the Testimony of the Writers is known to be Concurrent and Agreeing All wise and curious Observers must needs grant that there is no Book under Heaven that parallels the Scriptures as to this Which shews that they are more than Humane Writings yea that they were Divinely inspired and dictated And this I take to be the Sense of St. Peter who assures us that no Prophecy of the Scripture is of private Interpretation He speaks of the first Rise of those Prophecies which are in Scripture they are from God they are not of private Interpretation they are not from Man's Invention they are not of his own Brain and Fancy but they are to be esteem'd to be as they are Divine and Heavenly Oracles Thus the Word of God is Witness to it self and stands in need of no others The Scripture is sufficiently proved by what is in it and is to be believed for its own sake Which made an antient Writer say We have compleat Demonstrations out of the Scriptures themselves and accordingly we are demonstratively assured by Faith concerning the Truth of the things therein delivered Which cannot be said of any humane Writings in the World for they carry no such Native Marks with them But the very Inward Notes of the Truth and Authority of the Scriptures create in us a certain and unshaken Belief They may be known from all other Writings whatsoever by the Excellent Transcendent and Divine Matter contained in them and by the peculiar Manner of delivering and publishing it These I call Internal Proofs because they are taken from the Books themselves because they are something that we find there These assure us that they were written not by Man but by God There is yet another Internal Testimony I call it so because it is within Vs though not in the Scriptures As I have shewed you that the Holy Spirit speaks in the Scriptures and bears Testimony to the Truth of them so now I add that this Spirit speaks in Vs and works in our Hearts a Perswasion that the Scriptures are the Word of God By this Spirit we are enabled to discern the Voice of the same Spirit and of Christ in those Writings This witnessing Power of the Spirit in the Souls of Believers is asserted in Acts 5. 32. 15. 7 8. and in 1 Iohn 5. 6. From these Places it is clear that there is an Illumination of the Spirit joining with our Consciences and Perswasions and this Spirit powerfully convinces all Believers of the Truth of the Scriptures This Testimony follows immediately on our setting before us the Inward Excellencies of the Scripture as I have represented them for God makes use of those Evidences and Arguments to beget a Belief in us of the Divine Authority of Scripture The Spirit enlightens and convinces Mens Minds by those Means but more especially he urges these Evidences on the Hearts of the Religious and Faithful and thereby brings them to a firm Perswasion of the Scriptures being the Word of God This is no Enthusiasm because it is discovered to us by proper Means and Instruments whereas that is without any and is generally accompanied with the despising of them But the Evidences and Notes in the Scripture are the Reasons and Motives of our Belief only the Holy Spirit comes and prepares and sanctifies our Minds and illuminates our Consciences and causes those Arguments and Motives to make Impression upon us and effectually to prevail with us and to silence all Objections to the contrary Thus the Truth of Scripture is attested by the Holy Spirit witnessing in us But when I say the Testimony of the Spirit is a Proof of the Truth of the Scripture I must adjoin this that this Proof serves only for those that have this Spirit it may establish them but it cannot convince others No other Man can be brought to be perswaded of the Truth of those Sacred Writings by the Spirit 's convincing me of the Truth of them Besides this Proof is not in all that really believe the Truth of these Books some may be convinced of the Truth of them without this but where this is it is most Powerful and Convictive and surpasses all other degreâ— of Perswasion whatsoever There is no such câ—tain knowledg of the Truth of these Holy Wâ— tings as by the Testimony of the Sacred Spirit 〈◊〉 the Hearts of Men produced there in a ration â— way and in such a manner as is most sutable 〈◊〉 our Faculties CHAP. II. External Proofs of the Truth of the Holy Scriptureâ— Viz. the wonderful Preservation of them and Vniversal Tradition Which latter is defended against the Objections of those that talk of a New Character wherein the Old Testament is written Thâ— Iewish Masoreth attests the Authority of these Writings The Hebrew Text is not corrupted The Points or Vowels were coexistent with the Letters F. Simon 's Notion of Abbreviating the Historicâ—â— Books of the Old Testament rejected The New Tement vouched by the unanimous Suffrage of the Primitive Church The
Industry to preserve Scripture from Corruption We may gather from this Diversity of Readings that Men have been very inquisitive and careful in their comparing of Copies but we cannot thence argue that the Text is adulterated yea rather we may infer that it is not for from this comparing and vying of Copies we come to know and be ascertain'd which is the True and Authentick one And we may farther add with the same excellent Author That it is morally impossible since our Saviour's time and indeed for many hundred Years before that that the Scriptures particularly of the Old Testament should have been corrupted for the Multitude of Copies was then such hath been since much more such and so far dispersed that neither one Man nor one Body of Men could ever get them into their hands to corrupt them and if some few or mâ—â—â—ny Copies had been corrupted but not all thâ—â— sincere Number would have detected the corrupt Again let it be consider'd that the antient Orthodox Writers of the Church do all ciâ—â— these Scriptures as we now have them in everything material Yea that most Hereticks have pleaded these same Scriptures and denied them not to be genuine To establish us yet further we must remember that these Writings have been openly read to the People in all their solemn Assemblies in the several Ages since Christianity began and they being thus constantly used could not possibly be altered and corrupted Besides that all private Christians were exhorted to read and use them in their Families whereby they became so known and familiar that whenever any Alteration was made they could presently observe it Lastly notwithstanding the Author of a late Tractate hath brought divers Objections against the usual Tradition that such and such Books of the Bible were wrote by the Authors whose Names they bear and though Mr. Hobbs before him had done the same yet neither of them have effected it with any Success This is all they have done they have only shewed that they are not so civil to the holy Writings as they are to the profane ones for it is every whit as clear that the Books of the Holy Scripture were written by the Persons under whose Names they go as that any other Writings were put out by those whose Names they bear Nor can these Men vouchsafe to shew that Civility to these Sacred Books which even Iews and Gentiles have done for when both â—hese opposed these Books you will not find that they ever questioned the Authors but the Doctrine only We are therefore to look upon these Men and such as take part with them as acting with higher Prejudice than either Jews or Heathens did and accordingly we are to slight what they say unless it be thus far that from their impotent and malicious Cavils we may be further confirmed in this Perswasion that these Books of the Old and New Testament were indeed written by those Authors under whose Names they are now received that these Scriptures which we now have are the same which the Primitive Church received from the Apostles that the Copies we have of the Bible are not corrupted that God hath preserved the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament from all considerable Change and Depravation his Providence not suffering any such thing that the Canon of Scripture which is now received is the very same that it was at first and which is the Sum of all that the Truth and Authority of it are impregnable It may be expected I should speak of the Apoâ—ryphal Books which I have not reckoned among the Inspired Writings For doing this I have good reason for I find them excluded from the Canon of Scripture by those that are the best Judges of it I mean the Iews who were the great Keepers of the Scripture They never took these into the number of the Books of Holy Writ and that for these two Reasons First because they were not writ by the Prophets The Jews believed that the Spirit of Prophecy ceased among them as soon as Malachi had done prophesying They owned no Divine Inspiration after his time and accordingly received not the Apocryphal Books into the Canon of Scripture i. e. Books Divinely inspired 〈◊〉 was written after Malachi's time who was 〈◊〉 last Prophet was not Canonical was not of 〈◊〉 Authority and therefore is not emphatical called Scripture For as St. Paul informs us 〈◊〉 Scripture is given by Inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3. 〈◊〉 That is the Mark and Criterion of Scripture 〈◊〉 is back'd by St. Peter 2 Pet. 1. 21. Holy Men 〈◊〉 God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 those Writings which were not by Inspiration 〈◊〉 God nor from the immediate Motion of the 〈◊〉 Ghost are not to be reckoned as Holy Scriptuâ—â— and such are the Apocryphal Writings they werâ—â— written after the cessation of Prophecy and Diviâ—â— Inspiration and so they are not of Divine Authâ—â—rity and cannot be esteemed Canonical Scriptureâ—â— Secondly the Jews received not the Apocrypha 〈◊〉 to their Canon because it was written in Greek not in Hebrew as all the Canonical Books are For God would not they say give them Scripturâ— in an Unknown Tongue The Oracles of Goâ— were to be committed to his People in the Authentick Language which is that of the Jews The Apocryphal Writings being not such are rejected by them and not taken into the Canon of Sacreâ— Writ And as they were not received by the Jewiâ— Church so not by the Christian one You cannot but observe that Christ and the Apostles who frequently quote the Canonical Books never quoâ—â— any of the Apocryphal ones which gives us to understand that they were not reputed as Inspired Writings otherwise it is most reasonable to think that our Saviour or his Apostles and Evangelists would at one time or other have cited some one Passage at least out of these Books it being their great Work as you may see to prove the Truth of what they delivered from the holy Scriptures which were inspired by God in former Times They embraced all Occasions of establishing Christianity upon the Writings of the Inspired Prophets who went before therefore if the Apocryphal Writers had been of that number they would certainly have been quoted by them and because they are not it is an Argument that they are not Inspired Writers Again the Christian Church which immediately succeeded that which was in the Days of Christ and the Apostles received not these Writings as Divinely inspired and therefore excluded them from the Canon of Scripture Look into the Writings of the antient Fathers of the Church who without doubt made it their business to search into the Canon of Scripture and to be satisfied which were the Divinely inspired Books and there you will see that those of the Eastern Church received only the Jews Canon of Scripture as to the Old Testament Thus Origen recites the Canonical Books of it as they are now reckoned viz. two
many ambiguous and equivocal and thence the Phrases Sentences and Speeches must needs be so too This is one Reason why the Sacred Truths of Scripture were corrupted when they came into the Hands of the Heathens The Eastern words and forms of speaking were misunderstood by the Grecians the Hebrew Dialect and Idiom were mistaken by the People of another Language and Country The Oriental Expressions were misinterpreted by the Europeans who were Strangers to the literal and proper Sense of them Hence arose Fables Fancies and groundless Conceits which they mixed with the Spiritual Verities and almost defaced and extinguished them 2. The Sacred History of Scripture and the Traditions of the First Ages of the World were easily corrupted because they were Transmitted to Ignorant and Barbarous People God was pleas'd not to vouchsafe that Light and Knowledge to the Gentiles which he bestowed on his own People but he thought fit to leave them in that darkness and blindness which their gross Sins had brought them to and which were now become the just Punishment of them Many of them were so besotted that when they heard of those Holy and Mysterious Truths they were not able to bear them they could not apprehend the true meaning and import of them But because some of them who were the most Contâ—mplative would be exercising themselves about them they resolved to make something of them or out of them And accordingly when they committed them to Writing they applied them to some Person or Thing which was known and famous among them and thus an Historical passage in Holy Scripture became a Story of their own or a Divine Truth was turn'd into a Fable By this means the things which they borrowed from the Word of God came to be Dâ—praved and Disguised 3. The long tract of Time and diversity of years have partly introduced this corruption and alteration For length of time blotted out some of the former Accounts and defaced the Memoirs of things The Antient Names of several Persons and Places are worn out and others quite different from them are used in their stead The true Original Occasion and Meaning of many things were forgotten and in place of them New but False Relations crept in Then came to pass at last when the right Notions of things were worn out that Men of Poetry and Invention thrust upon silly People their own Fancies and Conceits and perswaded them to accept of the most unlikely Stories for Truth 4. The Historical passages of Scripture and the strange Events which hapned among the Iews being spread abroad and passing through many Hands or rather Mouths could not but for that Reason be corrupted By the great diversity of Relators they were changed some adding to them and others diminishing them so that at the last they were quite different from what they were at first 5. As Superstition and Idolatry increased the greater Corruptions there were of True History Men making that to Administer to their Idolatrous Worship So that in those Countries especially where there were the fiercest Bigots for the Pagan Devotion there was alwaies a more plentiful coyning of these Fables under which were hid very useful Truths taken out of the Old Testament 6. This must be added that it was the Custom of the Antient Pagans to wrap up their Notions in obscure and dark Terms and to represent them in an Aenigmatical way Origen thinks Plato in one of his pieces hath something of that Paradise which Moses in the beginning of his Writings speaks of and he gives this Reason why he thinks so viz. because it is Plato's usual way to describe things obscurely and to disguise the greatest and most excellent Verities under the vail of Mysteries and Fables And this was the guise of others besides Plato especially of the Pagan Poets they affected obscurity and difficulty of Stile whence sprang several of the Fabulous Histories of the Gods and other odd passages in their Writings And so when they took some things of moment from Scripture or from those who were acquainted with those Sacred Records they cloath'd them with their dark and Mystical Expressions in so much that it was hard to know whence they had them 7. The Grecian Humour was to Invent and Romance their Poets especially who were their first Writers were famous for this They abused mangled jumbled and confounded the Stories in Holy Writ they turn'd those Sacred Things into Magical Pranks sometimes and from the Names of Holy Persons spoken of in the Old Testament they took occasion to invent new Deities and shape new Gods Their frequent practice was to piece out Scripture with their own Fancies and to add something of their own heads This is owing to the Greek Vanity it is to be ascribed to the Levity and Capriciousness of these Fabulous Men whose very Genius led them to affect Banter and Fictions The Poets dealt with Sacred History as the Legendaries do with the Lives of Saints they have some general ground for what they say but they make plentiful additions to it there is perhaps something of Truth at bottom but then you have their own Inventions besides Thus the Grecian Writers counterfeited all along the shape of Real Truths in most of their Fables there was a medly of Falshood and Truth together 8. This is also certain that the Pagan Philosophers did out of fear sometimes disguise the Notions of Truth which they received from Scripture Plato saith Iustin the Martyr had learnt in Egypt the True Doctrine concerning God One only God with several other Sacred Truths but lest some Melitus or Anytus should Accuse him he would not divulge them to the People For fear of incurring Socrates's Misfortune he either conceal'd or disguis'd all He dreaded the Poysonous Cup and so would not discover those Sacred Things but rather chose to lap them up in Poetick Conceits and Fables in Mysteries and Riddles which his Writings are full of And this it is likely was the Case of other Philosophers and Writers among the Gentiles they were Timorous and dared not Transgress the Publick Laws and incur the punishment due to Innovators in Religion and therefore they spoke ambiguously and obscurely and corrupted those Truths which they had received from the Holy Fountains 9. Some out of meer Ignorance of the Iewish Religion and Affairs misrepresent and corrupt those things This is seen plainly in Strabo and Diodorus the Siciâ—ian who as was hinted afore make the Iews to be Egyptians and Strabo particularly saith of Moses that he was an Egyptian Priest So Herodotus because the Hebrews had lived among the Egyptians saith those things of the former which belong to the latter and so perhaps vice versâ I remember he particularly saith that Circumcision was first of all used among the Ethyopians and Egyptians and from them went to the Phaenicians and Syrians and thence some thought Abraham receiv'd this Rite and commended it to his Posterity It is as easie to
of the putting Iohn the Baptist to death whom he hugely extols telling us that he was an excellent Man and stirred up the Jews to piety and vertue holiness and purity both of Body and Soul and that Herod caused him to be killed because he feared his Authority would hurt him and occasion a defection among the People He also relates how this Herod cast off his own Wife and took Herodias who was his Brother's Wife This Author makes honourable mention of St. Iames whom he calls the Brother of Iesus Christ and relates his Martyrdom and declares that the taking away his Life was so flagitious a Sin that it was in revenge of that that the Iews were destroy'd their Temple and City burnt and all other Evils befel that Nation He fully agrees with St. Luke in mentioning Herod's Speech to the People and their impious Flattery and the immediate Iudgment of God upon this Wicked Man by whose command that holy Apostle was put to death It is true Iosephus saith not that he was eaten up of Worms but this is included in that he saith he was seized with a sudden pain and disease and died in great torment of his Bowels which without doubt were gnaw'd and devour'd by those Worms St. Luke specifieth Because this Writer relates that Herod the Great the Infant-slayer was infested and plagued with noisom Vermin in his Body therefore some say he is guilty of a great mistake here and speaks that of this Herod which St. suke faith of the other viz. Herod Agrippa But I do not see any reason for this imputation of Guilt because Herod the Great as well as the other Herod might dye of that filthy disease though it is not mention'd by St. Matthew or the other Evangelists Wherefore we have no reason to think this Historian was mistaken and disagrees with the holy Writers As to the main you will find him concurring with them not only in this but in other matters recorded by them and consequently you will find him attesting the verity of the History of the Gospel and you will conclude that he is a very substantial Witness for the Christian Religion Having produced these Testimonies concerning St. Iohn and St. Iames I might add somewhat relating to St. Paul That Insurrection mention'd in Acts 21. 38. where you read that the Tribune of the People said to St. Paul Art not thou that Egyptian who before these days didst raise a Tumult and leadest into the Wilderness four thousand Men That Insurrection I say is the same with that taken notice of by Iosephus more than once which was begun by an Egyptian who pretending to be a Prophet gathered together great numbers of Iews the attempt and issue of which are recorded by this Historian and so it is a Confirmation of what St. Luke here records with reference to St. Paul I will here add also a Pagan Testimony concerning this Apostle viz. concerning his being caught up to the third Heaven mention'd by himself in 2 Cor. 12. 2. This is referr'd to in one of Lucian's Dialogues where one Triphon professeth himself to be Paul's Disciple and would make Critias such a one and convert him to the Christian Faith Paul is there described thus That Bald-pate that Hawk-nos'd Galilean who mounts up through the Skies into the third Heaven and thence fetcheth those goodly Notions which he preacheth to the World He is called a Galilâ—an because that was the common name of a Christian and he is said to be Bald as that holy Man is reported to have been when he was old His Hawk-nose alludes to his high flight and mounting up into the Air like a Hawk when he ascended to Heaven And this ascending into the third Heaven is a plain Description of him because none of the Apostles or other Christians ever did so but he And what is added next that he learnt there all his fine and goodly Notions it may refer to what that Apostle saith in the same place that he heard unspeakable words which it is not possible for any Man to utter I could observe that in the same Dialogue this Author bears testimony to the Faith receiv'd and professed by the Christians whilst there he scoâ—â—ingly brings in a Catechumen asking this question By whom would you have me swear toâ— you And then his Instructor answers thus By that God who reigneth on high who is Great Immortal Celestial by the Son of the Father by the Spirit proceeding from the Father One of three and Three of one Thus from this Pagan Scoffer who could laugh and speak truth together we are informed that the Doctrin of the Blessed Trinity which the New-Testament so expresly declares was profess'd by the Primitive Christians To this I might add the Inscription on the Athenian Altar taken notice of by St. Paul and which wants not the Testimony of Prophane Writers This is mentioned by Pausanias in his Atticks and hinted at by Lucian in his Philopatris Thucydides saith there were no less than twelve Altars erected in the Market-place in Athens with this Inscription 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Philostraius makes mention of the same Laertius takes notice of the nameless Altars at Athens and particularly of one erected To the unknown and strange God To proceed some have produc'd a Letter of Seneca Nero's Tutor to St. Paul with St. Paul's Answer to it This is mentioned by Ierom who reckons Seneca in the Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers because of this Epistle to the Apostle and St. Augustin also takes notice of it But I am not so fond as to take in all sorts of Testimonies without any distinction but I rather look upon those Epistles as Spurious the stile plainly shewing that one of them at least that to Seneca is so But because this Seneca was a grave and serious Philosopher and was against the Superstitions of the Romans and was far better than the Pagans of that time hence some thought he was a Christian and was so perswaded to be by St. Paul and then it was easily believed that they conversed together and had Correspondence by Letters Concerning St. Peter likewise I will only leave this and submit it to the censure of the Readers his encountring that Arch-Sorcerer Simon of Samaria who is spoken of in Acts 8. and his dismounting him by his Prayers from his Charioâ— though they are not mention'd in the infallible Records of the New-Testament yet are registred by Clemens the Roman Arnobius and Epiphanius For it seems this Magician would needs be flying in the Air and by such artifices bring credit to his false Doctrins but St. Peter by the extraordinary assistance of the Spirit and the Efficacy of his ardent Addresses to Heaven baffled this soaring Magician and brought him down from his heighths and laid him prostrate and dead on the Ground Which very thing I conceive is attested by Suetonius in whose Writings
this Simon goes under the fabulous name of Icarus the famous Flyer among the Poets This Person faith he at his very first attempt fell down near the Emperor's Bed-Chamber and besprinkled him with his Blood The Representation of Icarus in that Play which Nero exposed to the People might be a mistaking of the true Story of Simon Magus whose downfal happening at Rome in that Emperor's Reign in the sight of all the People might well be remarked in his Life by this Historian But this is propounded in way of Conjecture only Thus I have briefly shew'd what some Heathen Witnesses testifie concerning St. Iohn our Saviour's fore-runner and concerning those chieif Apostles St. Iames Paul and Peter who are so often spoken of in the New-Testament Which is a farther Confirmation of what I have undertaken to make good viz. that the Truth of the holy Writings of the New-Testament is vouched by those who are the greatest Adversaries of them I pass to another Historical matter recorded in these Sacred Writings viz. the Universal Famine fore-told by Agabus Acts 11. 28. which if you will credit Pagan Historians happen'd in accordingly the fourth Year of Claudius's Reign and was over all the World in the sixth Year Dion Cassius who had compiled his History out of the Fasti of Rome through the several Years speaks of this Famine under that Emperor and mentions his great care of the City that the Inhabitants might not be starved So Suetonius commends him for his Diligence and Providence in furnishing the City with Provision Iosephus also mentions this grievous Famine in Claudius's days with some particular Circumstances and Accidents which agree with what is delivered by St. Luke concerning the relief which was sent at that time by the Disciples at Antioch to the Brethren in Iudea that being a Place where the Famine exceedingly raged Thus we find that of Eusebius to be true who speaking of this dreadful Famine recorded in the Acts tells us that even those Writers who were averse from the Christian Religion have deliver'd the same in their Histories The next thing I undertake is to treat of Christ's Predictions concerning the Overthrow of Ierusalem and some things which were to follow upon it and to shew that they are expresly confirm'd by Heathens and Iews In the 24th Chapter of St. Matthew and the 21st of St. Luke which speak of the Destruction of Ierusalem both City and Temple and the whole Nation yea with some remarkable Consequences of it though I know these Chapters have been and may be applied another way viz. as a Description of the fore-runners of the end of the World and the day of Judgment as I shall shew elsewhere there being a primary and secondary meaning of this Chapter as well as of some other places of holy Scripture there is I say first fore-told That many shall come in Christ's name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many v. 5. And again v. 11 Many false Prophets shall rise and shall deceive many i. e. they shall pretend to be Messiasses and Deliverers of the People though indeed they are very Impostors Of the truth of this Iosephus will inform you who relates that there was a vast number of these Pretenders and Mock-Saviours that drew the People after them particularly he tells us of a certain Egyptian in Felix's time and of Theudas when Vadus was Procurator and of Iudas the Gaulanite which two last some think are not the Theudas and Iudas spoken of by Gamaliel Acts 5. 36 37. but others are of Opinion that these are the same with them only that Iosephus mistakes a Gaulanite for a Galilean and is also mistaken in the time for he saith Iudas was in the the Reign of Archelaus If so this Impostor cannot be meant in this 24th of St. Matthew But I will not stand now to dispute whether there were two Iudasses and two Theudasses or whether St. Luke's and Iosephus's Iudas and Theudas are the same It is sufficient for my purpose that these and other Seducers and Disturbers arose and stirred up the People to Sedition and drew many after them in expectation of the Messias's coming and partly pretended that they themselves were He. So it was after the Destruction of Ierusalem there rose up Ionathas Barchochebas who being the most famous of those Impostors is taken notice of by Iosephus and others as a great Ring-leader of the Iews in Adrian's time He confidently profess'd himself the Messias applying Baalams Prophecy to himself Num. 24. 17. A Star shall rise out of Jacob His name Barchochab which signifies the Son of a Star being not a little serviceable to this Imposture He prevail'd on a great number of People to adhere to him by his inviting Promises and perswading them he was to be their Deliverer Yea he brought over a great part of the Learned'st Iews to him not only in Iudea but in Greece and Egypt but he and his Party being vanquished by the Emperor the Iews no longer call'd him Barchochab but changed his name into Barchozab the Son of a Lye a false Prophet a lying Impostor Divers others in those days took upon them the name of Messias and said they were to restore the Iewish Nation and to that end led People after them into the Deserts for in such places the pretended Prophets and Leaders drew up their forces as the fittest rendesvouz for them as Iosephus faith in several places which gives an Account of our Saviour's words in this Chapter vers 26. If they shall say unto you behold he is in the Wilderness go not forth to them Again Wars and rumours of Wars are fore-told to be the fore-runners and attendants of that fatal time which should befall Ierusalem v. 6. Of this we have plentiful mention in the Pagan and Iewish History Those were properly rumours of War when Caius threatned the Iews and offered to set up his Image in the Temple of which Tacitus Iosephus and Philo speak telling us in what Consternation the Iews both in Alexandria and Iudea were at that time There were actual Wars when those slaughters were committed on the Iews in Caius's time at Alexandria and Babylon of which Iosephus makes mention Likewise when upon the cruelty of Cestius Florus the President of Iudea there was a Rebellion of the Iews against the Romans in the Twelfth Year of Nero's Reign and an open War followed that Rebellion which was the first occasion of their final Overthrow by the Roman Armies who came soon after and sat down before their City Or by Wars and Commotions for so St. Luke words it are to be understood those Civil Wars and Intestine Broils among the Iews themselves of which we read in Iosephus and other Iewish Records of those Times There we may be informed concerning the Tumults of the Seditious and the Zealots the former were those that endeavoured to cast off the Roman Yoke and in order to
which derides the 3d Chapter of Genesis and who committed it to the Press for the sake of some of the witty Folks of the Town and to please the Atheistical Rabble This signal Act of avenging Providence is well known to the World and I wish the ingenious Theorist would seriously reflect upon it and learn thence to make Sport with the Bible no more And I request him not to be offended at my plain Dealing with him for I assure him that I have said nothing out of any disrespect or ill Will to his Person but wholly from a deep Sense of the great Mischief which is like to ensue upon this late Attempt of his I abhor the treating of any learned Man's Writings with Contempt yea on the contrary I have always paid a due Respect and Deference to them though they are not adjusted to the Notions which I have of things But when I see the Holy Scriptures struck at and Religion it self shock'd and extremely hazarded I cannot forbear from uttering my Sentiments and â—hewing my just Indignation on such an Occasion Christian Charity which beareth all things endureth all things cannot by any Means brook this And I must freely tell this learned Writer that let his Character otherwise be never so fair and 't is not my Design to â—isown it or blemiâ—â— it in the least it is certain that the better this is the worse is his Enterprize for he seems to come sober and demure to undermine the Bible and destroy Christianity as many a Cracovian Reasoner hath done before him But truly there is little Sobriety in jesting and buffooning in jeering and drolling away our Religion and that under the Pretence of Philosophick Antiquity Nay let me tell him and I hope by this time his own Thoughts do so too that to trifle and droll after the Rate that he doth on the inspired History concerning Adam and Eve is a near Approach to Blasphemy I heartily wish he may be apprehensive of his Delinquency in this kind and that for the future he may guide himself by that wholsome Rule viz. that we are not to quit the literal Interpretation in any Place of Scripture unless there be a necessity of doing so And 't is certain there is none in the present Case nay there is an absolute Necessity of acknowledging the literal and historical Meaning unless we will subvert the very Foundations of our Religion He that makes this first Book of the Bible to be wholly mystical doth not observe the Distance between Genesis and some Part of the Revelation We must be careful that we follow not the Masters of abstruse Divinity so far that we exclude the literal Sense of Scripture for this will prove fatal to the Scriptures themselves and to all Religion especially Christianity If we dote upon Allegories and defy the Letter and History of the Bible we quite null these Sacred Writings because we thereby render them ambiguous and precarious we authorize any wild Interpretations that can be made of them If we may leave the literal Sense of Scripture when we please and fly to metaphorical and mystical ones then the Certainty of the Word of God will soon vanish for then we cannot tell what is true or what is false or if we know it we can never confute any Error or maintain any Truth from the Holy Writ For by this Means theâ—â—will be innumerable Explications of Scripture and who can possibly determine which of them is to be made choice of If you offer any Text to prove â—uch or such a Doctrine it will easily be evaded if the Letter may not be our Guide for it is but saying The Place is not meant as the Words sound but must be taken figuratively and mystically Thus Scripture it self is destroyed by cashiering the literal Acception of the Words Yea we destroy the whole Gospel and pluck up the Foundations of Christianity we deny Christ and all his blessed Undertakings for our Redemption and Salvation for these being Matter of Fact are founded upon the literal Account we have of them upon the historical Relation of them which we have in the Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles Thus dangerous and fatal it is to let go the literal Sense of Scripture and to catch at a mystical one only By this wild Practice Men attempt to thrust Religion out of the World or which is the same thing to present us with a metaphorical and allegorical Religion instâ—ad of a true and real one Therefore there is good Reason why we should not quit the literal Construction of Scripture Secondly The other Extream which is to be avoided by us is the resting altogether in the outside the looking no farther than the literal Meaning of Scripture There is such a thing as mystical or symbolical Divinity however some have mistaken and abused it and this if it be rightly used is exceeding profitable yea necessary for it is no other than the Reâ—ult of the mystical Sense of Scripture which I have been speaking of He is truly a Divine he may deservedly be said to have Skill in Christian Theology who contents not himself with the primary or literal Import of the Sacred Writings but dives into the secondary but more abstruse Meaning of them who penetrates into the hidden Mind of the Word of God If there be a 〈◊〉 Sense in Scripture as I have proved in several Instances it must be reckoned a great Oversight to say no worse in the Expositors of this Holy Book not to take notice of this Interpretation but to acquiesce wholly in the literal Meaning This is observable in the Expositions which some of the Rabbins give of the Bible for as the Jewish Caâ—alists are too allegorical as we took notice before so another Set of their Doctors is too much devoted to a literal Interpretation This they stick to when there is no Reason for it yea when the Words are plainly figurative and must needs be taken so Yet even then they interpret them according to the Letter and thence are produced some of those foolish Propositions and childish Assertions those groundless Fables and Legends yea those gross Lies and Forgeries which are found in the Books of the Rabbins Erasmus was faulty in this kind his Readers may observe that he neglected the mystical Sense of Scripture and resolutely adhered to the bare Letter In which he is followed by Calvin who generally leaves out the secondary and more sublime Sense of many Texts of Scripture and satisfies himself with the literal one only This he doth in his Comment on Gen. 3. 15. I will put Enmity between c. which he interprets simply of the Antipathy between Men and Serpents which is the poor and lank Interpretation which Iosephus the Jew gives of it as you have heard whereas those Words in the highest Meaning of them as the antientest and learnedest Fathersâ— have suggested are the first and grand Promise of the Messias made to our first Parents and
swiftly beginning its Course from the right Cavity of the Heart through the Arterious Vein the Branches of which are dispersed through the whole Lungs and joined to the Branches of the Veiny Artery by which it passes from the Lungs into the left side of the Heart and thence it flows into the Great Artery the Branches of which being spread through all the Body are united to those of the Hollow Vein which carry the same Blood again into the right Ventricle of the Heart But these Vessels by length of time become disordered and shattered these Pitchers are broken at the Fountain the Heart it self as well as they decaying and declining in its Office whence proceed Faintings Swoonings Tremblings Palpitations and other Distempers which are the Product of an undue Sanguification Lastly 't is said the Wheel is broken at the Cistern which an Ingenious Person understands of the Circulation of the Blood for that he thinks is intimated by the Wheel and its being obstructed by the Indispositions of Old Age. But it is much to be questioned whether Solomon as Wise a Man as he was knew any thing of the Circular Motion of the Blood throughout the whole Body I have no stronger a Belief of his Knowledg in this kind than that his Ships went to the East or West-Indies though I find both of these asserted by different Writers However I conceive this Circulation is not meant in this place for the word Bor Puteus or Cisterna baffles this Notion for this Author makes the Cistern here to be the Left Ventricle of the Heart whereas the Heart with both its Ventricles is rather a Fountain than a Cistern yea he had himself applied this Word to the Heart in his Exposition of the former Clause of the Verse and there was Reason for it because the Waters do spring and flow in a Fountain but they lie dead and moveless in a Cistern or Pit under Ground which is the same thing Wherefore I conclude that this Cistern must be something of another Nature and what is that but the Vrinary Vessels especially the Bladder This without any fanciful straining must be acknowledged to be the Cistern of the Body it being a Vessel situated beneath on purpose to receive and keep the Water that comes from the Ureters And here as in those Receptacles in the Ground the Water gathers a Sediment and grows muddy the evil Effects of which are too well known to Mankind This Vesica then which is made to gather and hold the Urine is properly Bor the word in this Place Puteus Cisterna And the Wheel is said to be broken at this Cistern when those Vessels and Organs which were appointed for the Percolation of the Blood that is the separating the serous Humour from it and for the transmitting it through the Emulgent Arteries into the Ureters and thence carrying it to the proper Vessel the Cistern which is made to receive it when I say these are put out of order and disturb'd then they cease to perform their proper Administrations in the Body whereupon immediately are produced in these dark and narrow Passages the Painful Stone and Gravel in the Kidnies and Bladder all other â—ephritick Distempers Ulcers Inflammations the Strangury and sometimes a total Suppression of the Urine together with the undue Evacuations of it Thus the Wheel is broken thus the whole Periodical Series of Operation in those Parts is spoiled and destroyed And perhaps this particular Phrase is here used by Solomon because the great Work at Wells and Cisterns or Pits for retaining of Water for a time was performed by Wheels So much for this excellent Delineation of Old Age which is it self a Disease a constant and inseparable Malady and is attended with many more And as the Bodies of the Aged are the Scene of Weakness and Infirmities of Pains and Languishments so their Souls are usually decayed and distemper'd Of both these Solomon gives us a particular Account and perhaps too much from his own Experience for 't is probable that the Miscarriages of his Youth had enfeebled Nature and we read that towards the Close of his Days he degenerated from his former Piety and so we have here a Full and Compleat Description of the Defects which too often accompany this Last Declension of Life which are set forth by Variety of Metaphors which I have made it my Business to explain to you CHAP. V. The Writers of the New Testament are delighted with the Vse of Metaphors Here is sometimes a Complication of them Ephes. 6. 13. c. Take unto you the whole Armour of God c. largely insisted upon The Olympick Games and Prizes administer religious Metaphors The Antiquity Names Kinds the Laws and Observances of these Grecian Combates before in and after them the Iudges the Rewards and all other things appertaining to these Athletick Enterprizes distinctly consider'd 't is shew'd how they are all applied to Christianity in the Apostolick Writings Hence is inferr'd the Gracefulness of the Sacred Stile Notwithstanding which some have vilified it whose Character is represented Proverbial Sayings used by other Writers especially the Jews are frequently mentioned by our Saviour in the New Testament To which is reduced his bidding the Apostles shake off the Dust of their Feet Mat. 10. 14. concerning which the Author adds his particular Sentiment IF we pass to the New Testament we shall there find that those Inspired Penmen are much delighted with the use of Metaphors We have a Complication of them in Iohn 15. 1 c. I am the true Vine and my Father is the Husbandman c. In 1 Tim. 6. 9 10. the extreme Dangers which Men are exposed to by the Sin of Covetousness are expressed by a Snare by drowning by piercing through as with Thorns and Briars In those Words Eph. 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the Dead and Christ shall give thee Light there are likewise three Metaphors together for Sin is call'd a Sleep Death Darkness yea if we be exact we shall find three more for if Sin be a Sleep then Grace or Conversion is Awakening out of that Sleep and this is expressly mention'd in the Place if the one be Darkness and Death the other is Light and Life and Rising again But as before I chose out a remarkable Place of the Old Testament to enlarge upon under this Head so I will now do the like in the New and insist upon that choice Passage in Eph. 6. 13 to ver 18. Take unto you the whole Armour of God c. which under that one Great and General Metaphor of Armour comprehends several other particular ones Christians are represented as Souldiers in other Places by this Apostle and here he lets us know what is their Armour what Weapons they must fight with which are thus metaphorically expressed 1. They must be careful to put on the Girdle of Truth which some Expositors have thought is meant in opposition to Error and
Heretical Perswasions To be girt about with Truth is the same they think with holding fast the Form of sound Words or the embracing of the pure Doctrine of the Gospel But this Exposition is not to be admitted because it confounds this piece of Armour with another that is afterwards mentioned it makes the Girdle and the Sword which is the Word or Doctrine of God the same Therefore it is more reasonable to assert that Truth here is synonymous with Faithfulness or Sincerity and that it stands in opposition to Hypocrisy Thus Sincerity and Truth are equivalent Terms 1 Cor. 5. 8. and in several other Places Wherefore when the Christian Souldier is commanded to have his Loins girt about with Truth the plain Import of it is that he ought to be established with Sincerity and Integrity of Consâ—ience Hypocrisy enervates and dissolves the Mind renders it loose and unsettled but Uprightness and Faithfulness keep it close and entire make it firm and steady yea strengthen and confirm all the other Graces as the Girdle of War was used to fasten their Clothes together and to keep their Loins firm It is not unlikely that this Place refers particularly to Isa. 11. 5. Faithfulness shall be the Girdle of his Reins This Truth also implies Fortitude Resolution and Constancy that they will never revolt from the Captain of their Salvation but fight under his Banner even unto Death for he that is Sincere and Faithful will do so This is the first Martial Accoutrement of the Christian Souldier and 't is of indispensable Use and Necessity in the Holy Warfare as among the antient Warriors there was no fighting without the Military Girdle or Belt Whence Cinctus simply without any Addition is as much as Miles And we read that it was a Punishment inflicted on delinquent Souldiers to expose them without their Girdles to make them stand Vngirt in some publick Place This piece of Warlike Furniture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was so considerable of old that is was a word as â—ausanias testiâ—ies to signify all sorts of Weapons for War It is often mentioned by Homer Synecdochichally for the Whole Military Armour and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as to be compleatly Armed The Girdle of Truth which this Great Commander here enjoins us is as requisite in the Christian Warfare there is no Fighting without it because this fastens all the other Parts of our Spiritual Armour a Sincere and Upright Heart is of universal Influence in the Life of a Christian. 2. The next Accoutrement is the Breast-plate of Righteousness i. e. a Holy and Pious Conversation Impartial and Universal Obedience to the Will of God This guards the Breast against all Assaults as we see in the Example of our Apostle 2 Cor. 1. 12. for he had this as well as the foregoing piece of Armour on when he said Our rejoicing is this the Testimony of our Coscience that in Simplicity and godly Sincerity not with fleshly Wisdom but by the Grace of God we have had our Conversation in the World And again I have fought a good Fight I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith 2 Tim. 4. 7. And in other Places he defends himself against the malicious Cavils of others by appealing to his own Innocency his Sanctity and Exemplary Life This perhaps may have particular reference to Isa. 59. 17. He put on Righteousness as a Breast-plate But this Breast-plate of Righteousness must be covered with another viz. that of our Blessed Redeemer which is Compleat and Perfect and will amply protect and secure us from all Dangers The Inherent Righteousness of the best of Men is exceedingly defective and cannot shelter them from the Divine Wrath this Breast-plate is too narrow too thin too little too mean to cover us but that of the Meritorious Righteousness of Christ Jesus is great and large enough and is able to hide all our Defects and perfectly to defend us from the Anger of our offended God This Evangelical Breast-plate must be put on by Faith of which afterwards 3. The Shoe of the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace is an Allusion to that Military Provision which the Infantry among the antient Warriors made for their Feet to defend them from what was offensive in their way For the Armies heretofore as appears both from Greek and Roman Authors were wont to fix short Stakes or cast Gall-traps in the way before their Enemies to wound their Feet and to cause them to fall Wherefore it was usual to have Harness for their Legs and Feet they wore a particular sort of Shoe or Boot to secure them from being hurt and gall'd So the Christian Souldier ought to have his Feet shod and that with the Preparation of the Goslpel i. e. he must be sitted and prepared by the preaching of the Gospel for all Hardships and Distresses I do not much like St. Augustin's way of proving this Interpretation viz. by telling us that by the Shoe the Preaching of the Gospel was meant when the Psalmist said Over Edom will I cast out my Shoe Psal. 60. 8. which he labours to confirm from Isa. 52. 7. How beautiful are the Feet of him that bringeth good Tidings And this Pious Writer is so fanciful as to say that when our Saviour bid the Disciples be shod with Sandals Mark 6. 9. he meant the open and free Preaching of the Gospel But waving this weak sort of Proof yet I am satisfied that in this place the Christians Military Shoe is the Gospel and the Preaching of it he is then shod with the Preparation of it when he is enabled to make his way through all Hindrances and Diâ—â—iculties whatsoever by virtue of those Excellent Principles which the Gospel hath discovered to him by virtue of those Extraordinary Helps which this affords him And 't is â—itly added the Gospel of Peace because the Consideration of that Peace and Reconciliation which the Gospel tenders through the Blood of Christ mightily influences upon his Spirit and gives Courage and Valour amidst all the Hardships he meets with in his Christian Warfare 4. The Shield of Faith is another necessary part of Spiritual Armour And it is signally added that we must take this above all which it is probable is said with allusion to what was the sense of the Old Warriors viz. That their Shield was their Principal Armour This they prized above all the rest and were most careful in keeping it of which we have several Instances in Antient History and there was a Remarkable Punishment inflicted on those saith Plutarch who lost their Shields in Battel Much more Valuable is this Evangelick Armour our Faith a Firm Assent to all Revealed Truths a Steady Belief of the Promises of Eternal Life through the blessed Undertakings of our Lord a Hearty Compliance with the Gracious Terms of the Gospel which enjoins Universal Obedience to the Laws of Christ a Well-grounded Trust and Aâ—â—iance in the
I am mistaken if our Saviour's Words concerning Mary she hath chosen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the good Part or Portion Luke 10. 42. do not refer to this Distributing of the Food and particularly Martha's being cumbred about much serving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the way of providing for the Guests by allotting every one his Distinct Part. And it is not improbable seeing the Dispensers of the Gospel are compared to Stewards and Governours of Families that the rightly dividing the Word of Truth 2 Tim. â— 15. hath special Reference to this Custom of dispensing to every one his proper share at the Table though as I have suggested this was not a perpetual Uâ—age and particularly at the Paschal Feaâ— our Saviour and his Apostles supped together 〈◊〉 common and eat out of the same Dish Furthermore from what we read in the Evangelical History Luke 7. 38. viz. that Mary Magdalen stood at Christ's Feet behind him we may collect the Truth of what hath been suggested concerning their Posture at their Eatings in those Days Then Feet lay out behind the Backs of those that lay next to them and so those that waited at the Table were properly said to stand at their Feet behind Thence this is the Periphrasis of a Serviâ—or 〈◊〉 Waiter according to Seneca qui coenanti ad peâ—â—steterat Likewise here we are acquainted that Putting off the Shoes and Washing the Feet were an usual Attendant at Eating and Feasting and the one was in order to the other I grant that the Antients wore not Shoes at all times yea their Captives and Slaves went always bare-foot as â— evident from Isa. 20. 4. Nay some of the better sort of People among the Gentiles were put upon this Hardship by their severe Governours and Law-givers so Lycurgus enjoined the Spartans to go without Shoes But among the Iews I find no such thing even in the Wilderness where they underwent the greatest Difficulties their Feet were clad with Shoes by the same token that they waâ—ed not old Deut. 20. 5. i. e. by a particular Providence they were preserv'd from any considerable Decay a long time And from Exod. 3. 5. Iosh. 5. 15. Deut. 25. 9. and several other Places it may be proved that their Feet were armed with this Defence yea it was an Ornament as well as a Defence and is reckon'd as such in Ezek. 16. 10. where we find that Shoes of the best and most fashionable sort were made of Badgers Skins viz. dress'd and made into Leather Now when they came into a House as Guests to be entertain'd they stripp'd themselves of this lower Apparel and had their Feet wash'd and cleans'd and this was the usual Introduction to their sitting or lying down to eat A very antient Instance of this you have in Iudg. 19. 21. They washed their Feet and did eat and drink And that this was afterwards a Iewish Custom is clear from our Saviour's upbraiding of Simon in those Words I enter'd into thy House but thou gavest me no Water for my Feet Luke 7. 44. which he would not have said if the Washing the Feet had not been a common Testimony of Civility and Friendly Entertainment From Athenaeus we learn that the Greeks used this Custom at their Feasts and many Authors attest the same concerning the Romans And as to the Discalceation in order to it Martial and Terence and several other Writers speak of it Besides the Sacred Writings inform us that Anointing was of old an usual Entertainment at their Feasts Thus the Penitent Magdalen bestow'd a Box of Spikenard on Christ's Feet while he was at Supper and indeed according to the Account before given of his Situation at that time she had the Advantage to do it his Feet being towards her and bare for as was just now said they put off their Shoes and lay barefoot on their Eating-Beds At another time this Religious Woman refresh'd and perfumed his Head with precious Ointment when he was at the Table Mat. 26. 7. Mark 14. 3. And it is particularly recorded that this fragrant Ointment was in an Alabaster-Box which is according to what Herodotus Athenaeus Plutarch and other antient Authors relate whom you may see alledg'd in Dr. Hammond's Annotations on Mat. 26. 7. that those particular Vessels viz. Alabaster-Boxes were commonly made use of for that purpose It is said in the foremention'd Place in St. Mark that she brake the Box of Spikenard but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to shake or knock rather than to break so that the meaning is this she shook the Box or knock'd it against the Ground to make the Ointment come forth the better This pouring of Odoriferous Oils on the Heads of their Guests at Feasts is taken notice of in Psal. 23. 5. where with preparing a Table is join'd anointing the Head with Oil. And in Eccl. 9. 8 9. Eat thy Bread with joy and drink thy Wine with a merry Heart and let thy Head lack no Ointment And because it was used at these times of Mirth and Rejoicing 't is call'd the Oil of Ioy Isa. 61. 3. Of this it is probable the Parable in Luk. 16. speaks where among the Steward's Expences a hundred Measures of Oil are reckon'd which were used at Festivals With the Holy Scriptures accord the Pagan Writers who frequently make mention of this fragrant Unction That it was used among the Greeks is manifest from the Example of Telemachus who according to Homer was not only wash'd but anointed before he supp'd Martial bears witness concerning the Romans Vnguentum fatâ—or bonum dedisti Convivis here But of this Anointing the Head with perfumed Liquors at Festivals Dr. Hammond hath produc'd several Instances in his Annotations on Mat. 26. 7. and therefore I remit the Reader thither Lastly here is mention'd another remarkable Attendant of those Feasts viz. the Master or Governour of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the Name given him Iohn 2. 8. and it was a known Name among the Grecians from whom the Latins borrow'd their Architriclinus He was set over the Triclinium as an useful Officer his Place being to order the Guests at the Feast and to give Laws concerning the eating and drinking And generally this Symposiarch this Overseer and Controller of the Feast was a Friend and Associate of the Person that made the Feast and was acquainted with the Guests Thus I have briefly from this Sacred Fountain of all Good Letters shew'd the Manner and Order of the Discumbiture among the Antients Next we are here acquainted who were the Inventers of Mechanick Arts. We find that Tubal-Cain was the first Instructer of every Artificer in Brass and Iron Gen. 4. 22. Where by the way we may observe that the late Philosopher is mistaken when he confidently asserts that there were no Metals or Minerals in the Antediluvian Earth If he can prove that Tubal-Cain was not before the Flood which will be one of the
Worth and Excellency was stiled a Proverb for this as the Hebrew Word denotes is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominatrix sententia a Speech that hath the Preheminence above others a Saying of great Authority and Force and therefore deserves to be highly esteemed by all These Wise Moral Speeches were taken notice of and held in great Repute of old Homer was a Noted Master of this Excellency and is applauded for it by the Learned And indeed when I read in the skilfullest Accomptants of Times that this Poet flourish'd not long after Solomon's Days I am apt to credit Casaubon and Grotius and a Famous Homerist of our own who all agree in this that Homer borrow'd many of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Sage Sayings or Proverbs from our Royal Author and they produce very fair Instances out of his Poems to prove it After this Great Poet I might mention those Minor ones Theognis and Phocylides who are famed for their Excellent Moral Sentences Pythagoras is celebrated for his Golden Sayings or Verses and so are some of his Scholars for their Worthy Speeches proper to their School and truly if we remember that these Pythagoreans were enjoined by their Master a five Years Silence we may well expect some Handsome Sentences from them at last when they began to speak I might add here the Set Sayings of the Stoicks such as Tully's Paradoxes Yea I might remind you that the Sages of all Schools and Sects had their Peculiar Motto's and Devices As in Theoretical Philosophy there are Axioms and Maxims in Medicks there are Aphorisms in Mathematicks there are Theorems among Rhetoricians there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Select Themes and Matters to declaim upon so in Ethicks there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pithy Short Sentences Wise and Weighty Apophthegms containing Great Morals in few Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proverbs Short but Studied Sayings of great and frequent Use in our Lives This Book of Solomon is chiefly made up of this sort and they outvy all that ever were extant before or since The Queen of Sheba came to hear the Wisdom of this Matchless Prince and to be benefited by his Divine Accomplishments but we save our selves the Labour of so long a Pilgrimage he having visited us and his Admirable Writings being brought home to us fraught with the most desirable Treasures Here is a great Number of Useful Maxims and Rules for our Practice in the several Occurrences of our Lives Here are Faithful Sayings and wortâ—y of all Acceptation as the Apostle speaks Here are Smart and Quick here are Grave and Sage Apophthegms Here are Concise and Pithy Adagies the very Extracts and Essences of the Strongest Sense and most Precious Truth Here you will find Solomon as a Father and with a Paternal Affection instructing his Readers and Hearers as his Sons whom therefore he calls by that affectionate Title more than once in this his Admirable Treatise of Morals directing them in the various Passages and Affairs of this Life and framing their Manners most becomingly and successfully in order to another The whole Book is divisible into three main Parts 1. The Inscription or Title of the Book which contains the Use and Scope of it The Proverbs of Solomon the Son of David King of Israel to know Wisdom Instruction to perceive the Words of Vnderstanding c. v. 1 2 c. to the 7th that i to make Men truly Wise and Understanding or which is the same thing Holy and Religious 2. The Preface or Introduction to the Book which is a General Exhortatory to True Wisdom and Holiness This is the Subject of the first Nine Chapters 3. The Main Body of the Book from the Beginning of the 10th Chapter to the Close of all which comprehends in it several Excellent Precepts Rules and Cautions of a mixt and various Nature applicable to the different Circumstances Cases and Occasions of Persons These are more signally called Mishlim the Proverbs a Collection of Sâ—cred Aphorisms useful in the Lives of all Men whether we look upon them in a Natural Civil or Religious Capacity whether we consider them Alone or as Members of a Society whether we speak of them as they are desirous to live happily here or hereafter or rather as they desire both To all these excellent Purposes they may be plentifully furnished by this Royal Author this Great Master of the Sentences this Divine Penman of the Proverbs There is mention of the Words of Agur ch â—0 v. 1. who was the same with Solomon say R. Levi among the Iews and several Christian Expositors However if he be not Solomon under that Name but a different Person yet the Words or Prophecy for so they are alâ—o call'd there contain'd may be said to be Solomon's because collected and preserved by him So Bathsheba's Instructions to Solomon ch 31. 1. 10. may be call'd his because he had carefully recorded them and in the greatest Part of his Life had observ'd them But whether the Encomium of a Vertuous Woman or a Good Wife from v. 10. to the End was penn'd by Solomon or his Mother is disputable however this we are sure of that it was dictated by Divine Inspiration as the rest of the Sacred Writ and moreover it is observable that it is composed in Alphabetical Order i. e. according to the Series of the Hebrew Letters as â—everal Psalms are which I took notice of before Before I dismiss this Book it may not be improper here to observe concerning several of the Proverbs that they may be applied several ways Accordingly as we interpret the Similitude which is made use of in them so we may form the Sense of the Place and this ought not to offend any good or wise Man To give an Instance or two As he that bindeth a Stone in a Sling so is he that giveth Honouâ— to a Fool Prov. 26. 8. The Meaning of which may be that Honour conferr'd on an undeserving Person is thrown away and lost like a Stone cast out of a Sling Or thus he that bestows Preferment and Dignity on such an one doth as 't were Arm him against himself he helps to do himself a Mischief because he puts him into a Capacity of doing it Others have a different Notion of the word Margemah which is here translated a Sling and by it understand a Heap of Stones and they frame such an Interpretation as this He that gives Respect and Honour to a Fool to an unworthy vile Person is like him that casts a Pretious Stone for so they limit the Sense of the word Ebâ—n as Laâ—illi among the Latins and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Greeks have that particular Signification sometimes among common Pebbles Others expound it thus As one single Stone thrown into a great Heap is scarcely discern'd and makes no Accession to it so by the Honour and Favour that are collated on a Fool there is no real Addition made to him there 's â—o
Church-Discipline Ministers Maintenance Spiritual Gifts especially the Gift of Prophesying Some particular Cases concerning which are resolved with great Plainness and Dexterity and may be serviceable to determine our Judgments in all Cases of the like Nature He also admirably descants on the Nature and Necessity of Charity and he by multiplied Arguments asserts the Doctrine of the Resurrection When the Corinthians had received this First Epistle and as soon as the Apostle was informed by Titus what Reformation it had wrought in them he writ a Second to them in Defence of his Ministry and Apostleship against some that labour'd to bring him into Contempt among them He threatens Offenders he encourages the Obedient he animates the Faint-hearted he confounds his Antagonists and that by a new way of Argument viz. by boasting of his Sufferings and giving a full Inventory of them He displays his Calamities he blazons his Crosses and Victories and Triumphs do not more elevate others than these do him He excellently discovers the hypocritical Pretences of False Prophets he vindicates his own Person and Authority he answers the Calumnies and Aspersions of Erroneous Teachers he clears himself from the Imputation of Levity Pride Vain-Glory Severity and other things laid to his Charge He asserts the Truth of his Doctrine and the Laudableness of his Actions and exhorts to all Holiness and Righteousness of Life But the greatest Part of this Epistle is Apologetical whence we learn that it is not unseemly or unchristian to enlarge on one's own Actions and Sufferings when there is a necessary Occasion The Epistle to the Galatians i. e. the Christian Brethren in Galatia a Region in the Lesser Asia call'd also Gallo-Graecia because it was of old inhabited by Gauls and Greeks is directed against the False Apostles among them who mingled the Law with the Gospel Legal Works with Faith and made the former necessary to Justification Whereupon he again asserts the Doctrine of Justification by Faith so that this Part of the Epistle is a brief Summary of the Epistle to the Romans He proves that these Gentile Converts need not become Proselytes of the Iews nor observe the Law of Circumcision or any other Mosaick Rite But he tells them the right Use of Circumcision and of the Law and bids them stand fast in the Evangelical Liberty and be careful that they do not abuse it but walk in Love and Meekness Humility Modesty and Charity which are the Great and Noble Vertues that are to shine in the Lives of Christians It is easily observable that the Apostle is more Warm and Vehement in this Epistle than in any of his others the Reason of which is because he saw his Galatians so greatly endanger'd by their listning to the perverse Reasonings of the Gnosticks as some think or other Iudaizing Teachers that were crept in among them and were perswading them to imbrace another Gospel to diâ—own and reject the Principles which he had taught them and to come off from Christianity to Iudaism This kindles a holy Indignation in his Breast and makes him with an unwonted Keenness and Severity cry out against them and complain of their gross Folly yea their wilful suffering themselves to be bewitched and infatuated by those Impostors His Epistle to the Ephesians i. e. the faithful Christians of Ephesus the Head-City of Asia the Less which was written from Rome when he was a Prisoner there divinely sets forth the Great and Astonishing Mystery of our Redemption and Reconciliation the Freeness and Riches of Grace in Christ Jesus the Admirable Benefits and Privileges of the Gospel the Marvelous Dispensation of God to the Gentiles in revealing Christ to them the Excellency and Dignity of his Apostolick Charge He adds most Pathetick Exhortations to Constancy in the Faith notwithstanding the Calumnies of False Teachers and the Peril of the Cross. He propounds the most Cogent Motives to Love and Unity he urgeth the conscientious Performance of all the Duties of Religion and gives Particular Rules and Precepts for the discharging of every Christian Office so admirable so Entire so Comprehensive is this Part of the Apostle's Writings The Epistle to the Philippians i. e. the Christians of Philippi a City of Macedonia and a Roman Colony was writ also when the Apostle was imprisoned at Rome and in it he thanks them for their Liberality towards him in his Bonds and for their sending Epaphroditus their Minister with a Supply of Money to him This Epistle is chiefly writ to them in return to this seasonable Kindness of theirs and as that to the Galatians was the Sharpest so this is the Smoothest and Sweetest the most Endearing and Pathetick of all St. Paul's Epistles and is fullest of Paternal Affection He here likewise takes notice of and extols their Proficiency in the Gospel and then labours to confirm them in it he exhorts them to Increase and Persevere in the Christian Faith to bear their Persecutions with Patience and Constancy of Mind to be Humble and Peaceable and to be Loving to one another He cautions them against Seducers and False Teachers who bad them rely on the Righteâ—â—sness of the Law and on the contrary assures them that their only Trust and Dependance ought to be on the Righteousness which is of God by Faith in Christ Iesus He earnestly beseecheth them to be Exemplary in their Conversations and to live in the Practice of all Christian Duties He lovingly and passionately Salutes them and Prays for them he is every where Obliging and Affectionate in sum the whole Epistle is written with a Pen dipp'd in Oil. In the Epistle to the Colossians i. e. the People of Colosse a City in Phrygia not far from Laodieea and Hierapolis in the Proconsular Asia who were converted by the Preaching of Epaphras whom St. Paul had sent to them but now is his Fellow-Prisoner at Rome the chief Design of the Apostle is to Reduce those that were led away by False Teachers whether Iews or Philosophers The former introduced the Mosaick Ceremonies and Observations the latter brought in Unsound Notions and Speculations and both of them perverted the Simplicity and Purity of the Gospel Wherefore the Apostle endeavours to establish them in the true Evangelical Doctrine in opposition to Iudaism and the Vain Deceits of Philosophy He is earnest with them to adhere only to Christianity and to persevere in the Practice of all those Excellent Precepts that belong to it And accordingly first he mentions some General and then some Particular Graces and Duties This Epistle is of the same Tenour Subject and even the same Expression generally with that to the Ephesians for the Apostle about the same time that he wrote to the Ephesians did so likewise to the Colossians whilest the very same things were still fresh in his Memory whence it is that he uses the same Words often to both The first Epistle to the Thessalonians or rather the Thessalonicians for they were Inhabitants of Thessalonica the chief
Acts and Works of Holiness Wherefore he offers several Plain Marks and Tokens whereby they may certainly know whether they be Real Christians truly Religious and the Children of God The Sum of all he propounds is this that if they love God and their Brethren and demonstrate this Love by the proper and geâ—â—ine Fruits of it then they may conclude they are Christians indeed otherwise they are mere strangers to Christianty and to all Religion they deceive themselves and there is no Truth in them This the Beloved Disciple and Divine Amorist inculâ—ates with that Spirit Warmth and Earnestness which so Weighty a Subject deserves His second Epistle is written to the Elect Lady and her Children that is saith St. Ierom to some Eminent Select Church in Asia and to all the Christians belonging to it for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Athenians and Curia with the Romans are of the same Import with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Assembly Perhaps Ephesus is meant saith a Learned Man which was the Metropolis of Asia and so may more signally be call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But it is the general Opinion of the Antients and Moderns that a person not a Church 〈◊〉 meant here and that St. Iohn the Evangelist not another Presbyter of that Name as St. Ierom thinks writes to a Vertuous Lady who was an 〈◊〉 Servant of Christ a very Godly and Religions Woman or it may be her Proper Name was Elect as a Learned Critick hath conjectured Which may seem the more probable because the word hath no Article prefix'd to it It was usual with our Saviour himself as the Evangelical Writings inform us to make his Applications to those of this Sex to cherish and commend their Vertues It is particularly recorded that of the Chief Women afterwards call'd Honourable Women not a few were St. Paul's Proselytes And to descend lower we read that St. Ierom took great Pains in instructing the Roman Ladies and in commending and incouraging their Study of the Holy Scriptures Yea many of his Writings were directed and dedicated to Noble Women Widows and Virgins as Paula Eustochium Salvina Celantia and several others that were Roman Ladies and of noble Extraction Such is our Elect here who is the only Person of that Sex to whom an Inspired Epistle is written She is commended for her vertuous bringing up her Children she is exhorted to abide in the Doctrine of Christ to perservere in the Truth and to be careful to avoid all Delusions of False Teachers But chiefly the Apostle beseecheth this Noble Matron to practise the great and indispensable Commandment of Christian Love and Charity His third Epistle was writ to Gaius a Converted Iew or Gentile as others think because he hath a Roman Name a Man of a fair Estate and who had been very bountiful and hospitable to the Saints The Design of the Epistle is to own and commend his Hospitality especially his seasonable Beneâ—icence and Charity to Strangers to those that were Exiles for the Cause of Christianity and to stir him up to continue in the Exercise of the same Charity and Liberality to the distressed Brethren Demetrius is propounded as an eminent Example of this for which and all other Vertues he had the good Report of all Men yea and of the Truth it self that is as he was spoken well of by every one so he really deserv'd it On the other side he complains of the Uncharitable Insolent and Ambitious Diotrephes a Prating Opposer not only of him and his Doctrine but of all the true Servants of Iesus The General Epistle of Iude or Iudas as we render it in Iohn 14. 22. it being the same Name with that of the Traitor for it is no unusual thing for good and bad Men to have the same Names as in the Old Testament Eliab Iehu Hananiah c. in the New Testament Simon Iohn Ananias are Instances of this This Epistle I say of this Good Apostle with a Bad Man's Name was written to all Christian Churches or at least to all the Iewish Christians Dispersed the same to whom St. Iames and St. Peter wrote wherein he exhorts them to contend for the Faith against those Dreaming Hereticks and Seducers that were at that time crept into the Church whose Erroneous Tenents and Ungodly Practices he here particularly deciphers and from the Examples of God's Vengeance on other Great Offenders infers the Certainty of these Mens Ruine In short this Epistle hath all the Marks of a true Apostolick Spirit and is of the same Argument with the second Epistle of St. Peter and is a kind of Epitome of it and therefore I need not be very Particular in rehearsing the Contents The last Book of the New Testament is the Revelation of St. John the Divine which Epithet is signally given to him here because of the Divinity and Sublimity of his Raptures because he of all the Apostles had the greatest Communications of Divine Mysteries It may be referr'd either to the Historical Books or to the Epistles to the former because it is a Prophetick History of the State of the Church from the Apostles times to the end of the World to the latter because it is in the Form of an Epistle after the three first Verses by way of Preface viz. to the Seven Churches of Asia at first planted by and now under the Government of St. Iohn and as it begins so it ends after the usual way of concluding Epistles The Grace of our Lord Iesus â—brist be with you all Amm. Concerning the precise time when St. Iohn receiv'd and when he wrote this Revelation there is some Dispute but the most probable if not the most generally received Opinion is that he being â—â—nish'd into Patmos an Isle in the Archipelago situated about forty Miles from the Continent of Asia by Domitian under whom was the Second persecution this Revelation was deliver'd to him about the middle of the Emperor's Reign but at several times and that he committed it to Writing about the latter end of it As to the Visions themselves I will not here particularly inâ—ist upon any of them only in general it is commonly said and believed that the Vision of the Seals sets forth the State of the Church under the Heathen Persecâ—tions from Nero to the end of Dioclesian's Persecâ—tion the Vision of the Trumpets which follows that shews the Calamity of the Church by Herâ—sies Schisms and Persecutions afterwards in the times succeeding the Pagan Roman Emperors viz. under Papacy And then the Vials tell what Vengeance befals the Papal Antichrist and all the Churches Enemies So that the Seals Trumpets and Vials give an Account of the three Grand Periods of the Church There is great Probability of this but I must add and I will offer it to the Reader as a thing necessary to be taken notice of in order to the right understanding of this Book that the Order of Time and History is
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
is remembred and retain'd the longer by them which is one singular Advantage of delivering things in this Parabolical manner 6. Paâ—ables are not only useful to fasten Divine Truths on the Memory but to move the Affections and to beget in us a Delight in those excellent Truths For it is very entertaining and pleasant to hear the most Heavenly Matters express'd and set forth by those which are earthly and worldly because hereby at once both our Minds and our corporeal Senses are gratisied We are let into Celestial and Spiritual Mysteries by those Objects which are sensual and bodily we attain to an Insight of those things which are supernatural and extraordinary by a Representation of those which are merely natural and common This certainly must be very delightful and have a mighty Influence on the affectionate Part of Man this must needs stir up his Desires and Love his Joy and Satisfaction For this Reason among others it is probable Christ made use of this pathetick and winning way of Discourse He borrowed most of his Parables from very vulgar things such as were well known to his Hearers and which they had a very sensible notice and feeling of that by that Means he might work the more powerfully on them and by discoursing of worldly things bring them to an affectionate liking of the things of God and the great Concerns of another Life that by a wise and artificial representing the Objects which were daily before their Eyes they might be able to discern and approve of the invisible Excellencies of a future State Our Saviour was a very popular Preacher he purposely made choice of that way of Discourse to the People which he knew would be most taking and moving with them And such was this his Preaching in Parables which for the most Part consisted of familiar Comparisons and Similitudes and set forth divine and spiritual things by those which were bodily and sensible yea ordinary and vulgar and which they daily convers'd with Such was his Parable of the ten Virgins Matth 25. 1 c. which is a plain Allusion to those things which were common at the Iewish Marriages in those Days for they at that time had borrowed many of the nuptial Rites from the Romans as first of all the Use of Torches and Lamps because they celebrated their Weddings at Night at which time they prepared a solemn Supper and brought home the Spouse and carried her to that Entertainment at the Bridegroom's House Again the Custom of going forth to meet the Bridegroom which is the most considerable Part of this Parable was well known at that time The Bride-maids used to go out with burning Lamps or Torches in their Hands to meet the Bridegroom and to conduct him to the House where the Marriage was and from whence they came with their Lights To this that of the Comedian refers Primùm omnium lucebis novae nuptae facem And that of Claudian on the nuptial Solemnities of Honorius and Martia Alii funalibus ordine ductis Plurima venturae suspendunt lumina nocti And who knows not that those Words of another Poet Novas incide faces tibi ducitur uxor have reference to the Custom of bringing home the Spouse late at Night with Torches and Flambeaus Nay when a much antienter Poet and he an inspired one compares the Sun's glorious rising to a Bridegroom coming out of his Chamber i. e. the ushering the Bridegroom out of his Chamber with Lights and Torches which is a very elegant Simile and apposite to his Purpose we may thence inform our selves that this Practice was of very antient Date Moreover the tarrying of the Bridegroom which this Parable mentions was known and common in those Days this happened generally by reason of the many Solemnities that were observed and the leading about of the Bride which took up much time the young Maids or Virgins gins staying at the Marriage-house expecting the Bridegroom and Bride so that â—ometimes it happen'd when they sat up late that they all slumbeâ—'d and slept However some of them used to keep their Lamps trimmed whilst others suffered them to go out Then when the Bridegroom and his Bride were solemnly brought home at Midnight as was usual they that were ready with their Lamps went in with them to the Marriage i. e. the Nuptial â—east but the Door was shut upon the rest for it was the Custom that when the Bridegroom and Bride returned they presently went into their Chamber and shut the Door with their Companionâ— and if any of the Bridemaids were never so urgent and cried Open to â—s the Bridegroom gave Order to let none in he knew them not for they had forfeited their Right to enter into the Bridal Chamber by their Negligence and Drowâ—iness by their not watching the exact Time of the new-married Couples Return home on the Wedding-night Thus this Parablo was suted to the Cuâ—toms of the Jews at that time Nay the very Number of the Virgins mentioned by the Evangelist that brought and lighted home the Bridegroom hath reference to the particular Usage at those Weddings for from that Passage in Statius in his Epithalamium on Stella and Violantillâ— Procul ecce canoro Demigrant Helicone Deae quatiâ—ntque novenâ Lampade solennem thalamis coeuntibus ignem We may gather that the Number of those Bridal Virgins was wont to be teâ— or eleven And sometims five only to which Number the Virgins are unhappily reduced in this Parable attended the Nuptial Solemnities Accordingly Plutarch lahours to give Reasons such as they are why no more were made use of for this Purpose The whole Parable is made up of the Rites used by the Eastern as well as the Roman People at their Marriages and all the particulars of it were such things as were commonly known to them because every Day practised by some of them In like manner the Parables of the Candle Luke 8. 16. of the Soâ—er and the Seed of the Tares of the Mustard-seed of the Loves of Leaven of the Net cast into the Sea all in one Chapter Matth. 13. of the Labouâ—ers in the Vineyard ch 20. I. of the Housholder that planted a Vineyard and let it out to Husbandmen ch 21. 33. are Representations of usual and common Occurrences and such as the Generality of our Saviour's Hearers were daily conversant with and for that very Reason were made use of by him as being most moving and affecting Luther had an odd saying as he had many an one that Esop's Fables is the best Book next to the Bible His meaning I suppose was that that fort of instructing viz. by way of Apologues by annexing an useful Moral to a Feigned Story was a very excellent and profitable manner of teaching it being so familiar and delightful and upon that account so conducible to enforce and illustrate any Moral or Religious Truth This and much more is the Excellency of the Parables whâ—ch our Blessed
Master clothed his Divine Doctrine in he chose this way of delivering things to them on purpose to work the more powerfully on their Affections A fit Parable moves the Mind with a wonderful Force and Efficacy it representing Matters to us in their livelieâ—t Colours and moâ—t natural Shapes and applying them to the particular Circumstances we are in so that it seemeth to say in the final Close of it as that Parabolical Prophet to David Tâ—ou art the Man It comes up close to us and with great Plainness and Freedom tells us our Case and affects us proportionably To have Dominion or Authority and to speak in a Parabolical way are expressed by the same word in the Hebrew This is most certain that our Saviour reduced this Criticism into Practice and by this moving way of Preaching let the World see that he taught as one that had Authority Thus I have briefly shewed you the Nature of Parables and given some Account of our Saviour's so frequently using them I shall only add that useful Rule of St. Chrysostom which is to be observed by us if we would rightly underâ—tand the Nature of the Stile of Scripture in this mystical way of expressing it self We must not saith he over-curiously fift every Word and Passage that we meet with in Parables but our main Business must be to understand the Scope and Design at which they aim and for which this sort of Discourse was composed and having gathered this out we ought to enquire no further it is in vain to busy our selves any longer And that of Maldonate is a very good Rule For the right interpreting of Parables we mâ—st know this that it is in vain to observe any Accuracy in comparing Persons with Persons and to be curious in suting particular things to things but we are to look at the grand Matter and as it lies before us in gross So he For this is to be remembred that there are several Circumstances inserted into Parables meerly to adorn and set off the Matter and to make the Representation and Similitude more graceful Therefore we must not insist on every Particular and think that an Argument may be drawn from all the Circumstances which we meet with in such Diâ—courses No the main thing which is the Design is to be attended to in a Parable If we observe this Rule we shall gain a sufficient Knowledg of our Saviour's Meaning in his Parables but otherwise we shall busy our Heads to little Purpose and mistake the true Design and Intention of our Lord in this kind of Instructions There are other Paâ—sages in the New Testament wherein a secondary or mystical Sense is to be observed as the 24th Chapter of St. Matthew one part of which according to most Expositors speaks of the Forerunners of Ierusalem's Destruction and the other Part of the Signs of Christ's Coming to Judgment But if you look narrowly into the whole Chapter you will observe that these Forerunners and Signs of both Sorts are intermixed and so promiscuously placed that it is difficult to tell precisely which precede the Destruction of Ierusalem and which the Day of Judgment Which gave me this Hint first of all that this whole Chapter or the greatest part of it is to be understood as those other Places of Scripture before-mentioned in a double Sense viz. a primary and a secondary In the former you must understand our Saviour speaking of those Prodigies and Calamities which should befal the Jews before the final Overthrow of their City and Temple In the latter you must conceive him foretelling the dreadful Signs and Concomitants of the last Day wherein not only Jews but all the World are concerned Here is a twofold Meaning of Chriâ—t's Words here is a double literaâ— or historical Sense and the latter of them being not so obvious and evident as the other and that is the Reason why it hath not been found out may be called the mystical Sense for it is so indeed in comparison of the other Whereas then Expositors are divided in interpreting this Chapter some referring some Passages in it to the Devastation of Ierusalem and others interpreting other Parts wholly of the Day of Judgment we may compromise the Matter and reconcile the different Interpreters by asserting that both the Destruction of Ierusalem and the Calamities of the Last Day are understood by both Parts of the Chapter excepting only one or two particular Expressions which may seem to refer altogether to one of these In short the Forerunners and Harbingers of the Ruine of the Jews and of the last Coming of our Saviour are the same So that while he speaks of one he also foretels the other This shews that there is a double meaning a simple and a compound one in the very same Words of this Chapter When the Apostle in Eph. 5. had spoken of the married State and of the Duties of Husband and Wife and particularly of the Love of the one and the Submission of the other he tells us in the Close that this Part of his Epistle hath a higher Meaning than every ordinary Reader of it would find out for besides the literal Import of the Words there â—s a more sublime and spiritual one This is a great Mystery saith he and I speak concerning Christ and the Church v. 32. Those Words in Gen. 2. 24. mentioned immediately before have a mystical as well as a literal Meaning they are to be understood of the sacred Union of Chriâ—â— and his Church as well as of the conjugal Union of Man and Wife For Marriage is an Emblem of the sacred and inviolable Tie between Christ and Belâ—evers and accordingly whilst the Apostle discours'd in that Part of the Chapter concerning the Love and Submission of Husband and Wife he lets us know that it is to be understood in a secondary Sense of Christ's Love to his Church and of the Church's Subjection unto Christ. And divers other Passages in St. Paul's Epistles have besides their literal a spiritual inward and mysterious Acception Even as to this the Apostle's Words are true viz. that he speaks the Wisdom of God in a Mystery I Cor. 2. 7. Thus I have abundantly proved the double Sense which is to be found in many Places of the Sacred Writings and it were easy to evinâ—e it from many more Instances if it were requisite I will only here in the Close produce the Words of a very profound and judicious Man a worthy Light of our Church that I may not be thought to be â—ingular in what I have asserted under this Head Many Passages saith he as well in the Prophets as other Sacred Oracles admit of Amphibologies and ambiguous Senses and the same Prophecies are oftentimes fulâ—illed according to both Senses And he instances in several Again a little after he hath these admirable Words Seeing our sacred Oracles were given many hundreds of Years before the Events foretold by them and since exhibited