may be suffered to give my Conjectur◠〈◊〉 Poets did very â—itly relate how Atlas bore up 〈◊〉 Heavons when in the mean time they meant 〈◊〉 Moses who giving us the Authentick Records 〈◊〉 the World's Creation and beginning his History with the Production of the 〈◊〉 is the Tâ—â—â— Atlas that supports the Spheres nay he may be rightly said not only to bear up the Heavâ—â—s 〈◊〉 the Earth and to keep them from sinking into their first Chaos by transmitting the Account and Memory of them to all Posterity I question 〈◊〉 but that Moses was represented by Heâ—â—mes Trismegistus for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is no more than a very Great i. e. an Excellent Man and such none caâ— deny Moses to have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Interpreter is appliable to none better than to Him who was the first Sacred and Inspired Interpreter of the Mind of God in Writing Letters were invented by this Hermes saith Iamâ—licâ—us from his Maâ—â—â—â— Plato Moses being the first Writer may well be said to be the first Inventer of Letters Diâ—dorus also tells us that this Moses was the first that gave the Egyptians he should have said Iews but those Mistakes are common with him and other Pagan Authors Written Laws and that â—e was a Man of a great Soul and very powerful in his Life And in another place he saith he was one that excelled in Wisdom and Valour Strabo makes honourable mention of this Great â—â—rsonage yea speaks not only of him but of the Religion establish'd by him with great Respect He ranks him among the best Legislators and highly praiseth his Laws and gives them the Preeminence before all others He reciteth some of his Sayings and Deeds telling us that he left Egypt and came into Syria because he disliked the Egyptians for their making and worshipping of Corporeal Gods of the Figure and Proportion of Brutes and that Moses profess'd that God could not be represented by any Image or Likeness whatsoever There are other Gentiles who speak of Moses and his Laws and Constitutions and they would have been more favourable in their Testimonials concerning him if their Heathen Principles had not biass'd them to a more undue Character Which is taken notice of by Philo in the Life of Moses Though saith he some Pagan Historians speak of him yet they say but little and that not truly neither Out of Envy it is likely or because of the great Disagreement between his and the Laws of other Law-givers they vouchsafe not to remember him But that Testimony which we have is sufficient and we may thence be satisfied that Moses was the most Authentick Historian and the Antientest Law-giver and we may gather from what they say that his Laws were the first and gave beginning to all otherâ— The famous Law-givers and Politicians among the Grecians as Lycurgus and Solon had the main of their Politicks from Moses's Laws whence afterwards the Romans took some of theirs And as Moses received his Laws immediately from God so in imitation of him the greatest Law-givers said they had theirs from some Deity as Numa from Aegeria Minos from Iupiter Lycurgus from Apollo Zabeucus from Minerva c. Still this establisheth our Notion that the Writings and Practices of the Jews gave rise to many things among the Pagans which I will yet farther pursue CHAP. VI. Prophane Writers testify the Truth of these Particulars mention'd in the Old Testament viz. The Gigantick Race of the Canaanites The Sun 's standing still Jephthah's Sacrificing his Daughter Sampson's loss of his Hair The Foxes which he made use of against the Philistines Elias's rapture to Heaven Some passages relating to King Solomon King Hiram c. The Sun 's going back in King Hezekiah's time Nebuchadnezzar's Transformation into a Beast His Dream of an Image with a Golden Head c. Next it is proved that the Heathens had their Deities from the Old Testament Their Saturn was Adam Their Minerva was Eve Their Jupiter Cain Their Vulcan Tubal-Cain Their Bacchus as also their Saturn and Janus Noah Their Apis Joseph Their Mercury and Bacchus Moses Their Hercules Joshua and Sampson Their Apollo Jubal Their Ganymed Elias c. â—venthly SOme other things which the Old Testament acquaints us happened after 〈◊〉 giving the Law by Moses till the Babylonian 〈◊〉 are to be found among Prophane Writers We read in Numb 13. 33. of the Gigantick race of Canaanites who are called the Sons of Anak 〈◊〉 in Deut. 9. 2. Ios. 11. 〈◊〉 they are called Anakims Is there not some prob 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the 〈◊〉 daridae or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and there were more than Câ—stor and Pollux that were call'd by that name Tully will inform you who by the Greeks wâ—â— called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as several Authors acquaint 〈◊〉 had their Name from those Great Men who wâ—â—â— the Offspring of Anak These being driven Iosuaâ— out of Palestine when he overcame 〈◊〉 Country it is likely went into Greece and froâ— them the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Athens and Sparta descended and hence it was that the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was given not only to the Tyndaridae but all Great Mâ—â— and Princes I will add that 't is probable thâ— word gave Origination to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signiâ—â—â— Great and Principal Men such as those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were From that Miracle in Ios. 10. 13. of the 〈◊〉 standing still perhaps the Poets Fiction arose concerning the Night doubled or trebled by Iupitâ—â— for Alcmena's sake For as hath been suggesâ—â—â— already this sort of Men when they get a Story by the end make what they please of it and turn it into quite another thing than it was at first The rumour of that strange Accident had come to their Ears and they presently turn'd it into a Fable And who should stop the Course of the Suâ— but Iupiter the Supream God And after the raâ—â— that they represented their Gods that which is further added is apposite enough for they are not ashamed to tell us that they are Lewd and Obscene and indulge themselves in all Lustful Practices Now when the Sun stood still in one Hemisphere the other wanted his presence and light and â—o they had as it were a double Night for the Sun 's â—â—aying here so long But you shall have another fable shortly that will speak to the same purpose Porphyrius tells us that Sanchoniathon had his Historical Narrations and Secrets from one Ierombaal Priest of the God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which shews that that Hiâ—torian had his Matter from the Sacred Scriptures the Hebrew Fountains of Truth though he oftentimes corrupts them And it is evident that they had partly learnt the Name of the true God from the Hebrews or their Writings for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was Iehovah the true God whom the Iews Worshipped as I shall â—â—â—w more afterwards Besides from
to King Ptolomee by the foresaid Demetrius a very serious Man and it was assigned as a Reason why the Contents of these Sacred Writings which were so Divine and Admirable were but rarely mention'd by the Historians and Poets These Examples had struck a terrour into some of them having heard how some Prophaners of these Holy Things were Animadverted upon by a Divine Hand they were afraid to Record any passages in the Old Testament Therefore some of them chose rather to disguise the Sacred Stories and to stuff them with Fabulous Narrations that they might scarcely be known to have been borrowed from that Holy Book Lastly the Devil hath a design in all this Tertâ—lian's Words are remarkable when he had said that the Things which are contrary to Truth i. e. the Heathen Fables Rites and Usages are made out of the Truth i. e. the Holy Scriptures he further adds that this Imitating of the Truth is wrought by the Spirits of Error that is the Devils who affect sometimes to Ape God and what he doth This is most apparent that they are a Mimical fort of Creatures and shew themselves sometimes diligent Emulators of the most Holy Pâ—rsons and Things Their great Subtilty and Craft are to be discern'd here for when they brought the Hebreâ— Rites and Ceremonies of Gods own appointment into the 〈◊〉 Worship and Service they did this to Prophane them and â—o make them contemptible and ridiculous They did it that those Divine and Sacred Things might be despised and that they might be turn'd into Superstition and Idolatry So likewise they cunningly mixed something of sacred Truth with Fables that thereby they might make the things that are True to be suspected Satban is desirous to pervert and even erase the whole Sacred Scripture and Antient Truth but because he sees he cannot effect this he therefore contrives how he may disguise the Scripture-Stories he sets the Poets to work to make them into Fables and thinks by that means to take off our Esteem of those Inspired Writings and to diminish that Credit which we ought to give to those Sacred Truths He pushed on those Grecian Wits to obscure and deface the Old Names in Scripture that the Original of them might not be known He out of direct malice moved those fanciful Men to invent Fables to defame the Primitive Stories to blemish the Sacred History to obscure and pervert the Truth The Poets turning the Scriptures into Fabulous Narrations was the way to invalidate the Testimony of them and to make them seem a meer Poetick Fiction a Dream a Fansie that hath no real bottom It is no wonder then that the Devil imped their Fancies and assisted their Inventions and help'd them to change the Truth into a Lie that thereby he might rob God and the Scripture of their Honour This I say might be a device of that Evil Spirit as he hath Devices and Wiles of all sorts to elude the Authority of Sacred History and to take away the Credit of Divine Truth Again as that Crasty Spirit designs by this means to disparage yea to null the Truth so he thinks hereby to gain assent to Falshood and to promote the greatest Impiety imaginable for when Truth is mixed with Falshood he hopes that this latter will be entertain'd for the sake of the former And when Lewd and Vitious Practices are founded in those that are Innocent and Religious he expects that these should justifie those Perhaps when he added the Sacred Ceremonies of the Iews to the prophane Worship of the Gentiles he thought thereby to take away the difference between them and to render them alike so that Men should not be able to distinguish between a True and False way of Worship Thirdly the Devil's Design in introducing several Sacred rites and Customs into the practice of the Heathens was to conciliate to himself a greater Authority and Esteem a greater Glory and Repute among them He commends those things to the Pagans which were Religiously used and even by God's own People and prescrib'd by God himself this he doth to inveigle the Pagan World and to bring them to Admire and Worship him Wherefore an Answer may easily be return'd to that Objection of a late Learned Writer What advantage can the Devil have by his imitating the Divine Worship He ever Acts for some end that may be prositable to himself but how can this prove so seeing it would be more advantageous to him to institute a Worship and Ceremonies that are Diametnically contrary to those in the Divine Law that by those as by so many proper and peculiar Characters his Herd might be distinguished from the Flock of the Shepherd of Israel The Answer I say to this is very easie and obvious for there can be nothing more Advantageous to that Evil Spirit than his emulating of Divine Worship and appointing Ceremonies suitable to it for by this means his Kingdom is most sensibly advanced and that with the greatest Artifice and Craft imaginable because this Vile Fiend is Adored even whilst the Divine Worship of the True God seems to be earried on It was the Subtilty of this Great Mimick to approach as near to God and True Religion as he could to make use of those things which by God's own express Command were used in his Worship This is a cunning way of gaining Proselytes and increasing the number of his Worshippers Thus he Acts for some End and that a very Profitable one too certainly much more Profitable to him than if he had Instituted Proper and Peculiar Ceremonies of Worship for these would too palpably have distinguish'd his Herd from the True Flock whereas those bring them into a kind of Rivalty with it Besides this fond Emulation in the Devil is a gratifying of his first Proud Inclination and aspiring to be like God He is still Ambitious of Divine Honour otherwise certainly he would not have desired to be Worship'd by the Son of God himself And he would be Worshipp'd in the same way that God is with the same Signs and Badges of Adoration Hence most of those Sacred Rites enjoyned by God himself and made use of in his Worship by the Iewish Church were transferred by Sathan to his Idolatrous and Impious Worship This is the effect of his Haughty Spirit which thirsteth after Divine Honour even such as is given to the only True God Thus I have amply shew'd you how it came to pass that the Rites and Practices and the greatest Truths contained in the Holy Scripture were corrupted disguised misapplied and abused by the Pagans I have given you the Reasons and Arguments which may convince you of this and render you an account of the manner of it CHAP. IX The Author's Assertions Confirmed by the ample Suffrage of the Ancients and Moderns Consectaries drawn from the whole viz. That we cannot with any shew of Reason admit of the Opinion of those who hold that the Jews borrow'd all or most of
Knowledg and Insight into these Divine Truths which are here contain'd is the Effect of observing and practising the Holy Precepts of this Book This then we ought to urge upon our selves to come to the reading of Scripture with defecate and purged Minds with Love to what it dictates and with Obedience to it This should be our principal Care to live well and to walk according to this Excellent Rule All our Religion and the whole Conduct of our Actions in this World depend upon the Scriptures therefore let us be directed and govern'd by the Infallible Maxims Precepts Promises and Threatnings of this Book We see Men live by Custom by the Dictates of Others or by their Own Opinions which oftentimes prove erroneous and lead them into unwarrantable Practices But they would not be thus misguided if they consulted These Lively Oracles of God this sure Word of Prophecy if they regulated their Actions by this Exact Canon And hereby we are certain to improve our Knowledg in this Holy Book for by living according to it we shall the better understand it by minding the Practical Contents of it we shall have a full Discovery of its Principles and Doctrines Lastly That we may attain to a right understanding of the Sense of Scripture that we may have a due Perception of the Meaning of what is deliver'd here let us most earnestly invoke the Divine Aid and Assistance He that reads this Book without Prayer can never expect to be bless'd with a compleat Knowledg of it For it is the sole Work of the Divine Spirit to illuminate our Minds effectually There is required the special Help of this Heavenly Instructor to direct us into Truth wherefore he is call'd the Spirit of Truth and the Vnction from the Holy One whereby we know all things The same Spirit that endited these Holy Writings must enlighten our Minds to understand them Which I find thus expressed in the Words of our Church The Revelation of the Holy Ghost inspireth the true meaning of the Scripture into us in truth we cannot without it attain true Saving-knowledg And a Learned and Pious Son of our Mother gives his Suffrage in these Words Wicked Men however learned do not know the Scriptures because they feel them not and because they are not understood but with the same Spirit that writ them Seeing then a Spiritual Illumination is requisite in order to the comprehending of Scripture-Truths we ought with great Fervour and Zeal to request it we ought with a singular Devotion to repair to this Infallible Teacher and with mighty Importunity beseech him to open our Eyes that we may behold wondrous things out of the Divine Law and to conduct our Reasons aright in our Enquiry into this Sacred Volume And He that commands us to implore his Help will certainly vouchsafe it to all sincere and devout Supplicants The Eyes of our Understanding shall be irradiated with a Celestial Beam and we shall feel an internal Operation of the Spirit on our Hearts communicating Light and Wisdom By the Assistance of this Blessed Guide we shall not miscarry in our Searches and Endeavours This Divine Book shall be laid open to us and we shall have its Mysteries and Depths disclosed to us so far as is convenient for us and no rational Man ought to desire any more Yea as it is with some of those that have studied for the Phâ—losophick Elixar though they attain not to it yet in their impetuous Search after it they find out many Excellent Things admirably useful for Mankind which are a Recompence of their Labours so though we may fall short of some Grand Secrets which are treasured up in this Inspired Volume yet we shall not faâ—l of some Choice Discoveries that will make us amends for our most laborious Enquiries We shall mightily improve our Knowledg and we shall likewise be under the special Benediction of Heaven The Rabbins tell us that when R. Ionathan writ his Targum on the Bible if at any time the least Fly lit upon his Paper it was presently consumed with Fire from Heaven But though this be Romantick and after the rate of the Rabbins yet it is a sober Trutlâ— that God will protect us in reading and studying the Holy Scriptures Whilest we are thus employed nothing shall disturb or hurt us the Divine Arm will defend and prosper us and we shall peruse this Book with that happy Success which we pray'd for In short by continual conversing with this Book which is the only one that hath no Errata's we shall know how to correct all the Failures of our Notions and of our Lives we shall enrich our Minds with a Stock of Excellent Principles and we shall be throughly furnish'd unto all good Works we shall be conducted to the highest Improvements of Knowledg and Sanctity in this Life and to the most Conâ—â—mmate Happiness in another FINIS Books written by the Reverend Mr. John Edwards AN Enquiry into several 〈◊〉 Texts of the Old and New Testament which contain some Difficulty in them with a Probable Resolution of them In two Volumes in 8â— A Discourse concerning the Authority Stile and Perfection of the Books of the Old and New Testament Vol. I. with a Continued Illustration of several Difficult Texts throughout the whole Work A Discourse conâ—â—rning the Authority Stile and Perfection of the Books of the Old and New Testament Vol. II. wherein the Author 's former Undertaking is further prosecuted viz. An Enquiry into several Remarkable Texts which contain some Difficulty in them A Discoeurs concerning the Authority Stile and Perfection of the Books of the Old and New Testament Vol. III. treating of the Excellency and Perfection of the Holy Scriptures and illustrating several difficult Texts occurring in this Undertaking All sold by Ionathan Robinson Iohn Taylor and Iohn Wyat. * Plataic †Panegyr Plataic ‡ Plataic * Orat. 2. ad Nicocl †Panegyr Orat. ‖ Orat. ad Philip. ‡ Panegyr ad Philip. Epist. ad Philip. Epist. ad Mitylen * Panegyr Orat. †Plataic Orat. 1. ‖ Orat. ad Philip. * Panegyr Orat. Plataic Orat. bis †Olynth 1. ‖ Philip. 1. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. in Protrept †Gen. 9. 27. * Deut. 28. 49 c. †1 Kings 13. 2. * Antiqu. 1. 11. c. 1. †Dr. Jackson * Dan. 2. †Temporum conscius totius Mundi Polyhistor Epist. ad Paulin. * Ver. 2. †Ver. 20. ‖ Ver. 5. * Ibid. * John 21. 18. †Ver. 22. * Earum rerum quae foâ—â—uitae putantur praedictio atque praesentio De Divinat l. 1. * Lib. 3. c. 8. * Colloqu Mensal * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. cont Celâ— l. 6. * Lib. 1. †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid. Pelus Ep. l. 5. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just. Mart. Dialog cum Tryph. †Arnob. lib. 1. ‖ Sozom. l. 1. c. 11. ‖‖ Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 2.
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
or their conforming to the Dialect of their Countrey for these are consistent with That Isaiah being a Courtier and a Person of Quality hath a neat and elegant Stile and yet so as he knows how to vary it according to the Matter he treats of But generally he is Lofty and Eloquent his Stile being raised by his Education which was sutable to his Noble Extraction for he was of the Blood Royal. Ieremiah and Amos being used to the Countrey are mean and homely in their Language the latter especially discovers his Condition and way of Life in his low and rural Strain So in the New Testament St. Luke who had improved himself by Art and Study is very observant of the Greek Elegancy and avoids all improper and exotick Terms in his Gospel and in the Acts. Indeed the Stile of the Sacred Penmen is very different and that Difference is an Excellency in this Book of God But that which I say is this the Writers leave not off their peculiar Stile though they were moved by the Spirit As this furnished them with new Expressions so it let them make use of their own usual ones but immediately directed and assisted them in the applying of them So that at the same time when they used their Natural Stile they were Divinely help'd to make it â—erviceable to that purpose which the Holy Ghost intended Hence I conclude that the Stile and Words and Composure of the Sacred Writings are such as ought to be reckoned Divine For this is one difference between this Book and others that every thing of it is Divine And therefore those Persons who dream of Solecisâ—â— in Holy Scripture are the greatest Solecisers themselves but especially those who assert there are Mistakes and literal Falsities in the Holy Book are utterly to be condemned Such is Episcopius who dares affirm That the Spirit left the Writers of the Holy Scripture to their own humane Frailty in delivering such things as belonged to Circumstances of a Fact Their Knowledg and Memory were deficient and fallible The Spirit did not tell St. Iohn how many Furlongs Christ's Disciples went chap. 6. 19. The same is to be asserted he saith as to some Names and other Circumstances of Time and Place which are not of the substance of the thing And before this you are told by â—â—o others that the Pen-men of Scripture 〈◊〉 in some light things not that they would falâ—â—ty but that they might forget some Passages Melchior Canus is of the opinion that there are some considerable Slips in Scripture from the weakness of the Evangelists and Apostles Memories Yea among the antient Fathers there was one who more grosly held that the Writers of the New Testament sometimes abused the Testimonies of the Prophets of the Old Testament and that they applied them to their present purpose although they were nothing to it Thus St. Paul he saith quoteth the Old Testament in his Epistles to the Romans Galatians and Ephesians only to serve his turn and to confute the Jews his Adversaries Read saith he these Epistles wherein the Apostle is wholly on the Polemick part and you will see how prudently and dissemblingly he acts in those Texts which he citeth out of the Old Testament And at other times this bold Man is not afraid to say that some of the Matters and Things in Scripture are set down wrong This is no less than Profane and Blasphemous Doctrine wherefore that Father is to be read with great Caution in such places as these We on the contrary assert that God was not only the Author of the Matter and Contents of Holy Writ but also of the Words and Expressions yea even when those Writers express their Sense in their own Terms i. e. according to the Way and Dialect which they were Masters of and which was most familiar to them even then they were immediately assisted 〈◊〉 the Spirit Which was absolutely necessary that this Book might have no Errors and Failings in it of any kind but that it might transcend all other Writings whatsoever If you do not hold this you make no considerable difference between the Holy Scriptures and other Writings Therefore I am thorowly convinced that this is a Truth and ought to be maintained viz. that the Holy Spirit endited the very Stile of Scripture that even this was by the immediate Inspiration of Heaven To the Manner of its writing I may well annex its Harmony and thence also prove it to be Divine Though there are several seeming Repugnancies of which I shall treat afterwards in a Discourse of the Stile of Scripture and endeavour to clear them up to the Satisfaction of every sober and considerate Person yet it cannot but be acknowledged that all the Parts of this Book do entirely agree and are consistent with one another This in other Books which are composed and written by one Author is not so admirable tho in those Pieces we oftentimes meet with very palpable Disagreements and Contradictions but here we are able to remember that notwithstanding these Books were written by different Persons and those many in number and disagreeing in Quality and extremely distant as to Time and Place yet their Writings contradict not one another but there is an excellent Harmony in all their Parts there is a perfect Concord and Consent among them all such as is not to be found in any other Authors in the World though of the same Sect and Party Excellently to this purpose a very Wise and Judicious Man thus speaks When several Men in several Ages not brought up under the same Education write it is not possible to find Unity in their Tenents or Positions because their Spirits Judgments and Fancies are different but where so many several Authors speaking and writing at several times agree not only in Matters Dogmatical of sublime and difficult Natures but also in Predictions of future and contingent Events whereof it is impossible for humane Understanding to make a Discovery without a superiour Discovery made to it I must needs conclude one and the same Divine Spirit declared the same Truths to these several Men. And as to the seeming Contrarieties of some Places of Scripture this should not at all trouble us for this is rather an Argument of the Truth and Authority of it it is a sign the Writers did not combine together to cheat and delude us If they had designed any such thing we should not have met with any Difficult and seemingly Repugnant Places in these Writings But seeing we do so this among other things may confirm us in this Belief that the Scriptures were not contrived by Men who had a design to impose upon us for if they had had such a Design they would have so ordered it that not the least appearance of Contradiction and Difference should have been found But truly there is no necessity of proceeding thus in this Discourse for to an unprejudiced and industrious Enquirer there is
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
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where by the Chaldean it is not unlikely was meant Abraham who was the great Father of Knowledg and Wisdom and of whose Race were so many Wise and Learned Persons In the name of this great Man the Heathens used to perform their Conjurations and Magical Exploits The God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob were words usually pronounced in their Charms and Spells saith Origen Nay he tells us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being so frequently repeated in the Old Testament gave occasion to the Pagans to think Abraham was some God I find also that the Pagan Writings make mention of the same or the like Custom that this Patriarch used â— making of Covenants viz. the cutting or dividing of one or more Animals into two parts and passing between them Thus in Gen. 15. 9. when God made a Covenant with him he commanded him to divide a Heifer a Goat and a Ram into pieces and to pass between them Whence afterward this Ceremony was made use of when a League or Covenant was entred into between Man and Man and the Parties did as it were declare by that Action that they wished to be cut asunder in that manner as the Beasts were if they brake the Covenant which they made Of this Custoâ— you likewise read in 1 Sam. 11. 7. Ier. 34. 18 19. And to this perhaps belongs what is recorded in Gen. 21. 28. Abraham took Sheep and Oxâ—â— and gave them unto Abimelech viz. to be dissected and divided according to the foresaid Usage and that in order to Sacrifice and both of them made â— Covenant Which gave rise to the like Practice among the Pagans when they were to make solemn Agreements and Covenants Dictys Cretensis relates this Custom used by the Grecianâ— and Trojans in the time of the War between them From Livy and Curtius we learn thaâ— the People of Macedon and Baeotia did the like cutting a Dog in pieces Lucian hath something concerning the Scythians to this purpose and Suidas tells us this was the Federal Usage of the Moloâ—si Thus these Gentiles borrow'd their Way of Covenanting from the old Patriarchs It is not improbable that Abraham's Feasting the Angels yea the Son of God himself Gen. 18. 8. gave occasion to the Poets to speak of the Gods being feasted by Mortals as they tell us of Philemon and Baucis their entertaining of Iupiter and Mercury which is but a corrupt Representation of Abraham and Sarah's Treating their Heavenly Guests And here I might add that from this and other Instances in the Old Testament of the frequent and visible Appearing of God and Angels unto Men as to Isaac Iacob Moses Gideon Manoah and several others and from their assuming of Bodies of Humane Shape in order to that there arose a Notion among the Pagans that their Gods forsooth vouchsafed sometimes to come down and visit them in the likeness of Mortals Thence Homer and other Poets so commonly talk of the Apparition of the Gods in sensible Shapes and bring them in after that manner Thence it was that the People of Lystra in the lesser Asia cried out that the Gods were come down to them in the likeness of Men Acts 14. 12. and upon this Apprehension they were preparing to offer Sacrifice to them and had got the Priests ready with their Oxen and Garlands for that end Nay thence it was that some of the Poets made those mad Fables of the strange Metamorphosis of their Gods as how Apollo took on him the Shape of a Hawk of a Lion and of a Shepherd how Bacchus appear'd like a Grape for Erigone's sake how Neptune chang'd himself into a Flying Horse for Medusa's Love and into a Steer a Ram a Dolphin for others How Iupiter turn'd himself into a Showr of Gold the most powerful Courtship for Danae into a Bull for Europa into a Swan for Leda into an Eagle for Ganymede into a Satyâ— for Antiope into a Flame for Aegina besides other scandalous Transformations yea even 〈◊〉 len Saturn became a prancing Steed for 〈◊〉 the Daughter of Oceanus All which wild and frolick Conceits of the Poetick Tribe concerning their Gods transfiguring themselves and makiâ—â— themselves visible in several Shapes and Fashioâ— had their first foundation in those forementioâ—â— Instances recorded in the Old Testament whâ—â—â— without doubt were known to the Neighbourâ—â—â— Nations and were transmitted as wonderâ—â—â— things to others that were next to them We are not to attend to the extravagant Additioâ— which the hot-head Poets made to the True Relations But we are to observe the main thing oâ— which these fanciful Superstructures are built They seem to me to be founded on the Holy Scripture they seem to be borrowed from what we râ—â—â— there viz. that Angels those God-like Spirits transformed themselves into Humane Likeness and frequently visited and conversed with Mâ—â— here on Earth This Sacred Truth lies vail'd 〈◊〉 those Fabulous Histories and though they 〈◊〉 added many things to it viz. new and incredible Circumstances yet we have no reason to diâ—â—â—â—lieve the Substance of the History because of tâ—â—â—â— Additions Again Sacrificing of Men especially of 〈◊〉 Sons which some Pagan Stories relate might hâ—â—â— its original from Abraham It is recorded by 〈◊〉 phyrius saith Eusebius that Saturnus an antiâ—â—â— King of Phoenicia that he might appease the Gâ—â—â— and save his Kingdom from imminent Danger 〈◊〉 divert Evil and Ruin from his Country offer'd his Only Son on an Altar This Saturn is the Antient Patriarch Abraham and his only Son is Isaâ—â— and Phoenicia was mistaken for Palestine 〈◊〉 saith Plutarch in his Life was bid in a Vision to sacrifice a Virgin but it so happen'd that a Mare-Colt came running through the Camp whilst they were disputing whether the Vision should be obey'd and by the advice of the Augur was taken and sacrificed instead of a Virgin I only propound this May we not conceive that this was done in imitation of what they had heard by Tradition that when Isaac was to be offer'd a Ram came in the way and was sacrificed instead of the pious Youth destined to that Slaughter And several other considerable Passages relating to the Patriarchs might be collected out of the Writings and Practices of the Heathens of old but I proceed to other Matter The History of the Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is expresly attested by Abydenus and Nic. Damascenus as you will find in Grotius for that Learned Man disdains not their Testimony and by more Authentick Authors as Diodoâ—us Siculus Strabo Solinus Tacitus Pliny who have preserved the Memory of this terrible Judgment of God on those Cities All these Prophane Writers testify that those Places were destroyed by Fire But Solinus and Tacitus say it was particularly by Thunder and Lightning And Strabo insinuates they were swallowed up by Subterraneous Fires breaking forth and causing an Earthquake at the same time They might be destroy'd by
of Mesopotamia that he prophesied concerning the future State of the Iews and concerning the Coming of Christ. Saul was a very bad Man yet was endued with a prophetick Spirit Caiphas one of Christ's Judges was stirred up by the Holy Ghost to prophecy concerning our Saviour's Death And why might not God inspire Heathen Women though they were Wicked with a Spirit of Prophecy And that they were such seems to appear from their Verses wherein there are some things very Fond and Superstitious and so indeed they may be quoted by the Roman Catholicks in defence of their Cause This shews that they were not possessors of true Virtue and Goodness But then I ask this can we think that the choicest Mysteries of Religion were revealed to them if they were Wicked and Prophane Would God vouchsafe so great and peculiar a Privilege to the worst of Persons 3ly Therefore some hold that these Pagan Prophetesses spake not by a good but evil Spirit The Devil reveal'd these things to them saith St. Ambrose and helped them to fore-tell these future Events And some have turn'd those foresaid Instances this way telling us that Baalam Saul and Caiphas prophesied by the assistance of some Evil Daemon So the Heathen Oracles spoke truth oftentimes though their Answers came from the Infernal Spirits That these Sibylls received their Skill from Satan may be discern'd say some in the Errors and Superstitions which are in their Books yea the Idolatries of the Gentiles are countenanced by them in some passages which occur in their Predictions But then this may be said to baffle this Opinion that the fore-telling of such future Contingencies is not in the power of that Evil Spirit Moreover it is unlikely that these Gentiles were they informed by a Divine Intelligencer but especially when they were acted by a Diabolick one should have as clear nay a clearer fore-sight and discovery of Christ to come than the Iews God's own People and the holiest Men among them had 4ly It is the Judgment of the Learned Isaac Vossius that the Sibylline Verses so call'd were made and collected by the Iews This he asserts only concerning those Writings of theirs which were extant before Christ's coming for the Iews being dispersed over the World and knowing that Daniel's Seventy Weeks were expiring were stirred up by God to compose these Verses thereby to signifie to the Gentiles the approaching of Christ. But of the other Works of the Sibylls viz. those that were afterwards quoted by some of the Fathers he hath not the same opinion and esteem but thinks they were made and compiled or in plain terms forged by some Christians particularly the Gnosticks This is a very odd account of the Sibylls and shews that the Learned Author of it was in a great streight He was first willing to reject the Christians from being the Composers of those Writings which some had asserted and yet it seems afterwards he retracts that Sentiment and is not unwilling to believe that the Christians themselves forged and counterfeited these Sibylline Oracles But if the Iews were the Authors of some part of these Writings then I ask how came they to insert things savouring of Heathen Superstition and Idolatry And if the Christians were Compilers of an other part of these Verses how came they to insist in the steps of the former and to add some things as is said in favor of those Pagan Corruptions But I dismiss this as a divided and distâ—acted Opinion Besides that I can't see why the Iews might not as well have produced the Bible to the Gentiles for it had been translated into Greâ—k a Tongue intelligible to the Pagan World a long time before our Saviours Coming that had been more Authentick than any other Writings whatsoever of their own Composing In the Fifth and Last place I take leave to propound an other Opinion which is this I hold that these ancient Writings or Oracles were not made by Iews but Pagans and particularly by those Women call'd Sibylls who made them in no other sense than this that they took them out of the Holy Scriptures of the Old-Testament and turned them into Verse This is that which I assert as most consonant to Reason and it is a farther Proof of what I have been so long insisting upon viz. that the Pagans borrowed from the Bible I am not sollicitous whether these Women were good or bad whether they were moved by God or by an Evil Spirit There are some Inconveniencies in asserting of either side But there is a plain and easie way different from both viz. that we are not to look upon them as Prophetick Persons as if they had a Gift of fore-telling all those things they speak of No they only extracted what they writ from the Scriptures from the ancient Prophesiâ—s therein contain'd especially from that of Isaiah And so indeed in some sense their Writings may be said to be Divine and Inspired for whatever these Pagans fore-told was no other than what they took from the Inspired Prophets in holy Writ They are Instances of the like nature with those that I have so often produced in the foregoing Discourse namely Gentile Poets that made use of several passages in the Sacred Volume and inserted the main Substance of them into their Verses And as those Heathen Poets mingled prophane Notions and Fables with the Sacred Doctrine and History which I shew'd before so here it is as true that these Pagan Versifiers mixed some things that were Superstitious with their Prophesies of Christ and his Kingdom which they derived from the Old-Testament It is well known that there were Female Poets among the Pagans as Sapho c. and therefore we need not scruple to believe that the Sibylls writ in Verse Indeed the looseness and neglectfulness of the Stile shews that it was done by some easie Poets That they were Pagan Women is clear from the frequent Allegations of the Fathers who represent them always as such and produce the Writings of these Pagans as a proper Confutation of the Gentiles whom they dispute against And the Heathens themselves acknowledged them to be such and no other as is apparent from what you shall hâ—ar afterwards concerning Erythraea and the Cumaean Sibyll Now concerning these Poetick Pagan Women I assert that they were no Prophetesses no more than Hesiod and Ovid and other Pagan Writers before-mentioned and that they like these took some things out of the Old-Testament which also were much fam'd and talk'd of and digested them into Numbers It is undeniable that in their Verses there are very notable Testimonies concerning our Saviour there are mentioned many considerable Circumstances of his Birth Life Miracles Passion Death Resurrection Ascension and his coming to Judgment but there is no more Reason to think that these were spoken by them from a Prophetick Spirit than to believe that Orpheus and Homer were inspired when they refer to some things that are in the Books of Moses
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
reason no Man can rationally think that such Notable Concomitants of our Saviour's Nativity as the General Taxing and the Appearing of the Star could be recorded by this Historian And as for Tacitus who is the other Celebrated Historian there is as little reason to expect any of these notorious Matters in his Writings because he goes not back so far as Augustus His Annals begin with Tiberius and continue to the death of Nero and his Books of History begin where his Annals left off and go on to the end of Titus Vespasian's Expedition against the Iews and there have their Period L. Florus is but an Abbreviator of Livy and therefore we can look for nothing there So Velleius Paterculus though he goes something farther is an Epitomizer a Scantling of an Historian As for Iustin who flourished in the Emperor Antoninus Pius's time he was but an Epitomizer of Trogus Pompeius and goes no farther than he went therefore we cannot expect any thing of him concerning the Christian Affairs Thus you see what are the boundaries of these Chief Historians and what you may look for or rather not look for from them and also you have the Reasons given you why but few things which have reference to the History of the Gospel are found recorded in Pagan Writers But all that could be rationally look'd for is recorded as I have shew'd you by the best Historians among the Pagans These are the several Considerations which I undertook to offer and I question not but that they will fully satisfie the Scruples and Objections before started and abundantly clear up this Truth to us that we have sufficient Testimony from Pagan and Iewish Writers concerning the Gospel-History This Proposition is evident that the New-Testament is confirmed by Prophane Writers that the Evangelical Records are attested by the authority even of those who were without These have transmitted to us many of those things which are registred by the holy Evangelists The Memoirs of these things are in Prophane Story in the Writings of those that opposed the Christian Religion Thus I have finish'd what I attempted that is I have proved the Truth and Authority of the Scriptures from the suffrage and attestation of Strangers I have let you see that the Confession of our Adversaries agrees with that of our best Friends We appeal to the Iews and to the Gentile-World even these bear witness to the Sacred Writings And their witness cannot be rejected by any reasonable Person because a Testimony is least to be suspected when it comes from an Enemy yea because such a Testimony is reputed firm and solid because it is worthy to be believed bâ—cause it is most valid for the Commendation and Establishment of the Truth This then rendâ—rs the Books of the Old and New-Testament worthy of all Acceptation viz. that they are vouched by Profesâ— d Adversaries And this is that which I have been urging in this Discourse viz. that Iews and Pagans testifie the same things which the Inspired Writers deliver A great part of the memorable Passages set down in these Sacred Writings are left on Record in those others This is a mighty Confirmation of the Truth of these holy Books this is a clear Evidence that they are not forged and supposititious but that the Matters contain'd in them are real and certain that they give a just and faithful Account of the things they treat of in brief that they are the Word of Truth and endited by the Spirit of Truth And thus much in pursuance of the First General Head concerning the Holy Scriptures viz. the Truth and Authority of them FINIS ADDENDA Refer this to Page 261. Line 15. THe English Iay from the Hebrew Ajaâ— pica cornix To abash is taken from the Hebrew â—ush puduit And from the Greek we borrow many words with the omission of a Letter or two in the beginning as Licourice for Glicourice from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Emonies vulgarly so call'd for Anemonies from the Flower 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence the Latin Anemone Sciatica for Ischiatica ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hip or Huckle-bone Scaroticks among Physicians for Escharoticks Scar from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 crusta cauterio in carne facta Sol from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rice from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oryza Star from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Box from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maurâ—s a Moor from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obscurus Tanâ—ie from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To gaze from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 admiror stupeo Gay from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 elegans and perhaps Trull from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 laena And I have taken notice of several Words from the Latin with the first Letter or more cut off in the beginning as Uncle from avunculus qu. avuncle Tills as they are call'd in some Countries from Lentils Lenticula Story from History Historia Bishop qu. Pischop from Episcopus Spain from Hispania Sparagus for Asparagus A Plaister from Emplastrum Stum from mustum Dropsy from Hydrops Gypsy for Egypsy of Latin original Pouch for Capouch a Cowl or Hood whence the Capuchin Friars have their Name from Caputium a Hood worn on the Head Picked i. e. sharp at the end qu. spiked from Spica an Ear of Corn Or if it comes from a Pike then that seems to come from Spiculum a Pike or Spear and that is from Spica it is likely Sides men corruptly for Assisting-men it being their Office to Assist the Church-Wardens unless you will rather understand by them Testes Synodales Synods-Men who were anciently joined with the Church-Wardens There are other English Words derived after the same manner from the English Saxon and French Thus Poppy with the p left out in the beginning and middle seems to give the denomination to Opium which is now a Word that may pass for English and signifies the Juice of Poppy as if Popium were the Word Sterling for Easterling Bour or Bowr from Arbour Spittle or Spital for Hospital Valis for Avail Vantage for Advantage Say for Essay Grees Stairs for Degrees Cantle in Heraldry quasi Scantling Prentice vulgarly for Apprentice Stover for Cattle from the French Estover Squire for Esquire à Gall. Esâ—uyer Quiry or Querry for Equerry a Place a Stable where Race-Horses are set To Ply for Employ Instead of Sacristan we corruptly say Sexton For God be with you we say Good By For Koningstable or Kingstable we say Constable the Officer that is appointed and establish'd by the King or to conserve the King's Peace We vulgarly a say Spice for a Specimen Hogo for Haut-goust Carfax for Quatre voix the place were Four Ways meet in Oxford Some have thought that Elphs and Goblins with which they frighted Children heretofore are derived from the famed and so â—alked of Feud between the Guelphs and Guibilines Saragosa in Spain is most corruptly pronounced for Caesar Augusta The Emperor of the Abyssines is called Prestor-Iohn
Ornaments of the Soul Nay whatever Apparel is light and vain and any ways administers to Lust or Pride or Wantonness is wholly to be laid aside as sinful and unlawful In the same Chapter of the forenamed Epistle to Timothy you read that Adam was not deceived but the Woman ver 14. We know that Adam was deceived but yet in a Comparative way of speaking he was not that is his Deception was not so gross and inexcusable as that of the Woman It is said of the faithful Patriarchs that they received not the Promise Heb. 11. 39. i. e. in comparison of what we have since received They received it not in the full extent else you cannot make sense of the following words God â—aving provided c. In the foresaid Chapter of St. Peter 't is said Baptism doth also now save us not the putting away the Filth of the Flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God ver 21. This not seems to be Exclusive and Negative and thence some have made use of this Text to null the sacred Ordinance of Baptism which in Contempt they call Water-Baptism But they err not knowing the Scriptures and particularly not attending to the sense of this place where not is no Absolute Negative but a Comparative Not the putting away the Filth of the Flesh i. e. not the Outward Baptism simply and only or not that in Comparison of the other viz. the Inward washing and purifying by the Spirit And many other places it is impossible to understand aright unless you make use of this Observation which I have here exemplified namely that a Comparison is commonly in Scripture express'd by an Antithesis or which is all one that a Negative is put for a Comparative In the next place I might observe to you that an Hendyadis is very usual in Scripture that is two things are put severally to signify but one as Let the Lights be in the Firmament for Signs and for Seasons Gen. 1. 14. i. e. as some Expositors think tho I am not satisfied about it Let them be for Signs of the Seasons And they who read Psal. 17. 13 14. thus Deliver my Soul from the Wicked by thy Sword from Men by thy Hand tell us here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sword and the Hand for a Sword handled or drawn as if the Psalmist called upon God here to be his Champion and to deliver him by fighting for him That in Mat. 3. 11. is of the nature of an Hendyadis for â—aptizing with the Holy Ghost and with Fire is the same with baptizing with the Holy Ghost who is as Fire and so here One thing is express'd as if it were Two Some think there is the same Figure in Iohn 3. 5. Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Water and the Spirit i. e. say they the Spirit that is like Water cleansing and purifying the Soul But I conceive it may be doubted whether this and the former way of speaking be the same for if Water in this place signifies Baptâ—sm as the Antients interpreted it then 't is not the same thing with the Spirit but distinct from it and consequently here are not two things put for one But doubtless there are in Mat. 24. 31. He shall send his Angels with a Trumpet and a great Sound i. e. with a Trumpet that hath a great Sound that makes a great Noise or as our Translators render it with a great Sound of a Trumpet To this way of speaking may be referr'd Iohn 11. 33. He groan'd in the Spirit and was troubled i. e. he groan'd in his troubled Spirit And of this kind is Acts 14. 13. The Priest of Jupiter brought Oxen and Garlands i. e. Oxen crown'd with Garlands as was usual when they sacrificed to Iupiter One thing is here intended tho 't is express'd by two To this Figure appertains Acts 15. 28. It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and to us that is to us directed moved and guided by the Holy Ghost I doubt not but an Hendyadis gives the best account of 1 Cor. 2. 4. My preaching was in Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power i. e. of the Spirit who was Powerful and enabled me in an extraordinary manner to demonstrate the Truth of the Gospel and to convince Gainsayers and who also enabled me to work Miracles for the confirming of what I preached This is the same with Rom. 15. 19. the Power of the Spirit of God by which as he there tells us mighty Signs and Wonders were effected The like mode of Speech is observable in the Apostle's words in 1 Thess. 1. 5. Our Gospel came unto you in Power and in the Holy Ghost i. e. the Holy Ghost shew'd himself Powerful in the Apostles Preaching and Miracles Lastly under this Head may be rank'd Col. 2. 8. Philosophy and vain Deceit that is Philosophy which is both vain and deceitful To proceed a Prolepsis is another usual Figure in Scripture especially in the Old Testament Such is that in Gen. 4. 16. Cain went and dwelt in the Land of Nod where it seems to be implied that Nod was the Name of that place which he went to and that it was named so before he went to it whereas it is most probable that that Place was not call'd by that Name at that time for it had its Name of Nod given to it from Cain's going thither who was a Vagabond So there is a plain Prolepsis or Anticipation in Gen. 14. 7. They smote all the Country of the Amalekites tho at that time there were no Amalekites and therefore the Country could not be named from them In 1 Sam. 4. 1. it is said Israel pitched beside Eben-ezer but there was no place of that Name then for you will find it given afterwards Those words in Gen. 29. 20. Iacob served seven Years for Rachel are spoken Proleptically not as if he did not marry Rachel before the seven Years were expired We read in Gen. 35. 19. and ch 48. v. 7. that Rachel was buried in Bethlchem but it is well known that that was not the Name of the Place till after Moses So Hebron and some other Names of Cities are mention'd in the Pentateuch and yet the Names were not given till after Moses's Death In Ios. 4. 19. the Israelites are said to encamp in Gilgal but that place is called so by Anticipation for it had that Name afterwards ch 5. v. 9. And other Instances there are of this nature in the Book of Ioshuah the Names of several places mentioned in it are of a later Date than Ioshuah's time The Jews conjecture is very probable that Ezra after the Captivity when he collected the several parts of the Bible and set them in order left out some of the antient Names of Places and inserted some modern ones that is he added the Names of Places which were unknown and not used in the days of
Hunter before the Lord where saith One the Name of the Lord is added to heighten the sense as is frequent in the Hebrew Stile But two things I here urge to enervate this Interpretation First It is not the bare Name of God or Lord that is here added as in other Texts The exact rendring of Lipni Iehovah which are the words here is ad facies ad conspectum Domini and is well translated before the Lord which signifies the bold and impudent Usurpation and Tyranny of this first Monarch This hardned Oppressor had no regard either to God or Man yea he committed his Violences and Ravages in defiance of the Great Lord and Soveraign of the World this is to be a Hunter a Persecutor a Tyrant before the Lord and so you see it is not that Hebraism we are now to treat of Secondly There was no need of that way of Speech here for the Greatning and Heightning of the sense were before express'd by the term Gibbor mighty wherefore there was no occasion to add the Name of God as a mark of Intension If you observe the Instances which I shall afterward produce you will find that God's Name is used when there was no word to express Greatness or Eminency in the preceding words For these Reasons I expunge this first Text out of the Number of the Instances which ought to be mention'd here And after the same rate I must deal with that other Prov. 20. 27. The Spirit of Man is the Candle of the Lord where the last word is asserted by a late Learned Critick to be added in which he follows Drusius in his Hebrew Proverbs as an Auxesis that is only to augment the sense and therefore he saith the Candle of the Lord is no more than a most Excellent Candle or Light But if we consider the words aright we shall not find such an Hebraism in them The Text is easie and plain without any thing of this Nature for the Wise Man here acquaints us that the Spirit of Man his Nobler and Divine part the Intellect especially that Bright and Glorious Faculty was given to him by God on purpose to be a Light and Guide to him to make him capable of enquiring into and attaining a knowledge of the Profoundest Truths the most remote and recondite Mysteries either in Nature or Religion that is meant here by searching all the inward Parts of the Belly Thus the Sagacious Mind of Man is the Candle or Lamp of the Lord the word Lord here signifying to us the Author and Giver of this Noble Faculty And therefore I something wonder at what this Learned Writer adds in the same place viz. That our English Translation the Spirit of Man is the Candle of the Lord is an odd Expression and somewhat difficult surely to make a good sense of whereas the same Expression is used in the Scripture in other places and bears a very good sense as you have heard Some have thought that Musical Instruments of God 1 Chron. 16. 42. and Instruments of Musick of the Lord 2 Chron. 7. 6. denote the Loudness or Excellency of the Temple-Musick but this Fancy arose from their not attending to the true Reason which is given in the latter of these places where after Instruments of Musick of the Lord is immediately added which David the King had made to Praise the Lord therefore they were so call'd Nor can I be perswaded that a Man of God which we often read of imports only an Excellent Man as some have suggested but it speaks his more particular and peculiar Relation to God as a Prophet I come now to offer some Examples where the Hebrew way of Speaking by mentioning God to signify the Greatness or Excellency of a thing is very apparent and unquestionable as Gen. 30. 8. Wrestlings of God according to the Hebrew i. e. great strong and vehement Wrestlings 1 Sam. 14. 15. a Trembling of God which we rightly translate a very great Trembling 1 Sam. 10. 5. the Hill of God Psal. 36. 6. the Mountains of God i. e. the great Hills and Mountains Cedars of God Psal. 80. 10. rendred goodly the Trees of the Lord Psal. 104. 16. i. e. exceeding great or high Trees To which Texts that are generally acknowledg'd to bear this sense I will presume to add another viz. Psal. 65. 9. the River of God i. e. a Vast Great River And what is that The Clouds or Rain which are poured down upon the Earth in great abundance For if you read that part of the Psalm you 'll see it speaks of the great Blessing of Rain Thou visitest the Earth and waterest it thou greatly enrichest it with the River of God c. to the end of the Psalm This Vast Mass of Waters is according to the Hebrews stiled a River of God it is as 't were a Great Excellent River flowing down from Heaven Though I do not exclude the other sense contain'd in it that 't is from God and that 't is a singular Argument and Token of God's Care and Providence Cant. 8. 6. is a place little taken notice of the Flame of the Lord i. e. as we truly translate it a most Vehement Flame So the Voice of God Ezek. 1. 24. 10. 5. that is a very loud and terrible Voice The Breath of God Job 37. 10. i. e. a Vehement sharp Wind. And it is not unlikely that Isa. 59. 19. is to be understood thus Ruach Iehovah not as we translate it the Spirit of the Lord but the Wind of the Lord i. e. a great tempestuous Wind. I gather this to be the meaning from what went before when the Enemy shall come in like a Floud then saith the Prophet the Almighty Power of God like some Great and Vehement Wind shall drive it back shall put it to flight as we see great Waters and Floods are oftentimes beat back as well as violently thrust forward by mighty Winds Another place which hath not been observed is Iob 15. 11. Are the Consolations of God small with thee which are Eliphaz's words wherewith he reproves Iob for undervaluing the Consolatory Arguments which had been offer'd to him by himself and his other Friends and these Topicks of Comfort were not mean and ordinary but of a very peculiar Nature Iob's Fault is aggravated from this that he despised and slighted so Great Comforts when they were tender'd to him and Great they were as you read in the 9th and 10th Verses because they were offer'd by Persons of great Vnderstanding Age and Experience And the Antithesis which is here doth shew this to be the sense of the place Are these Great Consolations saith he Small with thee Dost thou look for Greater and Stronger Arguments to support and cheer thee than these are I am of opinion therefore that Tanchumoth El the Consolations of God are the same with Great Consolations Jon. 3. 3. is a known Text where it is said Nineâ—eh was an Exceeding great City Hebr.
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
reasonably think that St. Paul tho he was an Hebrew by Parentage was well skill'd iâ— Greek it being his native Tongue Therefore a Modeâ—n Critick of great Acuteness hath well observ'd that the Greek Tongue was as familiar to him as Hebrew or Syriac Shall any rational Maâ— then think that he was not able to speak Properly and Grammatically Nay shall we not concludâ— from his Admirable Writings that he knew how to plaâ—e his Words and to speak with a good Grace St. Ierom who particularly takes notice that St Paul's Writings are full of Parentheses Transitions Digressions Concise and Abrupt Sayings yet acknowledgeth that he was a most Astonishing peaker and Thundered as often as he spoke Yea tho on the 3d Chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians he hints that St. Paul's Writings were destitute of Rhetorick yet at another time to let us know that he said not this absolutely he owns him to be flumen Eloquentiae a Flood or rather a Torrent of True Eloquence Eusebius who was a Good Judg of Eloquence pronounceth St. Paul a most Powerful Spokesman and one that was admirably skill'd in the whole Parade and Furniture of Words and could do more this way than the most Celebrated Orators among the Pagans so that Luther was in the right when he said One of St. Paul ' s Words containeth well three of Tully ' s Orations In fine no Tongue can express the Excellency of his Profound Writings which not only comprise in them all the Depths and Mysteries of Christianity and astonish us with their High and Heavenly Matter but moreover do furnish us with many Elegancies and Embellishments of Oratory with many Florid and well Composed Periods and abound every where with a most Winning Eloquence with the Charms of a most Melting and Affectionate Rhetorick insomuch that in some of his Epistles his Warmest Blood seems to be the Ink he wrote with and every Leaf is as it were the very Membrane of his Heart Besides St. Paul's Epistles which are fourteen in all there are seven others viz. one of St. Iames two of St. Peter three of St. Iohn and one of St. Iude all which except the two latter of St. Iohn are call'd Catholick or General Epistles because they were not directed to Particular Churches in one Place but to the Dispersed Converts through a great Part of the World St. Iames's Epistle was written to the Christian Jews that dwelt in other Regions besides Iudea who consisted partly of the Ten Tribes carried captive by Salmanassar King of Assyria who never that we read of return'd again and partly of the Two Tribes many of which still remain'd in Exile wherefore St. Iames sends this Epistle to the Twelve Tribes scatter'd abroad The two main things in it are first concerning the Affictions and Persecutions which were to be undergone for Christ's sake where he exhorts them to Patience under those great Trials Secondly concerning the Necessity of a Holy Life where he shews them that Justifying Faith must â—e known and manifested by Good Works Besides many Excellent Caveats and Admonitions are intermingled touching Riches Covetousness Hearing the Word Swearing Unruliness of the Tongue Envy Wrath Pride Rash Judging of others Self-Confidence Forgetfulness of God's Soveraignty and Providence in the World and sundry other things of very great Use in the Lives of Christians especially of those that are in Affliction and Adversity Wherefore this Epistle is chiefly calculated for such St. Peter also who was the Apostle of the Circumâ—ision writes to the Dispersed Iews such as were scattered throughout Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia i. e. the Lesser and Bithynia five Provinces of the Roman Empire those that voluntarily lived among the Gentiles ever since the Great Dispersion and were now become Christians and fared the worse among the Heathens and Obstinate Jews for being so And perhaps here may be meant those likewise that by Persecution were driven from their Homes in Iudea and therefore are called Strangers 1 Epist ch 1. v. 1. To these distressed Iews or of what kind soever they were for St. Augustine and some others think the Converted Gentiles in several Countries are not here excluded he writeth his first Epistle to confirm and strengthen them in the Doctrine of the Gospel and in the Profession of the Christian Faith which they had hitherto made and to exhort them to a Greater Proâ—iciency in it and to comfort them in their Persecutions against the Scandal of the Cross and lastly to stir them up to the Exercise of all Christian Graces and Duties many of which as Mutual Love Patience Watchfulness Perseverance Obedience to Magistrates with the particular Duties of Servants to their Masters of Husbands and Wives towards one another of Spiritual Pastors towards their Flock he most excellently though briefly describeth His Second Epistle for it is undoubtedly his as well as the first though Hugo Grotius or he that publish'd those Posthumous Annotations labours to offer Arguments to the contrary which are enervated by Dr. Hammond in his Notes on this Epistle is of the same Nature with the first exhorting the Believing Jews to a Life worthy of Christians to add one Vertue to another and to increase in all the Graces of the Holy Spirit He asserts the Truth and Authority of the Gospel he shews the Danger of Backstiding he warns them against Heretical Teachers and Profane Scoffers that should come in the last Days of whom he gives a very Lively Character in several remarkable Particulars He voucheth the Certainty of Christ's Coming to Judgment and the Conflagration of the World and thence infers the Reasonableness of preparing themselves for that last Catastrophe by a blameless Life and Conversation All which is express'd in most apt and choice Words and with that Concernedness and Zeal which became so Eminent an Apostle The first Epistle of St. John which is called Catholick or General as being written to all the Christian Jews wheresoever they were is partly directed against Seducers and Impostors whom he calls Antichrists risen up in those Days who subverted the Fundamentals of Religion but more especially the Deity and Humanity of Christ as the Simonians Gnosticks Carpocratians Cerinthians Ebioniâ—es and others mention'd by Epiphanius and Austin whence he adviseth the Christians to try the Spirits and not to be too credulous and hasty in imbracing every Doctrine that is offer'd them He hath obâ—ervable Notices concerning the grand Privilege of Adoption concerning the Love of the World concerning the Sin unto Death But the main Design of this Epistle is to urge a Godly and Righteous Life to convince those who are called by Christ's Name of the Necessity of their walking answerably to it Indeed this Apostle was forced as St. Iames before was to write on this subject to press Good Works and Outward Righteousness because some in those Days turned the Grace of God into Licentiousness making Faith exclude all External
be great Moral and Religious Qualifications likewise for this is the Book of God and therefore we must come to it with agreeable Inclinations Wills and Affections Men complain that there is a great Contention about the interpreting of Scripture and Different Parties can't agree whence they proceed to blame the Obscurity and Uncertainty of the Scripture it self But herein these Persons themselves are very blameable for this Disagreement in the interpreting of Sacred Writ arises not wholly from the Obscurity of it nor doth it proceed from the Uncertainty of it as some would suggest but from Mens Depraved Minds and Passions Wherefore our main Care ought to be 1st To free our selves from all Wilful Prejudice and Perverseness which have been the first and original Causes of misunderstanding the Scriptures Thus the Infernal Spirit when he tempted our Saviour most perversly quoted Psal. 91. 11. and misapplied it to his purpose And from him Hereticks and Seducers have learnt to cite and make use of Scripture to evil Designs viz. to uphold some Error or Vice What an Antient Writer of the Church saith of one sort of Heretical Teachers that they interpret the Sense of the Holy Writ according to their own Pleasure is true of them all their constant Practice is to strain and distort these Sacred Writings to construe them according to their own Fancies and to make them like an Echo speak what they please Their great Work in consulting and turning over this Volume is to find something they may misinterpret for their own Ends. Their Affection to a particular Cause makes them believe and assert any thing though never so improbable and then they alledg Scripture to back it though it be wholly foreign to the purpose These Persons are of the Number of those Depravers of Truth who as One of the Antient Fathers gives us their Character do not accommodate their Minds to the Scripture but pervert and draw the Mind of the Scripture to their own Wills This glossing and expounding of the Bible according to Mens corrupt Fancies is as M. Luther hath expressed it like straining Milk through a Colesack it blackens and deâ—iles the pure Word of God it depraves and falsifies the Mind of the Spirit Those Men are to be abhorr'd that submit not their Thoughts and Conceptions to this Sacred Standard who compel the Scripture to serve their Private Opinions who make no conscience of putting a Text upon the Rack to make it speak what it intended not of miserably torturing it that they may force it to confess what it never meant These Persons should be reminded how great a Sin it is to distort and deprave the Holy Writ and designedly to draw it to another Sense than it naturally bears And the Penalty is as grievous as the Crime for as the Apostle St. Peter informs us this Generation of Men wrest the Scripture unto their own Destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. Wherefore let none presume to be guilty in this Nature and dare to follow their own sinister Imagiâ—ations in the interpreting of the Inspired Writings but let them attend to that Advice of a Pious and Learned Author We should be more willing to take a Sense from Scripture than to bring one to it Let us strive to know the naked and pure Meaning of the Spirit and in order to that read the Bible with an Unprejudiced and Sincere Mind which is an Excellent Interpreter Whereas 't is a certain Truth that Perverse Minds will pervert the Scriptures 2dly We ought to read these Divine Writings with great Modesty and Humility Let it not trouble us that some Parts of them are not level to our Understandings And where we cannot solve some things let us not arrogantly pretend to do it It is no Disgrace to confess our Ignorance here I can assure you this hath been done by the Learnedest Heads There is a Learned Ignorance as St. Augustin terms it and we need not be ashamed to be Masters of it These four things mention'd in Eccles 12. 6. I understand not saith Castellio I scarcely understand the thousandth Part of this Book saith he concerning the Apocalypse And 't is frequent with this Learned Man to say I know not the Meaning of this Place That Man is impudently rash who dares profess that he understands one single Book of the Bible in all its Parts saith Luther I own it that I am so blind that I cannot see any thing at all in that dark Place of Scripture Amos 5. 26. saith the Great Selden But the contrary Temper and Spirit have swell'd some with proud Conceits of their understanding some Passages of this Book when they have no true Apprehension of them in the least and accordingly they have endeavour'd in a supercilious manner to impose their crude Sense upon others not craving but commanding Assent to what they have propounded These bold Men forget what the Wise King saith It is the Glory of God to conceal a Matter to speak sometimes in so dark and hidden a manner that there is need of great searching studying and enquiring into the things that are said and yet at last they remain abstruse and unintelligible It hath pleased God the Wise Governour of the World that the Scripture should have Difficulties and Obscurities in it that there should be some things hard to be understood But as Socrates said of Heraclitus's Writings What he understood of them was very good and so he believed that to be which he understood not the like may we with more Reason pronounce concerning the Sacred Scriptures The Matters which we have Knowledg of which are the main Body and Substance of the Book are Excellent and Divine and so there is Reason to conclude that those Parts of it which are hidden from us are of the same Nature There is no occasion to find fault with the Sovereign Wisdom of God but it is our apparent Duty to lay aside Pride and to exercise Humility which will capacitate us to understand even those Great Mysteries and Abstrusities when we have with much Diligence and frequent Study search'd into them 3dly We must think our selves concern'd to purge our Hearts and Lives from all Deâ—ilements of Vice For 't is certain that a quick Brain a subtile Head and a nimble Wit are not so much required to the understanding of Divine Truth as an Honest Mind and a Religious Practice To Men of polluted Consciences and profane Manners the Scriptures seem dark and mysterious but to those of sanctified Minds and holy Lives they are as to the most part plain and clear These Qualifications render them as bright as a Sun-beam What the Turks are said to write on the back-side of the Alcoran Let none touch this Book but he that is pure may with great Reason and Justice be written on the Holy Book of Scripture and that only for a Pure Life is the best Commentator on these Writings A wonderful measure of
which an Inspired Writer hath given of it telling us that Cain was of that wicked one viz. Satan and therefore slew his Brother because his own Works were Evil and his Brother 's Righteous 1 John 3. 12. The grand Aggravations of his Murder were that he kill'd his Own Brother and that he kill'd him because he was Good and Righteous Now we may reasonably think that this Guilty Wretch when he came to entertain serious Thoughts and to reflect on his Execrable Paricide grew very Black and Melancholick Though God reprieved this Malefactor as to his Life yet he severely animadverted upon him by that Terror and distraction of Mind by that Horror of Conscience which he inflicted on him He had Pashur's Doom of Magor Missabib i. e. Fear round about Jer. 20. 3. but especially as it follows there he was a Terror to himself That this hath been the Fate of Murderers is evident from such Instances as these Herod who commanded Iohn Baptist to be beheaded was afterwards miserably tormented with the thoughts of it and fancied that Holy Man was risen from the Dead and was alive again Mark 6. 16. Tacitus tells us of the Emperour Tiberius who was a Man of Blood and under whom our Blessed Lord was crucified that he was so troubled and haunted that neither his great Fortunes nor the Retirement which he sometimes made trial of could silence those Tortures which he felt in his Breast Nero that Bloody Villain after he had put to Death his Cousin German his Mother his Wife his Tutour knew not what to do with himself he was affrighted with Specters beaten by Furies and burning Torches were flung at him especially he was molested and plagued with the Apparition of his Mother's Ghost whom he had inhumanely and unnaturally murder'd Theodorick the King of Gothes was constantly haunted after the Murder of Symmachus and Boethius and so ended his days in that torment of Mind Charles the Ninth of France as a faithful Historian acquaints us after the Parisian Massacre was a continual Terror to himself though he used all Arts to divert his Thoughts and when he awakned in the Nights labour'd to chase away his Affrightments by Musick which he constantly call'd for These are some of the Transcripts which History affords us of that First Murderer's inward Terrors and Disquietudes Mine Iniquity saith he is greater than can be forgiven ver 13. for so the words may be rendred the Guilt of that Horrid Crime which I have committed is unpardonable I utterly despair of the Divine Mercy And this Despair was not only his Sin but his Punishment wherefore some read it My Punishment is greater than I can bear So that he anticipated the Miseries of the Damned of whom he was the first of Humane Kind and was in Hell while he was here on Earth Now it was that Dreadful Mormo's and Phantoms possess'd his restless Brain and he encreas'd his Terrors by Imagination He was afraid of his own Father and Mother and of his Female-self and his disorder'd Fancy represented many more Persons to him for a Troubled Conscience fears where no Fear is it fears Men where there are none in being Whence such Language as this is very accountable Every one that finds me shall slay me This is a satisfactory Answer upon Supposal for I proceed only on that here that there were no more Men in the World at that time than are expresly mention'd in Genesis A Disturbed Mind hath a Creating Power and can make more Inhabitants on the Earth than God hath made Thirdly Supposing still that the Number of Men was not greater than it is represented in the Sacred Records yet this Speech of Cain is very accountable for we may understand it of People that were not yet born but to come afterwards Observe therefore that 't is spoken in the Future Tense It shall come to pass that every onâ— that findeth me shall slay me Cain being reprieved and suffer'd to wander up and down and consequently to live some Years afterwards it may be rational to think that he refers in these words to what should be in those days When Mankind shall be propagated and the World be peopled thâ—n I shall go in fear of my Life then every one that finds me will slay me And unto this the nexâ— words may have relation Whosoever slayeth Câ—in Vengeance shall be taken of him sevenfold And moreover The Lord set a mark upon Cain lest any finding him should kill him ver 15. Lest in after-times any one hearing of this bloody and cursed Fact of his should be excited to revenge it on his own Head there was a Mark set upon this Vile Wanderer to distinguish him from the rest of Mankind but what it was we know not though the Jews have many idle and foolish Conjectures about it And a Penalty was threatned to be inflicted on the Person who should dare to kill him he was to be punish'd seven-fold ver 15. or in the seventh Generation as Munster and some others interpret it which implies that Cain was to be a Long-liver to continue seven i. e. many Generations So that we may look on these Words as having reference to the Times that were to come and not to the present Season wherein they were spoke It shall come to pass saith he that in future time when the World is increased every one who finds me shall be greedy to take away my Life because I most inhumanely bereaved my Brother of his Thus there is no Contradiction or Inconsistency in the words when 't is said Every one that findeth me c. But in the fourth and last place it might be answer'd if what I have said already be not satisfactory that this word Kol every one hath not reference to Men but to Beasts Every one is every Wild Beast He was afraid saith Iosephus lest while he wandred up and down in the Earth which was part of his Punishment he should fall among some Beasts and be slain by them God bids him not fear any such thing for he would set such a Mark on him that the very Irrational Animals should be capable of knowing and discerning it Every one is not necessarily to be understood of Men or Women but may be meant of the Brutes which were then upon Earth and might be Executioners of the Divine Vengeance on him who was so savage and brutish It will be very hard for any Man to disprove this and therefore it is sufficient to take off and null the Cavil of the Objectors But I confess I rather think it is spoken not of this sort of Creatures but of those Inhabitants of the Earth that were Intelligent Thus you see there is no Absurdity or Inconsistency in those words which Cain utter'd and which are set down by the Sacred Historian whether you understand them of the then instant time or of that which was afterwards Some Men of Profane and Atheistical Spirits and who
have studied to impair the Truth and Authority of the Holy Scriptures and particularly of Moses's Writings have exposed this Place as disagreeing with the rest of the Sacred Story concerning the first Rise and Propagation of the World But this is a very shallow and vain Attempt and grounded chiefly on Prejudice and Ill-will against the Inspired Volume of Scripture I have made it clear that there is no Absurdity or any thing that looks like it in the words above-mentioned and I defy that Man who pretends to give any Satisfactory Answer to the Particulars which I have offered in defence of them Again 't is said That none save Caleb and Joshua should come into the Land of Canaan Numb 14. 30. and yet we read that Eleazar and others entred into that Land Ios. 14. 1. Chap. 22. 13. This is objected by some as a Passage in Scripture derogatory to the Truth of it But if we will read the Holy Book with the same Candour and Ingenuity wherewith we read other Authors we shall not be offended at this or the like Passages For nothing is more common in the most serious and considerate Writers than to speak things by way of Restriction and Limitation as those words are spoken and yet to leave them to be understood with some Latitude which shall afterwards be express'd and explain'd when they speak of the same Matter So here we read that none but Caleb and Ioshua entred into the Land of Promise this being spoken of the Chief Leaders that had that Privilege and Honour but then if we consult other places where this thing is more particularly related we shall find that a Larger meaning was not excluded We cannot think that the Tribe of Levi were denied entrance into that blessed Land because 't is evident from the History that they murmured not and 't is as evident that 't was threatned to the Murmurers only that they should not see the Land which God swore unto their Fathers Numb 14. 22 23. therefore Eleazar and Phineas being Priests are excepted Again it cannot be meant of those that at that time were gone to spy the Land of Canaan for they were none of the Murmurers and therefore that Threatning before cited doth not reach them and consequently those words are consistent with what we read in other places relating to this matter But That in 1 Sam. 16. 22 23. is cried out against as an unanswerable Repugnancy to Chap. 17. 55. for in the former we are told that David came to Court and stood before King Saul i. e. waited continually upon him and play'd upon the Hart before him and was greatly beloved of him and became his Aymour-bearer and yet in the latter we read that Saul did not know David but ask'd who he was Whose Son is this Youth These seem to be very repugnant to one another but there is really no such thing all is clear and obvious for in Chap. 17. 15. it is said David went and returned from Saul to feed his Father's Sheep at Bethlehem He stay'd not long at Court either because he liked not that manner of Life or because Saul was weary of him David then having been absent from Saul a considerable time and following a Country-Life and now appearing perhaps in his Shepherd's Weeds it is no wonder that Saul did not well know him This I think is sufficient of it self and clears the Text of all Contradiction though I know there are other Solutions used by the Learned as that of our English Rabbi Saul saith he asked whose Son David was not that he was ignorant who he was but he only enquired who that was that had such a Son The question is not of David's Person but Parentage So Lightfoot Others are more Curious in their Objections as thus Whereas the Diameter in respect of the Circumference is as seven to two and twenty this is not observ'd in 2 Chron. 4. 2. speaking of the brazen Laver and by consequence the Geometry of Scripture is faulty In answer to these men who are such Well-willers to the Mathematicks I say first That the Proportion of a Diameter to its Circle is not exactly as seven to two and twenty therefore these Gentlemen are not exact themselves Secondly I say this that the Scripture oftentimes speaks after the Vulgar manner as I have shew'd elsewhere and it is likely it doth so here and then we must not expect Accuracy of Words or Things The Bible was not calculated for them only that can square a Circle or that understand all the Mysteries of Algebra Thirdly If this doth not satisfy I answer that the Circumference of the brazen Sea was not exactly Round but it may be towards an Oval Figure which makes some alteration as to the Proportion of the Diameter It was ten Cubits from brim to brim and a Line of thirty Cubits did compass it round about saith the Text but if it had been quite orbicular the Circumference must have been one and thirty Cubits Or perhaps in this place as in several others a round Number is express'd and the remainder being so small and inconsiderable is omitted But further 't is Objected that this Molten Sea or Laver is said to contain 2000 Baths 1 Kings 7. 26. but in 1 Chron. 4. 5. we read that it received and held 3000 Baths therefore some infer that one of these places is faulty and ought to be corrected I answer there is no need of it because both these are consistent The Laver was of that vast dimension that it could hold 3000 Baths of Water but it generally and usually contain'd but 2000. In a Synagogue of the Jews at Amsterdam there is one of these Lavers and thence we may solve the seeming difficulty they fill it up to the Neck but not higher but if they would fill it higher it would contain much more The Neck is large and of another figure and is capable of receiving a third part more Another Place which they alledg cannot they will tell you be answer'd any of these ways for it plainly Contradicts another place of Scripture It is said of Asa 2 Chron. 14. 5. he took away the high Places but in 1 Kings 15. 14. it is expresly recorded that the high Places were not removed by him I answer first there were two sorts of high Places namely some where they worship'd Idols and False Gods others where they worship'd the True God The former were taken away as is intimated to us when 't is said he took away the high Places and Images i. e. the high Places where those Images were adored but the latter were not taken away the Reformation which he had set on foot had not gone so far Besides 't is observable that he took away the high Places out of all the Cities of Judah which signifies to us that he removed them out of all the Chief Places of his Kingdom though he had not time to effect it in some other less considerable places