Import signifies a disposing of something is most commoâ—â—ly applied to such a Disposal as is either by Covenâ—â— or Testament Hence it is sometimes rendred 〈◊〉 Covenant and sometimes a Testament especially among the Lawyers the latter Sense prevails and accordingly you will find that a Last Will and Testament is express'd by this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Imperial Institutions and other Law-Books translated into Greek We may here join both Senses together for what God hath agreed to by Covenant with Man that Christ bequeaths and gives by Testament Now we must prove both these i. e. we must make it evident that the Covenant and Testament are True before we can receive any Advantage and Benefit from them There is a Necessity of evidencing the Truth of the Scriptures which are this Covenant and this Testament otherwise we can build nothing upon them Here then I. I will evince the Truth and Authority of the Scriptures which is the great Basis of all Theology II. After I have largely insisted on this I will proceed to give you an account of the Nature of the Stile and Phrase of these Holy Books III. I will advance yet farther and demonstrate the Excellency and Perfection of them The Subject of our present Undertaking is the first of these in handling of which I shall but briefly and concisely make use of those Arguments which are commonly insisted upon by Learned Writers till I come to fix upon a Topick which is not commonly yea which is very rarely and by the by used in this Cause and this I will pursue very largely and fully I hope with some Satisfaction to the Reader There are many Arguments to demonstrate the Truth and Authority of the Holy Scriptures and shew that they are worthy to be believed and imbraced by us as the very Word of God Some of these Arguments which are to prove the Truth of these Writings are in common with those that prove the Truth of the Christian Religion on which I shall have occasion to insist at another time but my Design at present is to propound those which are more peculiarly and properly fitted to evince the Truth of the Scriptures And these are either Internal or External The Internal ones I call those which are either in the Scriptures themselves or in Vs. The Characters of Divinity which the Scriptures have in Themselves are either their Matter or the Manner of the writing them I begin with the first the Matter of them and here I will mention only these three Particulars 1. The Sublime Doctrines and Verities which are in Holy Writ In reading this Book we meet with such things as cannot reasonably be thought to come from any but God himself In other Writings which are most applauded the choicest things which entertain our Minds are the excellent Moral Notions and Precepts which they offer to us which are all the Result of Improved Reason and Natural Religion But here are besides these Notices of a peculiar Nature and such as are above our natural Capacity and Invention as the Creation of the World in that Manner as is represented to us in these Writings the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity the Eternal Decrees the Incarnation of Christ the Son of God the Redemption of the World by his Blood the whole Method of Man's Salvation the stupendous Providence of God over his Church in all Ages the Coming of Christ to Judgment and in order to that the raising of all Men out of their Ashes These and several other Doctrines deliver'd in the Sacred Writings cannot be imagined to come from any but God they carry with them the Character of Divinity as being no common and obvious Matters but such as are towring and lofty hidden and abstruse and not likely to be the Product of Humane Wisdom A God is plainly discovered in them for the most Improved Creatures could never have reach'd to this pitch Any serious and thinking Man cannot but discern the peculiar Turn and singular Contrivance of these Mysterious Doctrines which argue them to be Divine We may therefore believe the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles to be the Word of God because of the wonderful Height and Sublimity of those Truths which are contained in them 2. The Exact Purity and Holiness both of Body and Soul of Heart and Life which are enjoin'd in these Writings are another Testimony of their being Divinely Inspired For though some other Books dictate Religion and Piety yet this is certain that all the true and just Measures of them were taken originally from this one Exact Standard which was prior to them all as I shall shew afterwards Besides the Love and Charity the Humility Meekness and all other Vertues which the Scriptures describe to us far exceed the most advantageous Representations the most exalted Ideas which the Heathen Moralists give of them These therefore are emphatically and eminently called by St. Paul the Holy Scriptures 2 Tim. 3. 15. because they breath the most consummate Goodness and Piety and that antecedently to all Writings whatsoever because every thing in them advanceth Holiness and that in Thought Word and Actions The End and Scope of them are to promote Sanctity of Life to make us every way better and even to render us * like God himself The Holy Scripture was intended to set forth the Divine Perfections to display the Heavenly Purity and thereby to commend the Excellency of a holy Life And it is certain that if with sincere and humble Minds we peruse this Book of God we shall find this blessed Result of it it will marvellously instruct us in the Knowledg of the Divine Attributes especially of God's Unspotted Holiness it will tincture our Minds with Religion it will pervade all our Faculties with a Spirit of Godliness and it will thorowly cleanse and sanctify both our Hearts and Lives which proves it to be from God But because I shall have occasion to say more of this when I treat of the Perfection of the Scriptures I will now dismiss it 3. To the Matter of Scripture we must refer the Prophecios and Predictions which are contained in it These I reckon another Internal Argument because they are drawn from what is comprehended in the very Scripture it self What a vast number is there of Prophecies of the Old and New Testament which we find fulfilled and accordingly are Testimonies of the Truth of these Scriptures Here I will a little enlarge and first I will begâ—n with that ancient Prophecy of Noah God shall enlarge Japheth and he shall dwell in the Tents of Shem and Canaan shall be his Servant Where are foretold things that happened above two thousand Years afterward for the Posterity of Iapheth viz. the Europeans especially the Greeks and Romans among other Conquests gain'd the possession of Iudea and other Eastern Countries which were the Portion of Shem. Again it was fulfilled thus by Christ's coming and preaching the Gospel and by his
Demosthenes more especially who no less than three times in one Oration uses the Word in this manner and in another place once or twice but I think I have sufficiently establish'd my Notion already by what I have produced You see plainly that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath not absolutely a reference to a Benefit or Advantage but that 't is of a large import and signifies in general on the account or for the sake and more especially that it denotes an Impulsive Cause properly so call'd and is used to express those things or Persons that put Men upon Action which was the thing I undertook to make good and I challenge any Man to disprove it I have defended the Signification of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of Classical Authors that I might thereby obviate the Scruples of some Inquisitive Persons and give some Satisfaction to the Curious and make my Exposition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more clear and demonstrative when 't is seen that it is founded on the Acception of that Preposition not only in the New-Testament but in Prophane Authors and in a Word that I may render my whole Undertaking on that Text the more acceptable to the Learned part of Mankind To this rank of Persons I devote all my Endeavours of this kind but that which I now offer to the World is more especially designed for the Use of younger Students in Sacred Learning such as are Beginners and Candidates in Theology though I am well satisfied that these Critical Researches will â—ot be useless to those of a higher Character A CATALOGUE of the Difficult Chapters and Verses in Holy Scripture which are Explain'd in this Book being set down in the same Order that they are there mentioned II. CHap. of Daniel Concerning the Image whose Head was of Gold c. Page 9 VII Chap. of Daniel Concerning the Four Beasts p. 10 VIII Chap. of Daniel Concerning the Ram and He-Goat p. 13 XI Gen. 4. Let us make us a Name lest we scattered abroad c. p. 127 XXXVI Gen. 24. This was that Anah that found the Mules in the Wilderness c. p. 147 XV. Judg. 15 16 17 c. Concerning the Iaw-bone of the Ass wherewith Sampson slew a thousand Men. p. 149 XXXVIII Isai. 8. The Sun returned Ten degrees by which degrees it was gone down p. 200 XXXIII Deut. 17. Where Joseph is compared to an Ox or Bullock and why p. 214 II. Luke 1 2. There went out a Decree from Caesar Augustus that all the World should be Taxed p. 352 II. Matth. 2. We have seen his Star in the East Vers. 7. Herod enquired of them diligently what time the Star appeared Vers. 9. The Star which they saw in the East went before them c. Vers. 16. Herod slew all the Children that were in Bethlehem from two Years old and under according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the Wise Men. p. 360 XXIV Matth. The former part which speaks of the Destruction of Ierusalem and the parallel Chapter of St. Luke viz. the XXI p. 394 The Author's Vindication of his Interpretation of 1 Cor. 15. 29. Praef. ERRATA PAge 18. l. 28. for Ahaz read Hezekiah p. 37. l. 15. for end r. erre p. 99. l. 8. dele not p. 151. l. 15. dele not p. 212. l. 30. r. with Ham. and l. 26 27. correct the Hebrew words And do the same in other places p. 227. l. 21. r. unutterable p. 238. l. 11. r. on p. 241. l. 9. r. deus is p. 248. l. 18. r. ex Aetheris l. ult for that r. at other times p. 250. l. 17. r. Martinius p. 255. l. 26. r. tornare p. 334. Marg. Quotations misplaced p. 349. Marg. 3 last lines put Apolog. 2. ad Sen. after the Quotation Sed cum c. And put b before Adv. Gent. p. 363. l. 33. r. other Pagans p. 364. l. 26. r. Silver locks p. 376. l. 11. dele citeth the same testimony and. p. 411. l. 7 10. r. Cedrenus What other Faults have escaped the Reader is desired to Correct Advertisement AN Enquiry into several Remarkable Texts of the Old and New-Testament which contain some difficulty in them With a probable Resolution of them By Iohn Edwards B. D. In Two Volumes in Octavo Sold by I. Robinson I. Everingham and I. Wyat in St. Paul's Church-Yard and Ludgate-street OF THE Truth and Authority OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES CHAP. I. The Internal Testimonies or Arguments to evince the Authority of the Holy Scriptures viz. 1. The Matter of them that is the Sublime Verities the Holy Rules the Accomplish'd Prophecies contain'd in them Vnder which last Topick several particular Predictions chiefly in the Book of Daniel are explain'd and shew'd to be fulfilled Further 't is demonstrated that the foretelling of future Contingences of that nature especially so long before they come to pass could be from God only 2. The Manner of these Writings which is peculiar as to their Simplicity Majesty and their being immediately dictated by the Holy Ghost 3. Their Harmony 4. The particular Illumination of the Spirit I HAVE chosen a very Noble and Important Subject to exercise my Pen and to entertain both my own and the Reader 's Thoughts and Contemplations with for no Book under Heaven can possibly be the Rival of the Holy Bible none in the World can pretend to the transcendent Worth and Excellency of these Sacred Writings Here not only all Natural or Morâ—â— Religion but that also which is Supernatural is fulâ—ly and amply contain'd Here is the Decalogâ—â— written by God himself and transcrib'd out of the Law of Nature besides that there are frequentlâ— interspersed in these Writings other choice Rulâ—â— and Precepts of Morality But Supernatural Relâ—gion being the chief this is the main Subject of thâ—â— Sacred Volume and this you will find partly deâ—livered by the Inspired Prophets of the Old Testament and partly by Christ Iesus himself in perâ—son and by the Evangelists and Apostles in the New Testament Of these Holy Scriptures I am tâ— treat which are the Standard of Truth the infallible Rule of Faith and Holiness and the Ground work of all Divinity for this being the Doctrinâ— which is according to the Word of God deliver'â— in Sacred Writ we must necessarily be acquainted with This and know in the â—irst place that it iâ— True and make it evident that it is so If aâ—â— Estate be given a Person by Will he must firâ—â— prove that Instrument to be True and Authenticâ—â— before he can challenge any Right to what is demised him in it So it is here God bequeaths us aâ— Inheritance i. e. Life and Salvation and Eternaâ— Happiness and the Scriptures are as it were the Will and Testament wherein this is plainly exprest and whereby it is conveyed to us Especially thâ— Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles deservâ— that Name and thence are stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Greek word which in its Original
Reasons why the Apocryphal Writings are not received into the Canon of the Bible with an Answer to the Objections made by the Romanists SEcondly I proceed to the External Testimonies of the Truth of the Scriptures which being added to those Arguments which proved them to be True in Themselves will exceedingly corroborate our Belief of the Divine Authority of those Books And here I might mention the Testimony given to them by God in the wonderful Preservation of them through all Ages since they were first written In all the Changes of Affairs and the Overthrow of so many Cities and Kingdoms that Incomparable Treasure hath not been lost The Books of the Old Testament were kept untouched and inviolable at the sacking and burning of Ierusalem and all the time of the Captivity in Babylon and of the Dispersion of the Jews And ever since that time the Scriptures have been Unaltered in Words and Sense notwithstanding the frequent Endeavours of Satan's busy Agents to corrupt them yea utterly to destroy them And next to God's Providence in preserving these Books thrô all Times and Ages we might add the marvellous Success which hath attended the Holy Faith and Doctrine contained in these Writings They have prevail'd against the Power of Men and Devils and to this very day they are maintained and upheld maugre the Attempts of both of them to root them out of the World But I wave this intending not to insist upon Divine but Humane Testimony in this place By External Testimony then I mean here no other than this that Scripture is attested by Vniversal Tradition and this Tradition is both of Jews and Christians And what would a Man desire more in a humane way for attesting the Truth of these Writings From the joint Attestation of these Witnesses I shall make it appear that these Books which we now have are the true Copies of the first Originals that the same Books and Authors are faithfully delivered down to us which were first of all delivered to the Jews and to the Primitive Christians and that there is nothing in these Writings as we now have them that is falsified or corrupted First to begin with the Books of the Old Testament the Names of which are as follow Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Ioshuâ— Iudges Ruth the 1st and 2d Books of Samuel thâ— 1st and 2d Books of Kings tho 1st and 2d Books 〈◊〉 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Iob the Psalmâ— Proverbs Ecclesiastes the Song of Solomon the foâ—â— Greater Prophets and the twelve Lesser These and none but these were admitted into the Canâ— of the Holy Scriptures by the antient Church oâ— the Iews whose Testimony is very Authenticâ— here yea indeed we cannot have a better They acquaint us that these were the Only Writingâ— that were universally agreed by them to be extraordinarily Inspired and they further tell us that these Books which were writ by different Persons and at diverse Times were first compiled and collected into One Body or Volume by Ezra and the Assembly of Doctors for that purpose and consequently that the Canon of Sacred Scripture of the Old Testament as it is at this time was not constituted till Ezra's days by the Great Synagogue as they call it Upon his Return from the Captivity he undertook this good Work he gathered together all those dispersed Books before named and after he had reviewed them he publickly owned and solemnly vouched the Authority of every one of them that the Church for the future might not doubt of their being Authentick and True But some add here by way of Objection that this holy Man caused these Books to be written over in a New Character because the Jews had lost their knowledg of the former one as well as of the Tongue and consequently the Bible is not the same that it was at first Eusebius and Ierom are alledged for this especially the latter who seems to say that the Samaritan Character was the Old Hebrew Character in which the Bible was first writ and that it was first changed by Ezrd after the Return from Babylon he writing â—he Sacred Volume over in Assyrian or Chaldee Letters and neglecting the Old Hebrew ones which were the same that the Samaritan are And the reason of this was they say because the Jews were best acquainted with this Character at that time And some Modern Writers are gain'd over to this Opinion who talk much of the Change of the Character and endeavour to perswade us that the first and old Letters of the Hebrew Text were Samaritan but that those which we now have are Assyrian and of quite another sort But upon an impartial Enquiry I find little or no Foundation for this Opinion It rather seems to me to be an Invention and Dream of those who design to disparage the Hebrew Bible They would perswade us that the Authority of the Original is impaired because we have it not now as it was at the beginning for the Old Bible was in Samaritan Letters these being the first and antientest Hebrew Characters This is like the Story of the Hebrew Points being invented five hundred Years after Christ of which afterwards which tends to the same End namely to discredit the Hebrew Text which we now have and wholly to take away its Authority for if the Letters were changed it is probable some Words and consequently the Sense of some Places are altered But that this is groundless and that the Hebrew Bible is written in the same Characters now that it was at first you will find very largely and convincingly proved by the famous Buxtorf from the Authâ—rity of the Talmud especially the Gemara 〈◊〉 the Cabala from the Suffrage of the most Notâ— Rabbins of old and of the Learned Modern Jeâ—â— as Aben Ezra R. Solomon R. Ben Maimon â— who without doubt are very competent Judges 〈◊〉 this Case To these may be added several of 〈◊〉 Christian Perswasion as Picus Mirandula F. Iuniâ— Skikkard Postellus with those three Eminent Persons of our own Countrey Nic. Fuller Broughtâ—â— Lightfoot If you consult these they will satisfyâ— you that the Hebrew Letters which we have now in the Bible were the Primitive ones the very same that were of old But to give you my Thoughts impartially in this Point I do believâ— from what I find asserted by Writers on both sides that there were two sorts of Characters used by the Jews as there were two sorts of Cubits and Shekels the Sacred and Common and I gather that the Samaritan Letter was of the latter sort that which was commonly used and even sometimes in transcribing the Bible but the Sacred Character in use among the Jews was this which we now have and in which the Bible is at this day This is the true Original Hebrew Letter and was used from the beginning by them This I think may reconcile the Disputes among Writers for so far as I can perceive the Quarrels arise from this that there is
that the Gentiles relate the very same things that this doth that the Great Truths and Notable Histories Notions and Practices in the Books of the Old Testament are to be met with in Profane Writings but taken from these Sacred ones The Heathens borrowed many of their Rites and Vsages from Traditions which were founded in the Holy Scriptures They derived many things in their Religion and Manners from these Sacred Fountains though it is as true that they have laboured to pollute them But I will make it clear and manifest that they fetch'd them thence and I will abundantly prove that most of the chief things in the Old Testament have been attested both by the Fables and the Serious History of the Pagans There have been some High-fliers I know who have carried on this Notion to a ridiculous Extravagancy Thus Zimmeranus speaks of an odd Capuchin who hath vented very wild things in prosecuting this Argument viz. that the Gentile Mysteries were taken from the True God and from the Scriptures inspired by him And one Iacobâ— Hugo in his Historia Romana is quoted by the same Person as very extravagant in this kind for he holds that the Roman Story was a Narrative of the History of the Gospel Pious Aeneas was St. Peter and his sailing from Troy to Latium was the Story of St. Peter's leaving the Chair at Antioch and going to Rome Homer and Virgil's Heroick Poems are an account of St. Peter and the Church and of the Shipwrack and Misfortunes which this latter meets with in the World Ilium or Aelia is Ierusalem that was the Name which Aelius Adrianus gave it The Acts of the Apostles the Jewish War and the Destruction of Ierusalem are contain'd in Homer's Iliads and so are the Life and Death of Christ and the whole Gospel He tells us that Romulus and Remus signify the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul the Founders of the Roman Church And more extravagantly yet he goes on telling us that Diana signiâ—ies the Holy Trinity Curtius on Horse-back swallowed up in the Lake is the Virgin Mary whose Temple is seen there in the Market-place at Rome with this Inscription D. Virginis Templum à poenis inferni liberantis And a great deal more of such Stuff this Hugo hath which no Man of Consideration and Sense is able to bear Indeed such wild and far-fetch'd Conceits may be justly entertain'd with Laughter and Contempt Nor do I look upon some things which some others of more composed Thoughts mention as any real Testimonies given to the Scriptures They strangely fancy an Affinity between Scripture and Paganism between what they read in the one and what they meet with in the other though there be no Cognation at all Thus the Greek Fable of Minerva's being the Offspring of Iove's Brain took its Rise from the Doctrine of the Trinity and the Eternal and Ineffable Generation of the Son of God saith a Learned Man and Isis the Egyptian Goddess is saith he Ishah Mulier or Virgo i. e. the Virgin Mary from a Tradition among them that a Virgin shoulâ— bring forth a Son who was to be the Redeemer 〈◊〉 the World And I could mention others whoâ—â— Names are better known who have been too eâ—travagant in this kind carrying the Notion on toâ— far and strongly fancying every thing almoâ—â— which they meet with in Pagan Story to havâ— some reference to and be taken from the holâ— Scriptures But I shall very industriously avoâ—â— this Vanity and Folly and only represent to the curious and critical Reader those Passages in Pagâ—â— Writers which with great Probability and Reasoâ— we may conclude to have been taken from the Books of the Old Testament I shall endeavoâ—â— to let you see the Sacred History of the Bible eveâ— through the Fables and feigned Stories of the Heathens and thereby confirm you in the belief of the Truth and Reality of that Sacred History whence they were taken 1. To begin first where all things began the Creation this as it is particularly described iâ— the first Chapter of Genesis is plainly to be found in Pagan Authors who without doubt had it froâ— this first Entrance of the Scripture For thougâ— a Man by the Light of Nature may know that the World had a Beginning yet this particular way of its beginning as 't is there set down could not be attained to but by Divine Revelation wherefore it is rationally to be asserted that the Pagaâ—â— took this Notion from God's Revealed Will in Scripture and at the same time they do hereby attest the Truth of that holy Book The genâ—râ—â— Opinion of the antient Gentiles was that the World was made out of a preceding Chaos which they represent to be a rude disordered and indigested Mass of Matter reduced to no Shape and Form Sanconiathon the Phoenician Historian so much prais'd by Porphyrius the Philosopher in Eusebius makes mention of this Chaos as the Source of all things in his Fragments of Phoenician Theology The antient Poet Orpheus held that this Chaos was the first Principle of all things And Hesiod agrees with him affirming that the Chaos was that out of which all Bodies were made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is described by Ovid after this manner Ante mare terras quod tegit omnia Coelum Vnus erat toto naturae vultus in orbe Quem dixere Chaos c. Where in forty or â—ifty pair of good smooth Verses he most excellently describes the Origine of all things and makes the very Chaos beautiful This is the same with Hyle the first original Matter of all things the Poets Demogorgon which was borrowed from the shapeless Lump of the Chaos And in the Phoenician Language we may find it in the very sound of the words Thoth and Bau which are but a small Variation from Tohu and Bohu in the Hebrew Text the same with Chaos among the Greeks and Latins This is founded on those Words of Moses Gen. 1. 2. The Earth was without form and void and Darkness was on the face of the Deep This dark and formless Heap of Water and Earth mingled together contain'd in it the fiâ— Elements of all things that were made afterwardâ— hence sprang the World as it is now shaped 〈◊〉 modelled From this Account which Moses givâ— here of the Creation the old Pagan Theologer i. e. the Pocts made the Ocean to be the Origiâ— of all Generation which is no other than thâ— if you give the plain meaning of it that thâ— moist and fluid Matter gave beginning to all Bodâ— that are Orpheus own'd this Hypothesis calliâ—â— the Ocean the Parent of all things in one of 〈◊〉 Hymns and out of some other Pieces of 〈◊〉 Works the same might be proved Homer 〈◊〉 the like asserting the Ocean to be the Antiente of the Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iliad On which Words the Scholiast gives this Reason
These were spread over all the East and so it was easie for the Poets as well as others to light upon them and to make thence their Comparison of the Four Ages to the Four Metals Eighthly The Heathens had their Gods from Scripture I have partly shew'd already that some of the Patriarchs and other Persons in the Sacred Records are described by the Poets under other Names than what the Holy Writ gives them Now I will shew that they are often represented under the Names of Gods by the Poets especially it is evident to an inquisitive Eye that the Book of Genesis afforded the Pagan World the greatest part of their Ancient Gods and Goddesses First to begin with Adam he without doubt was Saturn of whom the Poets relate that his Father was Coelus and his Mother Tellus that he Ruled over all the World and was Supream Soveraign that under him was the Golden-Age that afterwards he was expelled his Kingdom and deposed from the Power and Dominion he had and that he found out Agriculture Answerably to which Adam is call'd the Son of God which in the Language of the Poets is Son of Coelus besides he was formed by God out of the Earth and so might be said to be both the Son of Goâ— and of the Earth Adam was the first Ruler and Soveraign Lord under him was the Golden-Age or happy State in Paradise which all Men might have enjoyed if he had not fallen But he fell and lost his Empire and was expell'd that Blessed place He was the first that Tilled the Ground and taught Men Husbandry Besides I have this to add that Saturn is the same with Time for by the Greeks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the change of a Letter is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so they are Synonimous and Adam well deserv'd that Name being the Eldest of all Men and because Time began from him This is very plain I think and moreover the Name of Saturn might be given to Adam from Satar latere because after his fall from that happy state he had been in he withdrew himself like a Guilty Malefactor he fled for it and hid himself in the Garden Gen. 3. 10. Hence Saturnus is the same with Latius as Vossius observes and the Place which of old was call'd Saturnia was afterwards called Latium as Virgil and others testify Thus the first Founder of Mankind Adam was the first and eldest Saturn the top of all the Heathen Deities And that Eve the first of the Fair Sex the Mistress of the World and the Mother of all Mankind was made a Goddess by the Pagan World is not to be question'd yea though she hath been represented by them as hath been said before in a far other Character for I have often intimated that 't is the way of the Poets to make a great many things out of one and to represent the same Person after a different if not a contrary manner And yet I do not at present remember that Vossius or Bochart or any other Mythologist which is something to be wondred at assign her any Goddessship at all among thâ—â— Pagan Divinities Nay Vossius who maintaiâ—â— that Naamaâ— Gen. 4. 22. an obscure Woman the Daughter of Lamech was Deified by the Heathens omits our Mother Eve the Empress of the World the common Parent of all Mankind I shall therefore do her the right to assign the Rank which I think she held and the Name which was given her among the Heathen Goddesses To know this we need only inquire who among them was the Goddess of Wisdom and of all the Arts and who invented the things which were most proper for the Female Sex to find out This without any curious search was Minerva and no other and therefore I doubt not but Eve was this Minerva The three great Inventions attributed to the Goddess of this name are Spinning and Weaving and the use of Oyl i. e. as I understand it the use of it in preparing and ordering of Wooll for 't is likely that those who work'd in Wooll of old made use of Oyl then as well as we do now These are the staple Inventions of that Goddess and as for the rest that the Poets talk of they are meer fantastick Flourishes of Poetry and are not to be minded Now considering what I have said what Woman in the World can we more fitly imagine to be meant by Minerva than Adam's Wife Eve who questionless was enduâ—d by God with eminent Qualities and Excellencies for the good of the World and especially with such as were most useful in one of her Sex and who was the Mistress and Guide of all the rest She was certainly Noted and Celebrated for some Art or other which she found out And 't is as certain that no Invention is more worthy of a Woman than Spinning and Weaving and working of Wool and making of Cloathing for this last comprehends the other two and was the peculiar Invention of Minerva as Diodorus Siâ—ulus and others assure us when they mention the things found out by her This is call'd Minerva's Work or Business She was the first that invented the making of Apparel saith another Antient Author It is true all Artificial Works that were considerable were ascribed by the Antients to this Goddess but Spinning and Weaving were more eminently said to be from her Our Mother Eve who had the Wit and Skill to discover these and to improve them by her living so long in the World might well pass among her own Sex at least for the wisest Woman that ever was and might be entituled the Mistress of all Arts and Sciences that is in the Language of the Poets the Goddess of Wisdom Whence I conclude that our first Parent Eve was Minerva the First and Original Spinster from whom her Sex derive that commendable Title Only I will add this That when the Poets tell us that Minerva was Born of Iupiter's Brain and without a Mother they seem to refer to Sacred History which acquaints us that Eve was not Born after the manner of other Women but was taken out of Adam's side He that knows how they are wont to mistake and adulterate the passages in Holy Writ and to take one thing and â—o one part of the Body for another will not be averse to credit this and consequently that this is some conâ—irmation of our present Notion that Eve pass'd for a Goddess among the Gentiâ—â—s and was call'd Minerva by them that is as Arnobius and some others interepret it Meminerva because she that had so good an Invention had doubtless as good a Memory which is so requisite to that Cain the Eldest Son of Adam was the first Antient Iupiter for I deny not that there were other Younger Iupiters among the Pagans This first and oldest Iupiter the Son of Saturn is said to have invented the founding of Cities and we know that the first City in the world was
Sea according to Iosephus on whose â—hoar Ionas was vomited up This must be granted that the Fame of what befell the Prophet Ionah namely how he was swallowed by a Whale and preserv'd three Days and three Nights in its Belly and how he was after that cast upon the Land whole and sound might easily be conveyed to the Grecians by the Phaenicians their Neighbours thence they went to work after their old rate and fix'd it upon some body among themselves and whom could they more fitly apply this History to than to Hercules the great Adventurer by Sea as well as by Land and who was made the Author of all Great and Wonderful things The Fabulous Greek Poets catch'd up every Prodigious Occurence and attributed it to him but first they represented it with strange and uncouth Circumstances and moulded it as they pleas'd Thus the Gentiles framed new Gods and Heroes out of the Names and Persons they met with or heard of out of the Scriptures So it is the Gods of the Pagans were made out of Men in Holy Writ The Gentiles Worshipp'd these Famous Hebrews under other Names and Titles which they were pleas'd to fasten on them Behold the Servants and Favourites of the true God were Deiâ—ied by these Idolaters Holy Men were Canoniz'd and Worshipp'd by the very Heathen World There are some other Particulars which migâ—â— be named under this Head though they are 〈◊〉 so plain and evident as these already mention'd as that the Ancientest Apollo was Moses's 〈◊〉 who invented Musick that the Poets Ganyâ—â—â— snatch'd up into Heaven by Iupiter and turn'd iâ—â—â— that Sign which is called Aquarius refers to 〈◊〉 who was taken up to Heaven and before that hâ—â— command over the Waters of Heaven keepiâ—â— back the Rain for three years and afterwards bâ— Prayer causing those Waters to descend That the Story of Phaeton was grounded on this Prophet's Fiery Chariots that Lucifer's fatal Defection is meant by Phaeton's proud Attempt and Fall that the Dissoluteness of the Pagan Gods of which the Poets often speak refers to the Degeneracy and Corruption of the Sons of God complain'd of in Gen. 6. 2. And particularly that their Leud and Wanton Gods might be from a misinterpreting the 4th v. the Sons of God came in unto the Daughters of Men. Sometimes out of Things as well as Persons they coined Gods The Poets observing the RainBow to be a Sign of the change of the Air and Weather either to be fair or foul might make it the Messenger of the Gods who was sent out by them when there was any Change of the present Affairs nigh at hand But when I remember that observable Passage concerning the Rain-Bow in Gen. 9. 9. that it should be a Token of the Covenant between God and Man I am inclined to think that this was not unknown to some of the inquisitive Heathens who pried into the Sacred Writings of Moses and thence look'd upon that Remarkable Meteor as some Sacred and Divine thing and according to their fanciful way advanced it to the Office of Internuntia Deorum as they expresly call'd it and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Homer stiles it a Messenger between God and Men particularly a Messenger of Peace and Reconciliation with the new World â—n Angel of that Covenant This is their Iris which is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or it is perhaps from the Chaldee Ir an Angel Again there are â—trange Fiery Apparitions mention'd in the Old Testament as the Burning-Bush and the FlamingChariots before spoken of and we read that God appointed Holy-Fire to be kept always on the Altar Hence perhaps it was that Fire was made â— God and Worshipp'd by the Chaldeans and Persians and was in such request among the Old Romans that as you have heard they ordered the Vestal Virgins to keep it unextinguish'd Thus the Heathens had their Gods and Goddesses from the Holy Book which it may be that Sagacious Author of the Book of Maccabees meant when he said From the Book of the Law the Heathens sought to Paint the likeness of their Images We have found in this Discourse that their Images or Gods have been made like to those things which they meet with in the Sacred Writings I have shewed you the Resemblance and Agreement between them in many Considerable Circumstances CHAP. VII From the Names of the True God the Gentilâ—â— had the Names of their False ones as joâ—â— and Jao from Jâ—hovah and Jah 〈◊〉 from Adonai Baal Berith and Sabazius frâ—â— Epithets given to the True God Also tâ—â— Pagans giving the Title of Gods to theâ—â— Kings is deriv'd from the Sacred Writings Anchialum in Martial hath reference to thâ— form of Swearing in the Old Testament The Authors particular resolution of that mistakes word The use of the word Horns in Prâ—phane Authors is borrow'd from the Sacred Stile Several other words Phrases and Forms of Speech among the Pagans are taken thence There are some footsteps and relicks of the Sacred History in the most remote Countries of the World Objectioâ—â— against the foregoing Discourse answer'd Ninthly THE Heathens had the Names of 〈◊〉 Gods and the pronunciation of thâ—â— sometimes from the Names and Titles of the True God They seem to have derived something from what the Iews practis'd concerning the Great Tetragrammaton which was call'd by them Hashem the Name emphatically the Name appropriate to God the unexpressible Name for the Iews tell us that this Name which we read Ieâ—ovâ—â— was pronounced by the High Priest only and that but once a year in the Temple at the Feâ—â— of Propitiation so that it was not known by the People how it was pronounced When they met with it in their Bibles instead of it they read Adonai or Elohim Hence a great many Conjectures have been about the right pronunciation of this Name It was read Iave or Iahave by the Samaritans but this is laid aside and Mercer and Drusius read it Ieheve Some think that Iehejeh Erit was the word used at first by the Iews and that afterwards it was corruptly changed into Ieheveh the Iod being turned into Vau. The true Punctation of the Proper Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was anciently Iahavoh saith the Learned Prefacer to the First Volume of Dr. Lightfoot's Works but he is not pleased to give any Reason for it Whether Galatinus was the first that read and pronounced it Iehovah I will not here inquire but this is certain he had it from the Masorites according to whose Points it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and without question those Hebrew Criticks had it from the best and ancientest Copies This was the â—irst and truest reading and some Mens varying from it hath proceeded from their Belief of the Iewish Conceit and Tradition that their Fore-Fathers knew not how to read or pronounce the Tetragrammaton But though it is true they seldom or never spake it yet this did not
of meer Fictions Whence Eusebius complains that there were nothing but meer Fables in the Greek Histories if they may be call'd Histories before the beginning of the Olympiads that Famous Greek Epoche or Computation which began from the Instauration of the Olympick Games by Iphitus but when this was is not very clear for some say it was in the time of Azariab King of Iudah above two hundred years after the Death of Solomon others say in the Reign of Vzziah King of Iudah A. M. 3173. Others fix it A. M. 3189 eight years before the Birth of Romulus and Remus four hundred and seven years after the Destruction of Troy Others place the Olympiads lower about A. M. 3228 others A. M. 3256 about seven hundred and fifty years before Christ. Varro's Division of Times into Vnknown Fabulous and Historical the last of which he begins not 'till the Greek Olympiads proves this very thing The most Ancient Greek Historians were Archiloâ—us Aristeas Proconnesius Hecataeus Milesius Charon Lampsacenus c. but nothing of their Writings is preserved Herodotus is the Ancientest Greek Historian we have extant and therefore is called the Father of History but he begins his Historical Relations but a little before the Prophetick Histories of Ezra Nehemiah and Daniel make an end You will find this Argument prosecuted by Clemens Alexandrinus who shews that the Learning and Knowledge of the Hebrews was before that of the Greeks as much as the Iewish Nation was before the Seven Wise Men and the Sacred History before the Argolick He shews that Thales and Solon two of their Wise Men lived about the forty sixth and the fiftieth Olympiad and Pythagoras about the sixty second than which the Iews were much older by the confession of Philo Pythagoreus Aristobulus Peripateticus and Megasthenes He compares the Age of Moses with Bacchus the Seven Wise Men and some of the Grecian Gods and proves that he was above six hundred years before any of these He demonstrates from Chronological Computations that Hâ—ggai aâ—d Zachary were Elder than Pythagoras and that Solomon was much Seniour to the Wise Men. And all this is in order to this that the Greeks as well as the Chaldeans and Egyptians had their Knowledge from the Hebrews and not these from them Seeing then that the Ancientest Pagan Writers are short of the Holy Scriptures seeing all Authors and Writers are after Moses for he indeed was before all the Great things that are in Pagan History 400 years before the Trojan War which is the first starting of History with the Greek and Roman Authors His Laws had the precedency of all others whatsoever yea the very name of Law was scarce extant at that time in all Homer you can't find the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they had no written Rules to direct their Manners by the will of their Princes was the only Law since these things are thus the Transcendant Antiquity of the Writings of the Old Testament is hence undeniably proved These are the ancientest Memorials in the World these are the oldest Monuments of Truth and consequently the Iews were the first People that had these things set before them and as a consequent of that all others took from them From this comparing the Antiquity of Writers it is clear that Moses's Laws and the Customs of the Patriarchs were not borrowed from the Pagans as some have imagin'd but that the Chaldeans Phaenicians and Egyptians yea that the Arabians and Persians as might have been shewn and as the Learned Dr. Stillingfleet now a worthy Prelate of our Church hath proved in his Admirable Discourse on this Subject and that the Greeks and Latins have derived their Mysteries from the Hebrews and that all the Gentile Theologers borrowed their Great Truths from the Books of the Old Testament for these being the ancientest and first Records it is most reasonable to believe that those that came after them took from them and that these Sacred Writings yielded matter to those others This is the first Reason to prove that the Pagan Historians Philosophers and Poets were beholding to the Scriptures Secondly I will prove it from the way of Communicating those Scriptural Truths and Histories to them 1. This happen'd by reason of the Commerce which the Iews had with the Neighbouring Nations Chaldeans Phaenicians Egyptians and others Especially in King Solomon's time there was a great Commerce between the Hebrews and these latter and then it is probable the Egyptians learnt many things of the Iews As Solomon Married a Wife thence so it is likely they affected some of the Rites and Manners of his People and espoused their Customs and Usages together with their Notions and Opinions It must be remembred also that the Chaldeans Phaenicians and Egyptians were the Nations which Greece Traded with and so this Country had an opportunity of receiving the Iewish Traditions and Customs at the second hand and hence it is that you have the footsteps of them so frequently in the Greek Authors as well Poets as others Nay to speak more generally Iudea was very well â—ituated for the propagating of Laws and Usages to all other Nations for it was placed in that Climate of the World which was fit for this purpose viz. in the middle of the then Inhabited Earth To which convenient situation perhaps the Psalmist refers in Psal. 74. 12. God worketh Salvation in the midst of the Earth And so that of Ezekiel concerning Ierusalem I have set it in the midst of the Nations Ch. 5. v. 5. Secondly A great part of the Hebrews being dispersed over all the World by Divine Providenâ—e had an opportunity of Communicating these things to the Gentiles The main Body of them were sent into Assyria and Babylon by Nehuchadnezzar where they had converse with those Sâ—rangers seventy years and a part of them were carried at the same time into Egypt with Ieremiah It is not to be doubted that they carried with them the Holy Writings which were then extant and out of them they daily imparted the passages of the History of the Creation of the World and Noah's Flood and the Propagation of Mankind and other the like particulars contained in those Books Afterwards when they were beaten by Pompey and made Slaves they were carried Captive into Egypt Syria Greece Rome Besides that in the times of the Maccabees some had freely left their Country and went into Egypt to make Proselytes there When they were thus scattered into these Foreign Countries it is no wonder that the People in these parts attain'd to some knowledge of the Sacred Books and of the Traditions of the Iews They must needs hear and learn something of those Matters Conversing familiarly with the Iews 3. The Iewish Notions and Customs might easily be Communicated to the Gentiles seeing Moses's Writings were Translated into Greek in the time of the Persian Monarchy if not before it as Eusebius reports from Megasibenes a Man well Skill'd in History and who
it is manifest that the Iewish Ceremonies were not taken from Gentilism but Instituted by God himself Among the Reformists you will see this more plainly attested All that consent saith one which is between the Iewish and Gentile Rites ariseth from the Devil's study to deprave many things which are in the Iewish Worship of God and to transfer them to his own And another thus It is a wicked and detestable thing to imagine that the Rites commanded in the Mosaick Law were as it were Play-games and Sports only in imitation of the Pagans Therefore that those Rites may have that honour and dignity which is due to them we must hold this as an infallible Truth that all the things in the Iewish Worship were according to the Spiritual Pattern which was shew'd to Moses in the Mount To which I add Cocceius's notable words I admit not that the Iewish Law is an imitation of the Gentile Ceremonies For on the contrary it is certain that it was made to draw off the Israelites from many of the Pagan Rites by those several Laws which were in it contrary to those Rites So it became a Hedge or Partition Wall between the Iews and Gentiles that they might not come near one another as to their Ceremonies for from a likeness in these there would have followed a mutual Converse and Communion and consequently a Depravation As to Particular Rites among the Gentiles as that of Sacriâ—ices and using of Salt in them Spanhemius refers the Original of them to the Iewish Law and the practice of God's People adding that This Iewish Custom was by a fond imitation in the Devil who sometimes is Gods Ape made use of in the impious and idolatrous services of the Pagans So as to the Ark of the Testimony which the Learned Dean saith was in imitation of the Heathens the contrary is expresly vouched by another worthy Writer in such plain terms as these Having thought of the whole matter viz. the Arks or Chests which he had said before were used in the Religious Mysteries of the Pagans my Opinion concerning them is this that the Devil as he was ever an Ape and a Ludicrous imitator of God's Works and Institutions so here particularly he had a mind to set up these his Arks against the Ark of the Covenant made by God And hear what a late Learned Author often commended by the Worthy Dean himself saith Chests or Arks used at the Greek and Egyptian Feasts especially in the Eleusinian Solemnities with the Toys shut up in them of which Clement of Alexandria speaks these were Images or Imitations of the Ark of the Covenant among the Iews All these Allegations and Testimonies together with those before are absolutely repugnant to the Learned Doctor 's assertion which he so often repeateth that many of the Mosaical Laws about Religious Rites and Ceremonies were taken from the Rites and Usages among the Pagan Idolaters But this Author is so Considerable and Worthy a Writer that it may be thought his single Authority is able to counterpoize if not out-weigh the joint Suffrage of the Persons before named wherefore I will make bold to Combat his Notion with a plain Text of Scripture which carries irresistible Authority with it The express words of it are these in Deut. 12. 30 31 32. Take heed to thy self that thou be not snared by following them i. e. the Heathens and that thou enquire not after their Gods saying How did these Nations serve their Gods even so will I do likewise Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God for every abomination to the Lord which he hateth have they done unto their Gods What thing soever I command you observe to do it thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it Observe here the Iews were forbid to follow the Customs and Rites of the Gentiles and in order to that to enquiâ—â—â—â—ter their Idolatrous Service and the manner of it They must by no means 〈◊〉 the true God as the Nations served their false Gods and Idols The Reason 〈◊〉 this is râ—ndâ—ed because every abomâ—nation to the Lord which he hateth was done by them to their Gods The Rites and Ceremonies which they used in Worshipping their Gods were abominable to the God of Israel Wherefore it is absurd to think that he would appoint his People such Religious Rites and Services as were abominable and hateful to him unless you will say that which was abominable in the Heathens was not so in God's own People But this increases the absurdity rather than takes it away No Man of sober thoughts can talk after this rate for if God disliked those things in the Idolatrous Worshippers it is certain that he did much more so in the true ones Wherefore he instituted such a Service as was most opposite to the Heathen way of Worship and had not the least affinity with it Hence it is added what thing soever I command you observe to do it as much as to say you must not follow the directions or example of those Pagaus in your Worshipping of me you must do nothing in my Service but what I expresly Command you neither adding thereto nor diminishing from it How then can any Man with Reason assert that the Iews borrowed their Rites in Religious Worship from the Gentiles A Person of so bright an intellect as our Learned Author is cannot but see the force of this Text and be convinc'd that it ruines his Hypothesis which he was pleas'd to take up it may be only to give proof of his own Skill to the Learned World and to try that of his Opponents So much for the first Corollary from the preceeding Discourse 2. From the Premises we may learn the Excellency of our Religion viz. 1. That it is the Ancientest Religion in the World We may plainly see the Footsteps of it in the oldest Times that were The memory of it is among the most Celebrated Monuments of Antiquity The Truths of it are to be read in the Histories of the First Ages yea in the Fables of the Old Poets in the rusty and antique fragments of the Primitive Times of the World 2. See the Reasonableness which is another Excellency of our Religion Many of the Scripture-Truths were receiv'd by the Philosophers and Sages among the Gentiles who had no other Conduct than that of their Rational Faculties These Masters of Reason entertain'd some of the Grand Principles of our Religion and approved of them and acknowledg'd them as Rational 3. See the Certainty of our Holy Religion It is attested not only by Friends but Enemies It hath even the Approbation of Heathen Writers who have Recorded and thereby confirmed some of the most remarkable things reported in the Sacred Writings as the Creation of the World our first Parents Happiness and afterwards their Fall Noaâ—'s Flood the long Lives of the first Persons the Building of the Tower of Babel the Confusion of Languages the
If these had been Prophesies in a strict sense they would have been communicated by God to his peculiar People to whom were committed his Oracles rather than to common Pagans It is ceâ—tain that these were too Choice Secrets to be râ—â—eal'd to them Wherefore it is reasonable to conclude they were taken out of the Prophesies of the Old-Testament which were spread abroad among the Gentiles The Sibylls only recite those Prophesies but by no means are you to think that they were Prophesies of their own It is true the Pagans hearing of these Predictions and not knowing the rise of them attributed them to their Prophetesses the Sibylls and so they passed for the Sibylls Oracles as if those Women made and â—ndited them of their own Heads But they are the Oracles of the Holy Prophets and not of any Persons among the Pagans The Sibylls are not the original Authors of them but they were borrowed from the Sacred Volume of the Bible This is the true Account of the Sibylls Writings and by this we are rid of all the hard Consequences which may be drawn from the fore-going Assertions We need not trouble our selves to enquire whether they had these things by Divine Aâ—â—lation or by the help of some evil Daemon We need not dispute whether they could be endued with the Gift of Prophecy and yet be Pagans in their Persuasions and vitious in their Lives or whether if they were acted by a Diabolick Spirit they could foretel things of this sacred nature For there is no necessity of maintaining either of these because we can solve the matter before us without supposing any thing of this kind viz. by holding that these Sibylls as many others before them took these things from the ancient Prophets in Holy Scripture and dress'd them up after their own fashion All things agree very well with this Opinion and we are press'd with no Absurdities insomuch that I have wondred sometimes that this hath not been thought of by the Inquisitive This is yet a farther Evidence of what I so largely pursued before that the Gentiles insert into their Writings several particularâ— of the Old-Testament and at the same time it 's a Confirmation of the Truth and Certainty of the Evangelical Writings which is the next thing I offered Secondly then I will consider the Sibylls Oracles and Verses as they are a signal Attestation and Confirmation of the Authority of the New-Testament Behold here the main things relating to our Blessed Saviour plainly spoken of by these Pagans whose witness in this case is very considerable They declar'd in these Writings that there should be a great Change in the World and that a New Governor or King should arise and be very Eminent Cicâ—ro frequently takes notice of this passage of the Sibylls and the Roman Senate was mightily allarm'd with it and was affraid their Common-wealth would be turned into a Monarchy Yea Lentulus began to take heart from this Prophecy if you will believe Tully and Salust and fancied he was the King the Sibylls spoke of And others afterwards imagin'd that Iulius Caesar or Augustus or as some thought Vespasian or Titus were intended whereas the plain truth is that the Sibylls had only divulged in their Verses the ancient Prophesies concerning the Coming of the Messias which were found by them in the Holy Writings of the Iews and began to be known at that time to the World If we had no more to alledge but this this were sufficient to prove the Authority of the Sibylls Writings They tell us in their Mystick Verses that a Little Child should throw down Idolatry with his hand and stop the Mouths of the Delphick Daemons this was no other than the Bleâ—sed Babe Iesus It were endless to transcribe particular passages in these Writings as concerning Christ's Miracles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which is only a Paraphrase on that Prophesie concerning our Blessed Lord in Isai. 35. 5 6. and many other Texts in the same Prophet which speak of the miraculous Acts which he was to exert here upon Earth So what is said of his Sufferings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is borrowed from that Prediction in Isai. 5â— which is no other than a Description of the Messias's Sufferings And that passage reâ—â—ting to the Resurrection and his coming to Jugdment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is founded on some peculiar Texts in the Old Testament which speak of the Messias's last Advent and glorious Reign Certainly it is of great moment that these Persons attest these things the very same which were predicted in the Old-Testament and which are recorded in the Holy Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles This may be serviceable to refute the Objections and Cavils of the most professed Adversaries of Christianity Accordingly the ancient Christians especially the Fathers made use of these Heathen Writings against the Heathens themselves beating them with their own Weapon Peruse Athenagoras and Theophilus of Antioch and you will â—ind these Womens Verses highly commended by them Peruse Iustin and Clemens Alexandrinus and you will see that they frequently quote those Writings and rely on them in their disputes against the Pagans for Christianity So doth Tertullian so doth Origen arguing out of these Pagan Books for the Religion which they had espoused In Imitation of these Learned Fathers Constantine the Great in one of his Orations speaks very reverently of the Sibylls Predictions and vindicates them as no contemptible Proof of Christianity Lactantius and Arnobius alledge them to prove the same St. Augustin quotes the Acrosticks of Sibylla Erythraea and turns them into Latin Thus the Fathers used to convince the Gentiles out of the Sibylline Oracles and the Old Christians constantly read these Writings and appeal'd to them in their Discourses with the Heathens From which practise of theirs the Gentiles as Origen testifies stiled the Christians Sibyllists yea the ancient Christians were so addicted to the reading these Books of the Sibylls that they were strictly forbid by the Laws to do it for the future upon pain of Death And we are told what was the Reason why the Emperors prohibited the reading of these Books namely because they thence fetch'd many things that made for their Cause These Writings of Heathen Women were in those days reckoned to be a notable Testimony to the Truth of Christianity Whence it appears that they were no Forgeries for the Anciâ—ntest and Learnedest Fathers as well as other Christian Brethren would not have quoted them to confirm the Christian Religion if they had been such But we see they did frequently alledge them to that end and especially in their Disputes with the Gentiles As they made use of the Heathen Philosophers and Poets for attesting the Scâ—iptures of the Old-Testament as hath been shewed you so they cited these Gentile
or spiritual Sense of Scripture is according to some threefold 1. Tropological when one thing delivered in Scripture signifies some other thing pertaining to the Conversation of Men. Thus those Texts of the Mosaick Law wherein is forbidden the eating of certain Animals have partly respect unto the Manners of Persons Both Jewish and Christian Expositors have thought that it was designed in those Prohibitions that some moral Instruction should be taught that People from the Consideration of the natural Inclinations and Qualities of those Creatures 2. There is an Allegorical Sense when things spoken of in the Old Testament are Figures of something in the New or when particularly they have a respect to Christ or the Church Militant as the Rock and the Manna mentioned in Moses's History of the Israelites 3. An Anagogical Sense is said to be in some Places of Scripture and this is when the things related are applicable to the Church Triumphant or the Life everlasting Thus the entring into Canaan and the Holy of Holies in the Temple in the highest Sense of them are meant of Heaven and the State of Eternal Happiness But because there is a great quarrelling about the applying of this triple Distinction to the several Passages in Scripture which are said to bear a mystical meaning and because some learned Divines of the Protestant Perswasion disallow of this Distribution of the mystical Sense of Scripture I will avoid all wrangling by assigning only those two general Senses of Scripture viz. the literal and mystical and by leaving it to every one's Liberty either to omit the particular Subdivisions of the latter or to apply them as they see occasion Or rather if I may be permitted to vary from this received Division of the Sense of Scripture I would divide it thus into a primary and a secondary Sense the former is literal the latter is â—ystical and yet not so but that sometimes as you shall see afterwards the secondary Sense is literal too for there are two literal or historical Meanings in some Places but the latter of them may be called mystical also because it is not so plainly understood as the other The literal Sense of Scripture is the main and indeed the only Sense of the greatest part of it for some particular Places only have a mystical Signification This is the most genuine proper and original meaning and therefore I call it the first or primary one But the mystical Sense is derivative improper indirect and not that which was first and chiefly design'd and therefore I call it the secondary Sense The former of these is that plain meaning of Scripture which the bare Letter and Words themselves denote to us The latter is when some other thing is signified in the Words besides what the Letter of them seems to import The one is obvious and lies uppermost in the Text and is the soonest perceived but the other is more remote and lies deep and is not so easily discovered but is of great Use and Moment yea generally of greater than the other more familiar and obvious meaning wherefore it is our Concern to acquaint our selves with it The Bible like that Book in Ezekiel ch 2. 10. is written within and without it hath an inward secret and mystical Signification as well as one that is external open and literal and we can never arrive to a true Understanding of this Holy Book unless we have some Insight into both I will instance first in the Writings of the Old Testament and shew that there is a secondary or mystical Sense lodged in several Passages of them Indeed the holy Language it self in which these were wrote is big with Mysteries I have observed that there are more Words in this Tongue that signify to hide or conceal than in any other Language whatsoever There are a hundred synonymous Words at least for this one thing Whether this Criticism have any Weight in it or no I shall not be much concern'd but this is unquestionable that many great Mysteries are wrapp'd up in this abstruse Tongue in the holy Volume The Jews who were conversant in these Writings acknowledg'd there was not only a literal but a mystical Interpretation of them which latter they called Midrash because there was no attaining to it but by a diligent Inquisition The Hebrew Doctors say in a proverbial manner there is not a single Letter in the whole Law on which there do not depend great Mountains Their meaning is that there are vast Mysteries and profound Sense in every Word almost in the Sacred Writings Which is the meaning of another Adage of theirs viz. that the Law hath seventy Faces It hath many various Aspects different Significations and Senses for there are mystical as well as literal Interpretations of the holy Text. Thus the Entrance of the Bible the Beginning of the Book of Genesis though it be historical and sets down Matter of Fact as the wonderful Creation of the Heavens and Earth and of Man and the rest of the Inhabitants of this lower World yet it was thought by the wisest Jews that there was a farther Reach in it and that both Moral and Divine Mysteries were couch'd in the several Particulars of that Narrative which Moses gives there of the Origine of the World for which Reason this first Entrance into the Pentateuch was forhad to be read by the Jews till they were thirty Years of Age. It is agreed among the best Expositors that in those Words in Gen. 3. 14 15. The Lord said unto the Serpent I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed Besides the primary or literal Sense viz. that there shall be an irreconcilable Enmity between Mankind and the Serpentine Brood and that Man having an Antipathy against that Creature shall labour to destroy it by â—ruising his Head because there his Venom lies whereby he doth harm and the Head is to be first attack'd if we would destroy this mischievous Creature as Iosephus gives the Sense of this Place Besides this I say there is another for Satan is meant by the Serpent as well as the Creature of that Name for Satan appeared in the Shape of a Serpent or rather actuated a living Serpent and Christ is meant by the Seed of the Woman for he is emphatically and exclusively call'd so because he was not the Seed of Man but was after an extraordinary manner born of a Virgin So that this Text is justly stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first Dawning of the Gospel or the most early Promise concerning the blessed Messias the Christ the Lamb of God that was to take away the Sins of the World So likewise we are certain from the Authority of the Apostle in Heb. 7. 1 c. that what is said in Gen. 14. 18. of Melohisedek King of Salem Priest of the most High God is not only literally spoken but ought to be understood in a higher and
whose Lives they record The Old Patriarchs owned themselves to be Pilgrims Gen. 47. 9. The Days of the Years of my Pilgrimage c. And that you may not think it is meant only of their travelling from Place to Place in those Days you will find this was said by some of their Posterity after they were possess'd of the Promised Land and were no longer in the unsettled Condition of their Predecessors We are Strangers before thee and Sojourners as were all our Fathers saith the Pious King 1 Chron. 29. 15. And in the next Words he lets us know what he means Our Days on Earth are as a Shadow and there is no abiding so that the whole Race of Mankind are all equally Pilgrims and Sojourners in this World they are Strangers in the Earth as the same devout Man often acknowledgeth and this World is stiled by him the House of his Pilgrimage After the same manner St. Peter speaks calling this Life the time of our sojourning here and he exhorts the converted Jews to whom he writes to deport themselves as Strangers and Pilgrims 1 Pet. 2. 11. which I confess may have a more particular Reference to their being expell'd out of Iudea their native Country and dwelling in a strange Place whence he stiles them scattered Strangers in the beginning of the Epistle but notwithstanding this the Apostle might apply it to them in the more general Notion and as they with all other Christians are Pilgrims travelling to another World With respect to which the other great Apostle saith Here we have no continuing City but we seek one to come Heb. 13. 14. We have no fix'd Habitation we have no settled Place of Abode we with other holy Men before us must confess we are Pilgrims Heb. 11. 13. We belong to another Country we are Citizens of the Ierusalem that is above We look as all the holy Pilgrims heretofore did for a City which hath Foundations whose Builder and Maker is God Heb. 11. 10. We are passing through this World to that Heavenly Metropolis we are travelling with our Caravan to that New Ierusalem that Holy Land and our Thoughts our Wishes our Desires our Conversation are there already Again that it may appear that Heathen Writers and the Holy Scripture have the same way of Expression I will shew that they both agree to say the Life of Man is a Warfare Thus it is called in the ancient Book of Iob ch 7. 1. for the word Tsaba though it be rendred by us an appointed time is as capable if not more of being translated a Warfare And so St. Ierom renders it The Life of Man is a Warfare on Earth And again cb 14. 14. The Days of our Warfare are the Term of Man's Life Such Holy Iob found it to be The War was warm the Service was hot the Battel was furious and he was set in the Front of it Though this great Heroick Warrior fainted in the Conflict sometimes yet his Valour was very eminent and he fought it out resolutely and won the Day and was signally rewarded by the great Arbiter of Battel the Lord of Hosts It cannot escape our Observation that several Military Expressions are used by the Holy Ghost in Scripture to set forth the Duties and Offices of Man's Life and to let us know that it is a continual Combate and Fight Yea Tsaba militare is applied to the Ecclesiastick Function and Ministry of the Levites in the Tabernacle their Service or Waiting is call'd a Warfare Numb 8. 25. and in the Verse before a warring a Warfare if we render it exactly according to the Hebrew Especially this way of Speaking is applicable to the troublesome and afflictive Part of Man's Life which is rightly call'd by St. Paul the Fight of Afflictions Heb. 10. 32. And with regard to this without doubt those comfortable Words were spoken to Ierusalem Her War is accomplished Isa. 40. 2. But more eminently in the New Testament this Mode of Speech is observable where Christianity is represented as a Warfare and the Christian Church as Militant here on Earth St. Paul is pleased to stile our Saviour the Captain of our Salvation and himself and all his Fellow-Christians Souldiers and those especially who were assistant to him in the sacred Ministry of the Gospel his Fellow-Souldiers He exhorts Timothy to war the good Warfare and to fight the good Fight of Faith and that in imitation of himself who had fought this good Fight though these latter Expressions refer more peculiarly to the Olympick Combates as you shall hear afterwards You read of the Weapons of Righteousness as well as of Unrighteousness belonging to this Spiritual War And these Weapons which are call'd the whole Armour of God are particularly enumerated by the Apostle Eph. 6. 13 14. I could observe to you in that Exhortation of St. Iames Submit your selves to God resist the Devil and he will flee from you that there are three Military Terms 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be subject to your Commander observe his Orders look for the Signal of Battel from him keep the Station that is set you be obedient to the Discipline of War in all things be ruled by your General for as St. Paul saith very appositely when he is speaking of the Christian Souldier He that warreth must concern himself in nothing else but the pleasing of him who hath chosen him to be a Souldier 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 withstand oppose engage the Enemy be sure you give him Battel make a resolute and vigorous Onset charge through his whole Body make a Lane through his thickest Troops 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall be put to Flight he shall certainly be routed and defeated and never be able to rally again and so Victory at last crowns the Combate But St. Paul more briefly tells us what is the Employment of a Christian Souldier when he saith Indure Hardness as a good Souldier of Iesus Christ for in that one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he lets us understand that he is one that is to fare hardly that he is to be inured to Difficulties and Perils to tedious Marches and continual Watchings to Hunger and Thirst and infinite Fatigues and that he must converse with Dangers and Death Every Battel of the Warrior is with confused Noise and Garments roll'd in Blood The Life of a Christian Souldier is painful and laborious because he is to be exercised in denying himself in crossing his sensual Appetite in submitting to the hardest Duties and undergoing the greatest Sufferings Temptations and Persecutions He must be continually sweating toiling striving fighting grappling with Foes of all kinds and encountring all sorts of Hardships Thus a Christian is a Spiritual Souldier thus Christianity is a Holy War thus the Life of Man is a Warfare And this is that which all the Great Masters of Morals inculcate in their Writings One of the chiefest of them who
same import with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Philo. I conceive this may be the plain sense of the Evangelist's words however I propound it only by way of Conjecture and am willing in this as in other things to submit to the Arbitration of the Wise. I will mention another Instance of this Agreement of the Stile of Pagan and Inspired Writers It is usually among the former to honour a Good Man with the Title of the Friend of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is usual in Homer and among the Philosophers Plato especially it is very frequent Who are the Friends of God is excellently discoursed of by this brave Man in his fourth Book of Laws A Religious Man is a Friend of God saith Max. Tyrius with whom concurs another Eminent Moralist directly asserting that Good Men are the Friends of the Deity Epictetus and Arrianus speak of God as a Friend and the Best Friend Caâ—byses's Advice to his Son Cyrus was Be thou the Friend of God as Xenophon relates In short it was the common Stile and Language of the best Moralists as Socrates Antoninus Seneca Plotinus besides those before named to call a Vertuous Person a Friâ—nd or one Beloved of God Especially this Epithet was given him if he prospered in his vertuous Enterprizes if he found Success in his laudable Endeavours Yea Epictetus that Excellent Stoick Philosopher and Great Master of Ethicks was honoured with this Title as the highest that could be when he left the World as we learn from his Epitaph The same Expression we meet with often in Scripture the same honourable Epithet is vouchsafed there to Holy Men. Abraham the Father of the Faithful is particularly signalized by it and that no less than thrice 2 Chron. 20. 7. Isa. 41. 8. Iam. 2. 23. Of Moses 't is said that God spake to him as to his Friend Exod. 33. 11. Solomon was named Iedidiah i. e. the Beloved of the Lord 2 Sam. 13. 25. In that Mystical Book of the Canticles this Name is attributed to both those entire Lovers Christ and the Church Eat O ye Friends drink O Beloved saith the former This is my Beloved this is my Friend saith the latter In which places Rang and Dod are the like endearing Titles with Obâ—b which was the word used in the Texts before-mentioned And this further I could observe to you that the words Obeb and Obebim which are translated Friend and Friends in those places might be rendred so in many others where our Translators english them him or those that love God In the Evangelical Writings the same Stile is observable thus those words in Lâ—ke 12. 4. are spoken by our Saviour particularly to his dear Companions and Disciples where he calls them his Friends And in three Verses together these his faithful Followers and Associates and with them all True Believers and Holy Men are stiled his Friends Joh. 15. 13 14 15. And hear what an Honourable Epitaph our Saviour bestowed on Laâ—arus John 11. 11. Our Friend Lazarus sleepeth What is more usual in the Language of the New Testament than to say a Wicked Man is dead This my Son was dead saith the Father of the Prodigal Son Luke 15. 24. giving us to understand that the Profligate and Debauch'd are morally dead And so some think this Term is to be understood in the former part of those words Let the Dead bury their Dead Mat. 8. 22. Of the Widow giâ—en to Luxury 't is said she is dead while she liveth I Tim. 5. 6. And to be dead in Sin is in Scripture-Phraseology applied after the same manner Ephes. 2. 1 5. Col. 2. 13. And in several other places the like mode of Speech is observable To which the Antient Philosophers were no Strangers in whose account Vicious Men were reputed as dead Hence an Antient Writer of the Church observes that even in the Barbarick Philosophy they were wont to call those Dead who abandon'd the right Sentiments of things which they had and made their Souls slaves to the Animal Passions Not only Pythagoras himself was wont to place a Coffin in the room of his outcast Scholars as if they had been dead but his Followers and the Platonists in imitation of him had the same Practice among them For it was an acknowledg'd Notion that Vertue makes us live and consequently that wicked Men do not properly live but that in true Morality they are rightly said to be dead There is wanting in them an inward Principle of Life as the Spartan said after all his trials of erecting a dead Body into a living Posture Hence Vice is deservedly stiled the Death of the rational part of Man and the Mortality of the Soul With relation to which guise of Speech intermortui mores are in Plautus Corrupt and Vicious Manners And the like Phrase is used by the Jews the Wicked say they are Dead while they live and again they tell us that a Dead Carcase is better than a Disciple that is void of Knowledge and true Wisdom And other such like Expressions there are not only among the Hebrews but the Arabians Once more I will observe how the Scripture speaks as the best Moralists do viz. when it calls Death a Sleep The Hebrew Verb Shacab signifies to lie down to sleep Gen. 19. 4. and likewise to die â— Sam. 7. 12. Isa. 14. 8. whence to sleep with their Fathers is an usual Phrase in the Historical Books of the Old Testament Thence the Grave is call'd a Bed Isa. 57. 2. Gneres is both lectus and feretrum the Bed of those that sleep and the Bed or Bier of those that are dead as perhaps our Saxon word grave or grab as other Germans write it is from grabatus The Psalmist mentions the Sleep of Death Psal. 13. 3. And it seems this was the Stile of the Antient Arabs as appears from Iob 7. 21. I shall sleep in the Dust. If we descend to the New Testament we shall read there that Lazarus sleepeth Joh. 11. 11. and of St. Stephen 't is said that he fell asleep and of other holy Men that they sleep in Iesus and are fallen asleep in Christ. When a good Man dies he lays himself down to Rest he betakes himself to his Repose bidding the World good night he shuts his Eyes and opens them no more till the Morning of the Resurrection The like Expression is in use among the Pagans to sleep and to die are synonymous Terms with them With the Prince of Poets Sleep is not only the Brother of Death but it is the very word to express Death it self Nox est perpetuò una dormienda saith Catullus Perpetuus Sopor is Horace's Language Nox perpetua is Propertius's which is the same with Virgil's Nox aeterna Alluding to which Phrase is that of Tully and other good Authors decumbere to lie down to betake himself to sleep i. e.
in Self-Love in an Eager Desire of lengthning out their Days and in an Extravagant Doting on the things of this Life They must soon die and leave the World which they detest so much as to hear of and yet they do as 't were hug it the more They are shortly to bid adieu to it and therefore they more â—arnestly desire and pursue it as we are most busy in saluting and imbracing those Friends that we must part with presently Though there is a Period to all their other Labours yet they are not wearied with getting Gain In nothing else but this do they seem to possess their Youthful Vigour again In brief all their former Passions are swallowed up in Avarice and Concernedness for the Profits and Advantages of this present World The longer they are here the more enamour'd they are with it for as One hath observed The more a Man drinks of the World the more it Intoxicates Thus the Sun and Moon and Stars are darkned Thus the Minds of Aged â—ersons are vitiated and corrupted These are the particular Defects and Failings which they are generally liable to and therefore are made part of their Character here I mean when a Divine Principle and a Lively Sense of Vertue and Holiness do not actuate them when Religion hath not had its due Operation on their Hearts and their Lives are not reformed by the Influence of the Holy Spirit For otherwise it is certain that Years administer to Vertue and are an excellent Help to Religion The bravest and noblest Actions that have been atchieved have been from the Counsels and Directions of Men of Long Experience in the World for now their Minds and Judgments are arrived to the utmost Maturity like Old Wine they are the more Generous and Refined This Stage of Life of all others is most calculated for the serious Practice of Goodness and Piety and the very Height and Perfection of all Vertues when it is season'd with Divine Grace and assisted by the supernatural Aids of the Holy Ghost But the Wise Man here speaks of it under another Capacity and as this part of a Man's Life is generally and most commonly incident both to natural and moral Defects of thâ— Soul This is the darkning of this glorious Sun these are the unhappy Clouds that obscure its Light Yea as it follows the Clouds return after the Rain for this belongs to what was said before and so refers to the Soul which so frequently in the Close of Mens Days is overwhelm'd with Ignorance Dotage Forgetfulness Conceitedness Wilfulness Self-Love and other Distempers which cast a Scum over this Sun and hinder it from shining forth And accordingly as the Unhealthful and Sickly Years of their Lives come faster upon them these Clouds increase and grow thicker and darker and so the Sun is overspread at last One Mental Evil succeeds another in this Conclâ—ding Stage of Mens Pilgrimage There is a Circle of these Maladies as Clouds produce Rain and Rain falling on the Earth begets new Vapours and from these proceed Clouds again So it is here there is a continued Succession of Evils thus the Clouds return after the Rain Hitherto you have the Character of Old Age as it hath respect to the Soul of Man for so I understand it though Expositors are pleased to go another way But I would ask this Is it not most unlikely that Solomon undertaking here the Description of Old Age would give so lame and imperfect an Account of it as to relate some Inconveniences and Defects which have reference to the Body and wholly to pass by in silence those that appertain to the Other and more Considerable Part of Man Again I would ask whether there could be any Words in the World that are fitter and apter to express the Defects of the Mind the Nobler and Brighter Moiety of Man than these which the Wise Man here useth Wherefore I doubt not but this first Part of his Character is to be understood as I have represented it to you And indeed since my finishing this Part of my Discourse I have found that some others as Glassius and an Ingenious Person of our own Nation interpret Solomon's Words after this manner From the Soul he passes to the Body and Outward Man and that it may appear the better that this is a distinct Partition from what went before he inserts these Words in the Day when ver 3. and doth not repeat them any more afterwards which shews he begins a New Head and that these Words are only to mark out here to us this Division which I am speaking of which Commentators not attending to have mistaken the Sense of the second Verse which I have been explaining and havâ— applied it to the Evils of the Body Whereas Those are now in the next Place enter'd upon and I will endeavour to give you a particular Account of them First he tells us that the Keepers of the House tremble ver 3. where the Body is compared to a House and what more fitly can be said to be the Keepers of it than as Castalio and Grotius expound it the active Hands and Arms which were made on purpose to guard and defend the Body and therefore on all Occasions officiously bestir themselves and are lifted up or stretch'd forth to preserve it from harm to keep and secure it from Danger But even these Nimble Guards these Stout and Brawny Keepers shake at the Arrival of Old Age and with a Paralytick Trembling confess their Inability to discharge their Office to keep and defend the House the Tabernacle of the Body from Assaults and Injuries Yea these once-Trusty Guardians who were wont to make use of Staves and other Weapons for their Defence now use the former only for a Support With this they knock at the Earth at every Step as if they call'd on their Graves Or as the Spanish Proverb hath it The Old Man's Staff is the Rapper at Death's Door And the strong Man i. e. according to Vatablus and Grotius the Legs and Thighs which are placed in another Extremity of the House to be its Security and which are particularly taken notice of for their Strength Psal. 147. 10. and which Strong Men so much glory in these bow themselves i. e. become weak and feeble with Age yea they really bend and give way they are so far from being able to support the Body they belong to that they can hardly sustain themselves These bow these stoop towards the Place where they are shortly to take their Râ—st Next it is said that the Grinâ—â—rs cease because they are few i. e. the Teeth with which we grind and chew our Meat fail us at last and are not able to do their Office because not only the Strength but the Number of them is diminish'd yea sometimes the Toothless Jaws as well as other Defects shew that Aged Persons are a second time Children It follows those that look out of the Windows are
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
the Watch-Tower eat drink arise ye Princes anoint the Shield express the Speediness of the Preparations made for Babylon's Fall They are so order'd that the Quickness of the Dispatch is signified by them There are six Parts or Divisions in this Verse without a Copulative meerly to signify the Celerity of the Vndertaking And the Vision wherein this Speedy Ruine of that Nation is foretold is thus represented v. 7. He saw a Chariot a couple of Horsemen a Chariot of Asses a Chariot of Camels There is Expedition in the very Words there is no Conjunctive Particle to retard them You may in the very Frame of the Words perceive the Chariots running speedily But if we look into those Parts of the Bible which are strictly and properly Poetical that is which consist of certain Measures and Numbers we shall find Examples of this sort very frequently The Egyptians furious Pursuit after the Israelites is thus express'd in Moses's Song Exod. 15. 9. I will pursue I will overtake c. Where there are â—ix Verbs denoting Action and Expedition and not one Conjunction between them In the Conciseness and Roundness of the Words especially if we consult the Original which is more Emphatick we may discern the Speediness of the thing it self spoken of The like might be taken notice of in the Song of Deborah Iudg. 5. and in several Places of the Psalms and the Lamentations Thus if we would be very Curious we might parallel the Inspired Poetry with that of the best Masters in that Art among the Gentiles But because these things are but mean in respect of those Weightier ones wherein the Bible's Excellency doth appear I have not inserted them or any other Observations of the like Nature into the ensuing Discourse and the rather because it was my Design to mention only those Particulars which are of Vniversal Vse and which may without Exception be acceptable to all Persons who have a due Esteem either of True Learning or Piety Those who value the former and are well acquainted with it will most readily give their Suffrage here and proclaim to the World that Scripture-Learning outvies all others that the Original of most Arts and Sciences is to be fetch'd hence that a Library without the Bible is an imperfect thing Those who have a Sense of the latter will be as forward to assert the Preheminence of this Sacred Volume for here is the Source of all Religion and no Man can be Devout and Pious who is a Stranger to this Wherefore when with a becoming Regret I saw that the Sense of Religion and Piety is generally lost among us at this Day I apprehended that the best way to retrieve it is to read and peruse the Scriptures And that this may be done with Success I thought it requisite to set forth the Excellency and Perfection of this Holy Book that thence Persons might be effectually invited to acquaint themselves with it And I hope how meanly soever I have performed this Task some who light upon these Papers will from them be inspired with a hearty Regard and Reverence an entire Love and Veneration of the Holy Writ and be reminded from what is here suggested to converse more intimately with it themselves and to encourage others to follow their Example This would in a short time make a great Change in the World and the Bible it self would be read in the Lives and Behaviour of Mankind Wherefore with great Seriousness and Importunity I request the Reader that he would entertain such Thoughts and Perswasions as these that Bible-Learning is the Highest Accomplishment that this Book is the most Valuable of any upon Earth that here is a Library in on single Volume that this alone is sufficient for us tho all the Libraries and Books in the World were destroyed And this is the Grand Truth which I have laboured to demonstrate in the following Papers A CATALOGUE of most of the Texts of Scripture which are interpreted in the following Discourse according to the Author 's Particular Iudgment GENESIS THE whole first Chapter Page 3 â— Chap. 3. v. 7. They made themselves Aprons What the word Câ—agoroth signifies p. 235 Ver. 21. Vnto them the Lord God made Coats of Skins Why so called p. 237 Ch. 4. v. 20. Jabal was the Father of such as dwell in Tents p. 112 Ch. 18. v. 7. He took the Calf which he had dressed and set it before them p. 117 Ch. 24. v. 22. The Man took a Golden Ear-ring What is meant by Nezem zahab p. 242 Ch. 50. v. 2. Joseph commanded the Physicians Rophim to embalm his Father The large Extent of that Word is fully shew'd p. 187 EXODUS Ch. 21. v. 7. His Master shall bore his Ear through with an Awl and he shall serve him for ever p. 247 NUMBERS Ch. 21. v. 14. The Book of the Wars of the Lord. Besides several other Texts from which some indeavour to infer that some part of the Writings belonging to the Bible is lost p. 453 JOSHUA Ch. 2. v. 4. The Woman took the two Men and hid them p. 153 Ch. 7. v. 26. They raised over him a great Heap of Stones p. 280 Ch. 23. v. 2. Joshua called for their Elders and for their Heads and for their Iudges and their Officers p. 85 JUDGES Ch. 20. v. 16. There were seven hundred chosen Men left-handed or shut of their right Hands p. 212 SAMUEL Book I. Ch. 17. v. 6. He had a Target Cidon of Brass between his Shoulders p. 204 SAMUEL Book II. Ch. 1. v. 21. There the Shield of the Mighty is vilely cast away the Shield of Saul as though he rather it had not been anointed with Oil. p. 206 207 Ch. 3. v. 35. All the People came to cause David to eat Bread KINGS Book I. Ch. 9. v. 28. And they came to Ophir In what Part of the World this is p. 194 CHRONICLES Book II. Ch. 21. v. 19. His People made no Burning for him like the Burning of his Fathers p. 273 JOB Ch. 1. v. 21. Naked came I out of my Mother's Womb and naked shall I return thither p. 264 PROVERBS Ch. 1. v. 17. Surely in vain is the Net spread in the Sight of any Bird. p. 385 JEREMIAH Ch. 34. v. 5. He died with the Burnings of his Fathers p. 272 EZEKIEL Ch. 24. v. 17. Bind the Tire of thy Head upon thee p. 275 AMOS Ch. 2. v. 8. They lay themselves down upon Clothes p. 134 St. LUKE Ch. 10. v. 42. Mary hath chosen the good Part. p. 141 ACTS Ch. 7. v. 22. He was mighty in Words and in Deeds p. 312 c. CORINTHIANS 1 Epist. Ch. 5. v. 9. I wrote unto you in an Epistle p. 467 Ch. 7. v. 6. I speak this of Permission and not of Command p. 472 Ver. 12. To the rest speak I not the Lord. ibid. CORINTHIANS 2 Epist. Ch. 3. v. 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit p. 434 Ch. 8. v. 8. I speak not by Commandment p. 472
Men of the greatest Learning Wit and Judgment A Scheme of the following Discourse briefly propounded The Holy Scriptures are the perfect Rule of Faith They are the best Conduct of our Lives and Actions They are the only Ground of solid Consolation Joy and Happiness This Perfection of Scripture is opposed by many of the Rabbins An Account of their Cabala and Oral Law The Papists by preferring their Traditions before the Scriptures and by indeavouring to keep these latter in an unknown Tongue deny the Perfection of them So do Familists Quakers and all Enthusiasts IT may be observed that the Minds of Men have been differently disposed as to the choice of the Authors they would read and their Esteem and Value of them have been as various It hath been usual for Persons to express a particular Kindness for one Writer above another Thus Homer of old was excessively magnified by those famous Warriors Agesilaus and Alexander the Great The former read him continually at home and in the Camp and whenever he had any time to spare for Reading The latter could not sleep without his Iliads under his Pillow Scipio â—irnamed the African had a great Opinion of Xenophon's Institution of Cyrus and was always consulting it and valued it at a high rate So among Christians St. Cyprian was a great Admirer of Tertullian and when he had a mind to read him his usual Saying was Give me my Master Charles the Great was hugely taken with St. Augustine de Civitate Dei and had it constantly read to him yea even at Supper King Alphonsus in all his Expeditions and at all other times carried Iulius Caesar's Commentaries others say Livy's History with him Theodore Gaza gave his Vote for Plutarch's Works and was so pleased with them that he protested if he could have but one Man's Writings he would certainly choose His before all others Thomas Aquinas was no less in love with St. Chrysostom on St. Matthew and expressed his high Esteem of him by saying he preferr'd him before the goodly City of Paris Charles the V th gave a greater Deference to Comines than to any other Writer and perpetually conversed with him Scaliger would rather be the Author of the ninth Ode of Horace than be Emperor of Germany And to come down yet lower Grotius gives Cujacius the Prefâ—rence to all the other Commâ—ntators on the Imperial Laws Salmasius admired no Divine so much as Calvin and particularly preferred his Institutions And the Reverend Mr. B. Oley tells us if he were to be conâ—ined to one Author he would choose Dr. Iackson's Works Thus have Mens Sentiments and Esteems been various about Books â—ome preferring one Writer and some another according as their Genius or Studies led them â—ut when we mention the Bible i. e. the Book of Books we are certain there is no Comparison between This and any others whatsoever This Sacred Volume is emphatically and by way of Eminence call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if other Books in respect of This deserv'd not the Name For in what other Writings can we deâ—cry thoâ—e Excellencies which we find in This None of them can equal it in Antiquity for the first Penman of the Sacred Scripture who relates the Origine of the World and whose Writings contain the Acts and Monuments of the Patriarchs hath the start of all Philosophers Poets and Historians and is abâ—olutely the Antientest Writer extant in the World No Writings are equal to these of the Bible if we mention only the stock of Humane Learning contain'd in them Here Linguists and Philologists may find that which is to be found no where else Here Râ—etoricians and Orators may be entertained with a more loâ—ty Eloquence with a choicer Composure of Words and with greater Variety of Stile than any other Writers can afford them Here is a Book where more is understood than expressed where Words are few but the Sense is full and redundant No Books equal This in Authority because 〈◊〉 is the Word of God himself and dictated by an unerring Spirit It excâ—ls all other Writings in the Excellency of its Matter which is the Highest Noblest and Worthiest and of the Greatest Concern to Mankind Lastly to name no more at present that I may not anticipate what is intended in the following Discourse the Scriptures transcend all other Writings in their Power and Efficacy This Word of God is pure enlightning the Eyes irradiating Mens Minds with Supernatural Truth affecting their Hearts and Consciences subduing the Refracotriness of their Wills transforming their Lives and changing them into other Persons Thence it is that all Men of well-disposed Souls find a plain Differene between their reading This and other Books When they read those it is true they are something affected and pleased the Stile or the Matter give them some Satisfaction but if they read them often and confine themselves to them their former Pleasure and Satisfaction abate and the Authors seem not to be so entertaining and acceptable as they were before and at length they become burdensom and nauseous and hence it is that some Writers grow out of fashion and other New ones are called for But it is far otherwise with this Holy Book the Affection and Pleasure which you feel in the reading it are lasting and durable because this Blessed Word sinks down into the Center of the Soul and is always present with it Though you lay this Book aside and afterwards take it up and do so again and again yea never so often you will not â—ind it grow worse but much better i. e. it will yield you greater Delight and Satisfaction and the oftner you converse with it the more you will discern the Worth of it yea the more pleasing will the very Words and Syllables of these Divine Writings be to you For what the Great Critick observes of Homer's Poem that there is a certain kind of Peculiar Easiness and Sliding in his Verse which are not to be found in any other Poets is eminently true of the Holy Scriptures if compared with other Authors there is a peculiar Sweetness a matchless Softness and Pleasantness in the Stile of these Holy Books the Words as well as the Matter are Winning and Ravishing and all pure and sanctified Minds have a clear Perception of this yea the clearer because they so frequently converse with these Inspired Writers We may then on this Account as well as on others challenge the World to shew us where there is any Book like this where there is any Author comparable to it In all Humane Writers there is something wanting something imperfect but in this Sacred Volume there are all things and every thing here is compleat To the Holy Scriptures therefore all other Writings must vail to this Best of Books they must all submit and acknowledg their Meanness and Inferiority Hence it was that the Wisest and Best Men as we may observe did always extol the Scriptures I adore the Plenitude
of the Scripture said Tertullian and to him have ecchoed the rest of the Antient Fathers especially St. Cyprian Ierom Augustine Chrysostom who have highly magnified the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles and have been very Rhetorical in their Panegyricks upon them These and some other Brave Men in the first Ages of the Church signalized themselves by their Reverence and Esteem of the Scriptures and some of them consecrated their Wit and Poetry to this Noble Cause Nor have thse latter Ages been destitute of Persons of the most Celebrated Parts and Learning that have adored the Fulness and Perfection of the Scripture and have used their Wit and Eloquence in setting forth its Praiâ—â—s 〈◊〉 â—icinus that Great Philosophick Soul and the Noble Piâ—us Mirandula who was the best Linguist and Scholar of his age two as Learned Italians as that Nation ever bred and who may more than compound for those two other Italians mentioned in my former Discourse who so impiously vilified the Sacred Writings after they had read all good Authors rested in the Bible as the only Book and particularly it was pronounced by the latter of them that now he had found the 〈◊〉 Eloqueâ—â—e and Wisdom Yea these last Times have produced Men of the Choicest Brains of the Briskest Parts of the Greateâ—t Humane Learning who have employâ—d these excellent Talents in embelishing the Sacrâ—d Scriptures witness Caâ—â—â—llio who hath turned the Whole Bible into Purâ— Terse Elegant Latin able to tempt us to read this Book And â—rotius hath incompaâ—ably asserted the Propriety and Elegancy of the Sacred Stile and many Other excâ—llâ—â—t Persons who have defended this Holy Book against the Insults and Cavils of profane Men. We could name Others of the most Sparkling Wit and Fancy who have exercised their Poetick Genius in descanting either on the Sacred Hiâ—tory of the Bible or on those Divine Matters which are contained in it and have thought their Pens yea Poetry it self â—nobled by such a Subject We could mention others of the most Serious Thoughts and of the most Impartial Judgment not only among those that are Prâ—â—essed Divines and that have adorned the Sacred Scripture by their Learned Expositions Comments Annotations Paraphrases Lectures Sermons Discourses but also among Persons of another Rank and Capacity who have given the Bible the Pre-eminence of all Writings I will at present mention only Mr. Selden and Judg Haâ—e the former was one of the greatest Scholars and Antiquaries of this Age and made a vast Amassment of Books and Manuscripts from all Parts of the World a Library perhaps not to be equall'd oâ— all Accounts in the Universe This Man of Books and Learning holding some serious Conference with Archbishop Vsher a little before he died professed to him that notwithstanding he had poâ—â—essed himself of that vast Treasure of Books and Manuscripts in all antient Subjects yet he could rest his Soul on none but the Scriptures And hear what the other Gentleman of the same Studies and Profession declares I have been acquainted somewhat with Men and Books and have had long Experience in Learning and in the World There is no Book like the Bible for excellent Learning Wisdom and Vse and it is want of Vnderstanding in them that think or speak otherwise This is sufficient to shew that the most Noble and Refined Wits the most Knowing and the most Judicious Heads bear the greatest Regard and Esteem for the Holy Scriptures and prefer them before all other Writings in the World It may pass for a Certain Maxim that the more learned any Man is the more he prizeth the Bible the greater Regard he hath for these Sacred Records It was said of old that it was a Sign of a great Proficiency in Good Letters to love Tully's Writings It is much more a Sign of our Improvement in true Learning that we delight in the Holy Scriptures and love them above all Writings whatsoever We shew our Proficiency by reverently esteeming the Bible and preferring it before all other Authors We discover that we have a Sense of True and Useful Knowledg when we value this Book wherein it is contain'd when we admire this Volume where all Excellencies meet together To evince this I will undertake these following things I. To shew the matchless Usefulness of the Bible in respect of Spiritual Divine and Supernatural Matters II. To demonstrate its Transcendent Excellency in regard of things Temporal and Secular such as are for the Improvement of all kinds of Humane Learning and for the Use of Life III. To give a Proof of this Excellency and Perfection by a particular displaying of the several Books contain'd in this Holy Volume IV. To let you see that this Perfection is not impaired by what is objected and alledged 1. Concerning the Loss of some Books which had formerly been a part of the Old and New Testament 2. Concerning the great Difference between the Hebrew of the Old Testament and the Greek Translation of the Seventy Where I will endeavour to discover the true Grounds and Foundations of those Mistakes that are in the LXX's Version and shew whence it arises that there is such a Discrepancy between that and the Original Verity V. I will attempt an Emendation of the present English Version which in several Places seems to me to be defective that I may hereby restore the New Testament for of that I shall chiefly speak to its native Perfection and Lustre Lastly I will invite and solicit the Reader to the Study of the Bible and direct him in so laudable and worthy an Employment First I will demonstratively prove the Transcendent Excellency of these Writings in respect of the things which are Divine and have an immediate relation to Religion Thus they are the only Canon of our Faith the exact Standard of our Lives and they mark us out the Way to solid Comfort peace and Happiness These are the three things I will insist upon 1. This Holy Book is the Absolute and Perfect Rule of our Faith This comprises in it every thing that is the Object of our Belief the Maâ—â—â—r of our Assent Here we are taught to believeâ— a God an Immortal Independent All-sufficient Self-subsisting Spirit who is infinitely Wife powerful Just and Merciful who though he was ineffably happy in the fruition of his own immense and transcendent Perfections yet that he might communicate his Goodness to others was pleased to frame the World with all the excellent Furniture which we behold in it By the Word of the Lord the Heavens were made and all the Host of them by the Breath of his Mouth Psal. 33. 6. He laid the Foundations of the Earth and gave to the Sea his Decree and set a Compass on the Face of the Deep Psal. 104. 5. Prov. 8. 27 29. We are assured from these Writings that God's Providence governs the World and all things in it whether great or small Psal. 147. 8 c. Matth. 10. 29
Infallible This is that more sure Word of Prophecy which St. Peter preferreth before Eye-Witnesses and Voices from Heaven 2 Pet. 1. 16 c. Yea though an Angel from Heaven should preach any other Doctrine than what the Apostles preach'd and afterwards committed to Writing St. Paul pronounceth him accursed Gal. 1. 8. These Infallible Records these undoubted Oracles of the Holy Ghost in Scripture are the standing Rule of Belief to all christians even to the End of the World On this they may rely with Confidence as on an Unerring Guide for it is not like other Books which are made by Men and therefore are not void of Errors and Mistakes but the Author of it is God who is Truth it self and can neither deceive nor be deceived Thus the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament are the Compleat and Absolute Rule of our Belief and of all Supernatural Truth 2. They are the Perfect Rule of Life and Manners they contain all things to be Done as well as to be Believed Here is the Decalogue the Sum of all our Duty towards God and Man and the Necessary Precepts of Life comprised in it are often repeated enlarged upon and explained through the whole Sacred Book To these are added the Evangelical Duties of Self-denial Mortification Poverty of Spirit Purity of Heart Brotherly Love Heavenly-Mindedness Circumspect Walking Redeeming the Time Abstaining from all appearance of Evil Giving no Offence to any and many others of the like Nature The Writings of the Gospel forbid us to be Carnal Sensual and Earthly and call upon us to converse with Spiritual and Celestial Objects to to set our Affections on things Above and to work our Minds to such a Temper that we may desire to depart out of this Body and to be with Christ which is far better than groveling here below And Christianity promotes this Heavenly-mindedness by giving us a Power over Our selves by restoring us to a Government of our Bodily Appetites and Passions so that the Soul thereby becomes Pure and Defecate purged from all mundane Dross and Filth fitted for Heavenly Joys and therefore most earnestly breathes and longs after them Here we learn that Christianity is repugnant in all things to Satan's Kingdom and designedly promotes the Kingdom of God it bids us not seek our selves and aim chiefly at worldly Respects but it enjoineth us to Humble and Debase our selves and to Glorify God in all to advance his Honour in the World and next to that to look after the Salvation of our own and others immortal Souls These are the Noble and Worthy Designs of Christianity and the Laws of it their Business is to take us off from those low and mean Projects which Men of the World carry on and to set the Soul of Man in a right Posture and to fix it on right Ends. The Christian Precepts reach to the Hearts of Men they restrain the secret Thoughts and inward Motions of the Mind they curb the inordinate Desires and Wishes they temper the Affections and Passions especially they forbid Revenge Malice Hatred and they direct us to love God and to bear Love to all Men for his Sake The Christian Laws give Rules for our Words and Speeches and will not allow them to be Idle and Vain much less Prophane and Impious but they command our Discourse to be always with Grace season'd with Salt to favour of Goodness and Piety and to be for the Edifying of those we converse with The Commandments of the Gospel do also govern the Outward Actions of our Lives and bid us be Holy in all manner of Conversation They enjoin Chastity and Continence Temperance and Sobriety they forbid Lust and Luxury Pride and Sensuality They teach Courtesy Affability Meekness Candour Gentleness towards our Brethren They bid us be Kind and Charitable to all and even to love our Enemies Christianity is a Religion that is exactly Just and gives the strictest Rules of dealing Honestly and Uprightly with our Neighbours Even Morality which is the very Foundation and Ground-work of All Religions is most Illustrious here Christianity hath the Impress of Reason Civility and all Acceptable Qualities It forbids nothing that is Fitting and Decorous it countenances all that is Manly and Generous it is agreeable to the Law of Nature and the Reason of Mankind In these Sacred Writings the Duty of Christians is set down not only as they are Single but as they stand in relation to others and as they are Members of the Community There are Peculiar Lessons for Persons in every Condition for Husbands and Wives for Masters and Servants for Parents and Children for Superiours Equals and Inferiours They are all provided here with Instructions and Directions proper to that State they are in They are very Remarkable Words which a Reverend Divine of our Church uttered Would Men apply their Minds saith he to study Scripture and observe their own and others Course of Life Experience would teach them that there is no Estate on Earth nor humane Business in Christendom this Day on foot but have a Ruled Cafe in Scripture for their Issue and Success This is a Great Truth and is no mean Demonstration of the Excellency of these Holy Writings which I am speaking of Here are also the most Notable Instances of all those Vertues and Graces which adorn the Life of Man Here is the Example of Abel's sincere and acceptable Devotion of Enoch's walking with God of Noah's untainted Faithfulness amidst the Temptations of the corrupt World of Abraham's Faith and Self-denial when he offered his only Son on the Altar of Ioseph's Resolved Chastity when he once and again resisted the lustful Solicitations of his Mistress Here is the Example of Moses's Publick Spirit who desired his Name might be blotted out of the Book of Life rather than that Nation should perish Here you read of Aaron's submissive Silence of Reuben's fraternal Commiseration of Rohab's Seasonable Wisdom which was the Effect of her Faith in concealing the Spies that were search'd for Here we may observe Phineas's Active Zeal Eli's Entire Submission to the Divine Pleasure Iob's Invincible Patience Iosiah's Early Piety his and Iehosaphat's Care to reform the Church Ionathan's entire Friendship Manasses and Peter's Repentance Iohn Baptist's Austerity the Centurion's Faith Stephen's Charity to his Enemies at his Death Briefly here is commemorated the Religious and Holy Demeanour of all Ranks and Degrees of Persons whether in Prosperity or Adversity whether in Youth Manhood or Old Age or in whatsoever Condition of Life they were placed Where can we find such glorious Atchievements as the Sacred History recounts unto us Where are there such Perfect Paterns of Vertue Where do you meet with such Noble Acts as some of the Holy Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles are celebrated for The Great Heroes spoken of in the Writings of the Pagans are generally but Ideas of Vertue and a kind of Harmless Romances to preach Goodness to Men. Virgil's Aeneas Xenophon's
it should be believed as an Article of the Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation And this is a sufficient and solid Proof of a thing 's not being Necessary to Salvation that it is not contain'd in Scripture This then we assert that these Writings are Plain and Perfect as to all Matters that are Necessary and accordingly are able to put an End to all Controversies which relate to Salvation And if Men will not end them with This Rule they will never do it with any This is the Chief Perfection of Scripture that in it the whole Will of God as to those things that have a necessary Tendency to our Happiness and consequently are the only Necessary Things to be known and done by us is plainly revealed The New Testament particularly is the last Revelation of God's Will and Counsel and nothing is to be added to it or taken from it which makes it a Perfect Standard of Belief and a Compleat Rule of our Lives in which there is nothing short and defective nothing superfluous and redundant Here are all the Principles of True Religion and all the Measures of Holy Living so that whilst we proceed according to this Perfect Canon we are infallibly certain of the Truth of what we believe and of the Rectitude and Lawfulness of what we act On this sole Account the Holy Writ excels all Writings in the World besides 3. We are to adjoin this that as it is a Light to our Vnderstandings and a Rule of our Lives so it is the grand Procurer of our Comfort Ioy and Tranquillity Alas they are Cold Topicks of Consolation which the Writings of the Best Moralists afford us When our outward Distresses and Miseries much more when our inward and spiritual Maladies increase upon us Epictetus and Seneca with all their Spangled Sayings are too mean Physicians to take us in Hand The Great Cicero when in the Close of his Life he was reduced to marvelous Difficulties declared that his Learning and his Books afforded him not any Considerable Arguments of Comfort that the Disease of his Mind which he lay under was too great and too strong to be cured by those Ordinary Medicines which Philosophy administred to him There must be some greater Traumatick some more powerful Application to these Wounds to work a perfect Cure And this Divine Book is able to furnish us with it This alone can remove our Pains and Languors and restore us to an entire Health This faith the Psalmist is my Comfort in my Affliction Thy Word hath quickned me And again Vnless thy Law had been my Delight I should then have perished in my Affliction It was this which upheld and chear'd him in his greatest Straits and yielded him Light and Joy when all things about him look'd black and dismal If but a small part of the Bible had this blessed Effect how powerful and successful will All of it prove if we duly consult it seriously meditate upon it and give it admittance into our Hearts If the Apostle could say Whatsoever things were written asore time in this Book were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the scriptures might have Hope how much greater Hope must needs be administred to us in all Conditions of Life but more especially in the Day of Trouble and Calamity when we have the Scriptures not only of the Old but New Testament to repair unto This latter especially will be a never-falling Spring of Contentment and Joy to us In these Books we have a true and perfect Landskip and View of the World Here is unmask'd and laid open the Vanity of it Here we are assured that many of the Gay things which it presents us with and which fond Minds so dote upon are but empty Bubbles deceitful Phantoms and Apparitions mere Conceits and Castles in the Air. Here we are inform'd that a Prosperous State is not really Good that an Overplus of Riches and Worldly Abundance does frequently prove a Clog to vertuous Minds and that Excess of Pleasures is too fulsom and luscious and takes away that purer Relish of spiritual and heavenly Delights yea that Men generally find a worse Effect of them for when they are gorged and clogg'd with them they revolt from God when they are waxen fat they kick against Heaven So their Worldly Plenty is turn'd into the worst of Punishments and this Plethory is their Disease On the other side we are taught in these Writings that Crosses and Afflictions are not evil in themselves yea that they are Good and Medicinal and advance our spiritual Health that they are so far from being a hindrance to our Happiness that they are a part of it for otherwise the Afflicted would not be so often pronounced Blessed That God's Afflicting a Man is Magnifying of him and setting his Heart upon him It shews that God is greatly concern'd for his Good and that the Almighty hath more care of him than he hath of himself Here we are instructed that we have ground to suspect our Condition if we be wholly exempted from the Distresses of this Life and that not to be Chastised is a Mark of Bastardy Here we learn the true use and end of all those Adverse Dispensations which we meet with viz. that they were designed to try us to make us know our selves and to inform us how evil and bitter a thing it is to offend the Divine Majesty to awaken us out of our Sloth and Security to hold us in Action to keep us in Breath and Exercise as Carthage was useful to rouze Rome's Valour to abate our Pride and Haughtiness and make us humble and submissive Creatures to check our immoderate Passions and Pursuits after earthly things to disintangle us from these Snares to free us from these Charms to keep us from being suck'd in and swallowed up in the powerful Circle and Eddy of this World as who knows not that it is True Philosophy that the World is made up of Vortices to cause us to look after Better Things when these are taken from us to reclaim us from our evil Courses and to reduce us unto Vertue and Goodness to excite us to a Renunciation of all Trust and Confidence in our selves and the transitory Enjoyments of this World and to depend upon God alone It is this Book whence we are acquainted that our Sufferings make us conformable to Christ our Master and therefore are Honourable Badges of Christianity That the Curse which usually attends outward Crosses is taken away by our Saviour's Death That the Calamities of the Faithful are Chastisements rather than Punishments That no Adverse Accidents can do us any hurt if we believe in Jesus and abandon our Sins That the Pressures of this Life are serviceable to make us pity those that are in Misery to know and relish the Love of Christ in suffering for us to inhanse the Comforts of a Good Conscience to commend
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
have are not to be subjected to the Examination of the outward Testimony of the Scriptures but are above them Thus these bold Men out of a pretence of Inspiration vilify the Sacred Volume of the Bible Thus absurdly and irreligiously these deluded Persons out of an Enthusiastick Heat prefer their own private Spirit before the Holy Spirit of God speaking in the Scriptures The Men hold themselves to be Perfect but the Scripture must by no means be so it is weak and imperfect and ought to give way to the Inward Impressions in their Minds which according to them are that more sure Word of Prophecy whereunto they think they do well to give heed as unto a Light shining in a dark Place But we see that they are thereby led into gross Error and Darkness And as to this particular Perswasion concerning the Meanness of the Scriptures they therein as in several other things symbolize with the Church of Rome whence they had their Original They confound Natural Light or Reason with Revelation they hold that Pagans are in as good a Condition as Christians they make their private Dictates as Authentick as the Bible yea they must needs hold that there is no Infallible Rule of Truth or Practice but their own Notions and Sentiments which some of their Writers call Canonical I might observe to you that besides Iews Papists and Enthusiasts there are Others that deny the Excellency and Perfection of the Holy Scriptures as Atheists and mere Politicians who indeavour to perswade the World that all Religion is a Cheat and that This Book is so too Likewise the Generality of Hereticks Seducers and Impostors who it is no wonder debase that which they design to pervert But the bare mentioning of these Persons is sufficient to beget a Dislike of them with all that are Wise and Sober and who are convinc'd of the Scriptures perfection from those Topicks which I have propounded It may be said of most Books as Martial said of his There are some good and some bad things in them and some of a middle Nature But in this Divine Book there are no such Allays all is pure and uncorrupt entire and unmixed there are no Defects no Mistakes in this Infallible Volume given us from Heaven Shall the Turks then when they find a Leaf or any part of the Alcoran on the Ground take it up and kiss it and deposite it in some safe place affirming it to be a great Sin to suffer that wherein the Name of God and Mahomet's Laws are written to be trodden under Feet And shall not we Christians highly value and reverence the Sacred Volume of the Bible the Writings of the Old and New Testament which contain the Words of God Himself and the Laws of the Blessed Jesus which enrich us with that Sublime and Supernatural Learning which is the Rule of our Faith the Conduct of our Manners and the Comfort of our Lives CHAP. II. The Bible is furnish'd with all sorts ofHumane as well as Divine Learning Hebrew wherein the Old Testament was written is the Primitive Language of the World The True Origine of the World is plainly recorded in no other Writings but these The first Chapter of Genesis is a real History and records Matter of â—act It is largely proved that the Mosaâ—ck History gives us a particular Account of the first Rise of the several Nations and People of the Earth and of the Places of their Habitation Also the true Knowledg of the Original of Civil Government and the Increases of it and the diffâ—rent Changes it underwent is derived from these Writings The Courts of Judicature and the several kinds of Punishment among the Jews distinctly treated of The Government among the Heathen Nations The four Celebrated Monarchies or Empires of the World I Proceed now to the Second General Head of my Discourse viz. the Vniversal Vsefulness of the Bible as to things that are Temporal and Seculaâ— Not only all Religious Divine and Saving Knowledg is to be fetch'd hence but that likewise which is Natural and Humane and bâ—longs to the World and Arts. Many believe the former but can't be induc'd to credit the latter for they think the Bible was writ only for the saving of Mens Souls but that all other Knowledg and Discoveries are to be derived wholly from other Writers I have sometimes observ'd that Persons who have had a good Desire to Learning and were greedy Devourers of all other Authors yet have no regard to the Scriptures and fondly imagine there is no Improvement of Mens Notions no enlarging of their Understandings no Grounds of Excellent Literature from the Sacred Writ They perswade themselves that the Bible may serve well enough for the Use of those that study Divinity or make Sermons but that the Writings of Profane Authors must be wholly consulted for other things But this is a gross Surmise and possesses the unthinking Heads of those only that consider not the Matchless Antiquity of the Bible or that on a worse Account refuse to acquaint themselves with these Writings and care not for that Book which speaks so much of God and Religion and checks the Disorders of Mens Lives All honest industrious and impartial Enquirers into Learning know that the Scriptures are the Greatest Monument of Antiquity that is Extant in the whole World and particularly that the First and Earliest Inventions of things are to be known only from the Old Testament especially the five first Books of it In vain do you look for these in the Writings of other Men for though some of them relate very Antient Occurrences yet they are not so old as these and as for those Writers who pretend to some Greater Antiquity and have been so impudent as to think that they could impose upon the World they have been exploded by all Persons of Sobriety and serious Thoughts In Pagan Writers we have some wild Guesses at the Origine of things and the First Inventors of Arts but he that is desirous to have Certain and Infallible Information concerning these must consult the Writings of Moses and other Books of the Old Testament From these alone we learn what were the Antientest Usages in the World and what was the first Rise and Original of them Wherefore I may safely pronounce that no Man can have the just Repute of a Scholar unless he hath read and studied the Bible for in this one Book there is more Humane Learning than in all the Books of the World besides And therefore here by the way I cannot but look upon it as a very Scandalous Mistake that the knowledg and Study of the Holy Scriptures are for Divines only as if these were not to be skill'd in any Humane Learning They that talk after this rate understand not what the Study of Divinity and True Scholarship are for there is no Compleat Divine that is not well vers'd in Humane Literature and there is no Compleat Scholar that is not skill'd in
to the Authority of the Sacred Writings yet none of them give us a plain and particular Account of this Beginning and Original of the Mundane Fabrick Yea the very Philosophick Men among the Gentiles in a most wild and rambling manner talk of the Rise of all things and at the same time baâ—â—le themselves Thus the Epicureans tell us a sensless Story of the Eternal frisking of Atoms which yet if they were Eternal had no Beginning or Riâ—e at all Pythagoras and his Disciples and Plato and some of the Peripateticks held that Men were always and that there was an Eternal Succession of them and consequently no Original of them Others who believ'd they had a Beginning had strange and monstrous Fancies concerning it as that Men were form'd out of Fishes which was Anaximander's Conceit Others imagin'd they shooted out of Trees some out of Eggs others out of Wombs affix'd to the Earth as Epicurus and Lucretius Others as the fabulous Poets conceited they were produced out of Stones and Cicero relates concerning some of the Philosophers that they thought the Original of Mankind was from Seed falling from the Stars and impregnating the Earth This stumbling at the Threshold these extravagant and groundless Notions conceâ—ning the very first Original of things were too ominous a Presage that these Philosophers would grosly mistake about other Matters and give us but a sorry Account of the other Works of Nature But Moses confutes all these fond Surmises about the Nativity of the World and of Mankind he quashes all those wild Conjectures by assuring us that Man had his Origine from the Earth by God's peculiar framing him out of it and that the World it self had its Being by Creation i. e. by being made out of Nothing by the Infinite Power and Wisdom of God Wherefore it was rightly said by an Understanding Person I am perswaded saith he that in the first Chapter of Genesis Moses taught more than all the pagan philosophers and Interpreters of Nature And that this first Chapter of the Bible is an Historical or Physical Account of the Creation of the World and is no Allegory is not to be question'd by any Man of a sober Mind and consistent Reasoning For thus I argue It is highly fitting that the Doctrine of the â—irst Rise of the Universe the Production of all things should not be leâ—t doubtful but be convey'd unto us in such a way as may best preserve the Memory of so weighty and considerable a Matter For this is of such Concern that our Belief of Providence and the true Nature of God is comprised in it Now a Thing of this Quality ought not to be so deliver'd that it may be liable to Imposture or suspected of Falshood or Uncertainty As for private and personal Revelations which some may here suppose these can only satisfy the individual Persons to whom they are communicated and as for Oral Tradition it is not so certain but that it may leave some Scruples in Mens Minds Hence it is reasonable that the History of the World should be digested into such Records which may assure us of what is to be believed and therefore it is sit that they should be Plain and Simple and properly to be taken and understood so that they may be reckon'd as an Indubitable Account of the World's Production therefore such is this Relation which Moses hath lest us which is a Perfect Diary of thâ—â— First Work of the Almighty But I will attempt yet further to prove that thiâ— History deserves that Name i. e. that it relates what was really done If this be acknowledged by some Sacred and Inspired Author I conceive that will be a fair Conviction to those who believe that Author to be inspired and to deliver things that are really true That St. Peter then in the third Chapter of his second Epistle where he briefly describes the Make and Frame of this World as it was formed at the first Creation refers to this Mosaick History and also fully confirms it will appear in the Perusal of that his Description where you will find those very Terms which Moses in the first of Genesis makes use of This they are willingly ignorant of saith the Apostle that the Heavens were of old i. e. from the Beginning which in the Verse before is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Beginning of the Creation which agrees exactly with the first Words of Genesis And these Heavens were by the Word of God which is a reference to God said which Moses expresly mentions chap. 1. 6 14. Next to the Heavens he makes mention of the Earth as Moses doth telling us that it Stood or consisted out of the Water and in the Water which is the same Account of it which we have in Genesis viz. that it was partly above Water and partly under i. e. it was above the Seas Fountains Rivers c. but under the wâ—tyr Mass of Clouds So that any Man of unprejudiced Thoughts cannot but see that those Words the Earth standing out of the Water and in the Water plainly relate to the Mosaical History where we are told that the Globe of Earth included in it a heap of Waters call'd the Deep or the Abysâ— which was afterwards gathered into one Receptacle or Channel This is call'd the Water undâ—r the Firmament i. e. under the Expansion of the Air as the Water above the Earth viz. the Clouds are call'd the Water above the Expansion Gen. 1. 7. Thus you see all this is alledged and acknowledged by St. Peter as True History and accordingly is made use of by him Wherefore we are ascertain'd from his infallible Pen that the Mosaick Account of the Creation is no Fiction no strain of Poetick Fancy but is perfectly Historical and to be taken in a real proper and literal Sense which was the thing to be clear'd Wherefore Origen and the rest of the Allegorists who despise the Letter of this Chapter and rely chiefly on some Mystick and Symbolical Meanings are confuted And so likewise are they that adhere to the foolish Dreams of Philosophers concerning the Eternity of the World or its being made by Chance or the Existence of More Worlds All these are inconsistent with Moses's Account of the Creation besides that they affront other Principles establish'd by the Holy Scriptures and bid desiance to Reason and the greatest Evidence of things So that it is to be wondred that any Person who pretends to own the Divine Authority of the Bible should publickly disown Moses's Relation of the First Original of the World and look upon this first Chapter of Genesis as well as he doth on the third as not True i. e. not giving an Account of Matter of Fact But there was a kind of Necessity upon him to form such Thoughts as these concerning this Entrance of Moses's Book because he had in his Theory of the Earth run counter to that Relation of it which Moses gives This is the