go about to inform my self of the real Design which the Author had in composing a Work so injurious to Scripture but I thought it necessary to prevent the evil Consequences of such a dangerous Book Monsieur Witsius of Holland and Mr. Lowth a Divine of Oxford Father Simon and Father Le Vassour have set forth Answers to it which I have read But in regard it was their only Design to trace their Adversary step by step and not to handle this matter throughly there is therefore still room left for a new management of it The English Divine indeed in my Opinion has gone somewhat farther than the rest but I shall take the liberty to say that he might have built the Inspiration of the Holy Writings upon better foundations that he has not so sufficiently explained the nature of it as he might have done and that he has ventur'd to advance some things which in my judgment need a great deal of softning I hope he will be pleas'd to pardon me the Expression without which I could not be able to justifie my Design of writing after him In his Preface he acknowledges that the matter is nice and new and after he has besought the Readers not to censure him as if he intended to betray the cause which he defends he invites them to uphold it themselves According to this Invitation I shall make some steps in order to it If my Example should excite some other more Learned Pen to write upon the same Subject the Publick will be oblig'd to me for it I shall be well satisfied with my weak endeavours provided they may give occasion to the publishing any Treatise that shall maintain the Inspiration of the Holy Writings as effectually as the truth of them hath been asserted It will be found that I have tied my self to consider only the Writings of the New Testament there was no medling with the Books of the Old Testament without cutting out too much work for my self in a time when the Public receives not well any but small Treatises especially in matter of Divinity Therefore that I might accommodate my self to the Palate of the Age I was enforc'd to shorten my Subject After I had taken this Resolution it was no difficult thing for me to chuse which of the two Parts of Scripture it behov'd me to handle So that I determind in favour of the New Testament as being that Part upon which there has least been said We have several Books in defence of the Inspiration of the Prophets and their Writings because they have been so often attacqu'd But the Writers of the New Testament having peaceably enjoy'd the Honour pay'd them by the uninterrupted belief of their Inspiration Authors have not made it so much their Business to examine the nature of it or if any Libertine has attempted to contest it with them they have altogether relied upon the belief which the Church has had of it from time to time Besides this I may say that by maintaining the New Testament I defend the Old The Apostles have given such honourable Testimonials of the Writings of the Prophets that no Man can better maintain their honour than by demonstrating that Men inspir'd by the Holy Ghost have given Testimony to them But the chief Reason which made me chuse to defend the Writings of the New Testament is this because it is properly the Book that makes us Christians It is our Duty indeed to read the Writings of the Prophets there are to be seen those Oracles the Accomplishment of which is of glorious Consequence to the Gospel there we are inform'd of a great number of Actions wherein God appears magnificent in his Works and thence may be drawn Instructions effectual for the Sanctification of the Heart all these things were written for our Instruction but still a Christian must chiefly repair to the Writings to the New Covenant there it is that he ought to be most intent and stedfast from thence it is that he is chiefly oblig'd to receive his Faith and his Instructions in order to put himself into a state of Salvation The New Testament is that Book which God deliver'd as a Legacy to Mankind in these later times 'T is our Duty to cherish as much as in us lies the Respect which is due to that Sacred Book and to prevent it from being reckoned in the Catalogue of Common Writings for fear the Religion which it teaches us should be look'd upon as a Piece of Human Invention THE HOLY SCRIPTURES Inspir'd c. CHAP. I. The State and Importance of the Question and Division of the Work IT being my design to treat of the Inspiration of the Sacred Books of the New Testament I cannot forbear exactly to set down the state of the Question Which being done it will be found that all my Arguments aim at the same Mark and that I have made it my business not to amuse my Reader with any unprofitable Digression In the first place then the Reader is to be admonish'd that the Dispute is not here which are Canonical Books and which Apocryphal We suppose that those with whom we Contend agree that there is no contradiction to be made against the Canonical Authority of the New Testament according as we enjoy it at this day but that those Sacred Books were actually written or dictated by the Authors whose Names are affixed to ' em 'T is agreed that these Holy Men both saw and heard the matters of Fact which they relate and which they have written with extraordinary Fidelity and Sincerity Which being granted the Work begun is already in so great a forwardness that there is no need at all of entring into the discussion of several Difficulties which concern the Question relating to the Apocryphal Books By this means also we are freed from the trouble of proving that the Sacred Books were written by Men who were Witnesses of all the matters of Fact which are contain'd in the History of Jesus Christ or who themselves wrought great Miracles by which it appear'd that their Mission was Celestial In a word we are agreed upon the truth of these Books so that nothing remains farther to be known but whither they are inspir'd The Verity and the Inspiration make two different Questions of which the first is decided the Sacred Books of the New Testament are stedfastly and undeniably true at least so far as concerns Essential Things The main dispute is whether they are inspir'd or no So that there are some who let 'em alone with the Honour of being true but ravish from them that of Inspiration 'T is against these Innovators that I undertake the defence of the New Testament of which I maintain'd alike and equally assert both the Inspiration and the Truth even to the meanest Circumstances I could wish with all my heart that I might be able to handle this Question without chusing any certain Adversary My aim was to examine this important Matter without having any
the same thing Thus then I argue upon the whole The Apostles when they cited the Oracles of the Old Testament comprehended them all under the Name of Scripture as if they would have said the Scripture of God Now I find that immediately after the Apostles the Saints also quoted the Writings of the Apostles under the Name of Scripture they have paid the same Honour to the Writings of the Apostles as the Apostles did to the Old Testament Have I not reason then to conclude from thence that it was the judgment of the Saints of the Primitive Church that the Writings of the Apostles were no less the Scripture of God than the Prophetick Writings wherein are recorded the Oracles of God CHAP. III. The second Proof drawn from hence that the Ancients have equall'd the Writings of the Apostles to the Oracles of the Old Testament IF what M. N. has asserted touching the writings of the Prophets were examined according to the Belief which the Primitive Church had of them it would be soon acknowledg'd that this New System is not to be maintained by dint of Argument The Proofs of which are every where to be found For the Primitive Writers of the Christian Religion being obliged to fetch from the Prophetic writings their Arguments to convince the Jews or to confirm the Christians who acknowledged their Authority this was the reason that they had frequent occasion to speak of the Inspiration of those Sacred Writings So that we plainly see that they are hardly ever cited by the Ancients without some Elogie drawn from the Sanctity of their Original Sometimes 't is the VVord of God sometimes 't is the Holy Scripture sometimes the Oracles of the Holy Ghost and sometimes the Scripture divinely inspired VVhen the Primitive Christians quoted any passage of the Old Testament it was as they phrased it the Mouth of the Lord that spoke But I do not speak this to divert me from alledging some Proofs Clemens Romanus who as 't is well known was contemporary with the Apostles speaking of the Prophets says That the Ministers of the Grace of God instigated by the Holy Spirit spoke of Repentance A little after that-reciting a Maxim drawn from the Old Testament he assures us that 't was no more than what the Holy Spirit recommended to us Quod vaticinantes non alio quam verbo divino afflati agantur vos quoque ipsos dicturos reor Dial. cum Triph. Jud. p. 8. Justin Martyr speaks of the Inspiration of the Prophets as of a Truth common to the Jews and Christians Descendens in eos spiritus Sanctus Religionem veram discere volentes per illos docendos esse statuit Id. ad Graec. Cohort p. 32. And in another place he says that the Holy Spirit descended upon the Prophets to the end they might teach all those that desired to be instructed in the true Religion * Caeterum Dei homines pleni spiriu Sancto à Deo inspirati institutique Prophetae ordinati sunt proinde fuere à Deo docti Theophil ad Autol. lib. 2. p. 87. Theophilus of Antiochia asserts that the Prophets were men filled with the Holy Spirit and inspir'd by God Clemens of Alexandria is full of Passages wherein he affirms the same thing I shall cite no more than one which is to be found at the beginning of his Protreptic Ipse est Dominus loquens in Isaia ipse in Elia ipse in ore Prophetarum All the Primitive Authors honour the Prophets and their VVritings as being inspir'd by God Origen alone would furnish me with several passages of which to be convinc'd â—here needs no more than only to read his â—hilocatia But to what purpose will some Body say â—o I quote all these Proofs The dispute is â—bout the New Testament not the Old one 〈◊〉 will not say that I had any desire of maâ—ing it my Business to let the World know â—he Character of M. N. by shewing that in â—he judgement of the Ancients he does an â—nfinite injury to the prophetic Writings by â—he liberty of writing which he assumes to â—imself That was never my Design for 〈◊〉 confine my self exactly to my Subject My â—im is still to make out that the writings of â—he New Testament are inspir'd by the Holy Ghost And is not the confirming the high Opinion which the Ancients had of the Prophets and their Writings a keeping close to â—hat Design If at the same time I shew that â—he Ancients have equal'd the Apostles and â—heir writings to the Prophets and their Prophesies without proceeding any farther that cannot be call'd a Deviation For to be convinc'd that it is a Truth Iren. adver heret lib. 3. c. 11. Because first the Apostles secondly the Prophets but all from one and the fame God Commentaria Apostolorum scripta Prophetarum sequuntur p. 98. Just Martyr Quia utrumque Testamenti Ministri uno eodemque spiritu inspirati locuti sunt Theophii ad Autol. l. 30 p. 125. Deus Aeâ—ernus Vnigenitus verbum incarnatum predicatum a Prophetis omnibus Apostolis ab ipso spiritu Iren. adv Eereticos l. 3. c. 21. Vnus eâ—â—m idem spiritus Dei quae in prophetis praeconavit c. Ipse in Apostolis Annunciavit ib. c 35. there needs no more than to read the Passages which I have quoted in the Margin the number of which I might have easily augmented more especially would I have cited the Fathers who lived after the Council of Nice CHAP. IV. The third Proof drawn from the Distinction which the Ancients made between the Canonical and Apocryphal Books THis Distinction takes place in respect of both Testaments There are join'd to the Canonical Books of the Old Testament several Pieces purely Human as the Books of Tobit Judith Baruc Macabee's c. which are call'd by the name of Apocrypha A word of which the true Original is very uncertain But whether it signifie conceal'd or obscure or whether it have any other sense certain it is that those Books which are added to the Scripture though they are not of divine Authority are call'd Apocrypha If the Books which are added to the Old Testament are not admitted to be Canonical 't is not because they are defective in their matter There are some of them whose Doctrine is sound and their Instructions pure so that there has been no scruple made to read them publickly in the Church I dare presume to say there is such a Portion of Apocryphal Books which is more Instructive and more edifying than such a portion of books we call Canonical Wherefore then are they rejected as Apocryphal I know very well that several Marks of human Frailty are to be discover'd in them but the chief Ground of their being rejected is because they are Books which the Holy Ghost has not inspir'd the Finger of God appears not in them the good things which are there to be found flow not immediately from the
Spring Moreover we have reason to examin and suspect them because they are not recommended to us by Persons actuated by the infallible Spirit of God This Reason is express'd by the Ancients in other terms for they say that the Apocryphal Books added to the Old Testament want Canonical Authority because they were written by persons who were no Prophets and who lived after Malachi the last of the Prophets Wherein they followed Josephus who has deriv'd from thence the grand Character of the difference which we ought to make between the Canonical Books and the Apocryphal The words of the Author are so remarkable as not to be omitted Answer to Appion l. 1. c. 2. There can be nothing more certain than the Writings authoriz'd among us because they cannot be subject to any Contradiction in regard that there is nothing approv'd but what the Prophets wrote some Ages ago according to the purity of Truth by the Inspiration and Agitation of the Spirit of God They have also written all that pass'd from the time of Artaxerxes to our Time But by reason there has not been as formerly a successive Series of the Prophets there is not the same Credit given to the Books which I have mention'd The Books written after the Prophet Malachi have been constantly rejected in regard he was the last Writer whom the Holy Ghost inspir'd under the Old Testament Euseb l. 8. De monst Evangel Quod ab illo tempore servatoris nullum extet Sacrum Voâ—umen VVhat I have said in respect of the Old Testament takes place in relation to the New Several Books of Piety were compos'd in the Primitive Church the Authors were Persons of Worth and the Books were so useful that the Reading of them was not only recommended to private Persons but they made no scruple to read them in publick For example the Epistle of Saint Clement had the same Honour VVherefore was it that those Books were not put into the number of Canonical that is to say of those Books that are the constant Rule of our Faith and Manners It was not always because they were in some things erroneous but by reason they were not inspir'd by the Holy Ghost that was sufficient to hinder them from being received for Canonical The Question that was put when there was a Dispute about any Book of which they doubted was to know whether or no it were written by a Person inspired Thence it came to pass that in the History of Eusebius we find that Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria pronouncing his Sentence upon the Apocalyps said that he acknowledged it to be the work of some Holy Man inspir'd by the Spirit of God 'T is known also that Origen speaking of the Book written by Hermas Reor enim sancti cujusdam divino spiritu afflati viri id opus esse Euseb h. e. l. 7. c. 21. Quae Scriptura valde mihi utilis videtur Et ut puto divinitus inspirata Origen l. 10. reptam Epist ad Rom. c. 16. Com. 14. said That he believ'd it to be a Writing divinely inspir'd a certain proof that they believ'd those Books which the Church has admitted as Canonical were inspir'd by the Holy Ghost CHAP. V. The Fourth Proof drawn from the honour which the Ancients paid to the Sacred Books of the New Testament WE may draw a very strong Argument to prove that the Primitive Church believ'd that the Sacred Books of the New Testament were inspired from the Honour and Reverence which they paid them I shall begin with that Holy awe which kept the Ancients from attempting any alterations in the Sacred Writings Addenti aut dâ—trahenti poena non modica Iren. adv Heres l 5. c. 30. It was a piece of rashness and Sacriledge to adulterate them either by adding or diminishing They were laden with Anathemas who were so bold as to lay their mending Hands upon those Sacred VVritings We find in the Ecclesiastical History that the Heretics who denied the Divinity of our Lord had the confidence to falsifie the Scripture to accommodate the Text to their Opinions Upon which an Author of the Primitive Ages says that it was not likely that the Heretics were ignorant how criminal an Enterprize of that nature was For says he Quantae porro audaciae sit ejusmodi facinus ne ipsos quidem ignorare credibile est aut enim sacras scripturas à spiritu sancto dictatas esse non credunt ac proinde infideles sunt aut semet ipso spiritu sancto sapientiores esse existimant ac proinde quid aliud sunt quam Demoniaci Euseb h. e. l. 5. c. ult either they believe not that the Sacred Scriptures were dictated by the Holy Ghost and so are Infidels or they imagine themselves to be wiser than the Holy Ghost and then what are they other then Demoniacs They had an inviolable Veneration for the Sacred Scripture Tatianus for having only presumed to put the Epistles of St. Paul into more elegant Language incurred the Censure which may be seen in the Historian last cited Euseb l. 4.29 If the Church were so jealous of the words of the Scripture we may easily judge of the Indignation of the Christians when they saw that any body durst presume to violate the Text it self either by addition or diminution 'T is clear that the Christians would never have been so sensible of injury done to the Scripture if they had not believed it to be the work of the Holy Spirit Some small fragment of Piety affixed to human Works would never have been a crime of Sacriledge For example I see not what great harm it could be to sow to S. Paul's Epistle to Philemon some little Discourse upon that Indulgence which is due from Christian Masters to their Servants were it true that the Epistle to Philemon is a Peice wherein the Holy Spirit had no Share 'T is true there may be something said in dislike of such an Act in regard that Sincerity requires that other Mens Works should be let alone in their natural Dress Nevertheless the Miscarriage deserves not to be treated with the Penalties of Sacrilege there is no reason to make such a noise about it as the Primitive Christians did upon the Alterations that were made in the Writings of the New Testament Nothing more clearly shews the Opinion which the Ancients had of the Inspiration of the Sacred Books than the Honor which they paid 'em in looking upon 'em as Sovereign Decrees in Matters of Religion For which Reason it was that in several Councils they were plac'd upon a Throne as they would have seated Jesus Christ himself had he come visibly to preside in those Holy Assemblies There was the same Honor paid to his Word as they would have done to his Person Which clearly shews with what an Eye of Veneration they look'd upon the Sacred Writings of the New Testament This Honor also no less visibly appears in the use which