for us to interpret Scripture for most of the things we meet with in it cannot be deduced from Principles known by natural reason as we have already shewn and therefore the Truth of them cannot be made manifest by the strength of natural reason and consequently the true Sense and meaning of the Scripture cannot appear to us without some other light Moreover if this opinon were true the common People who are ignorant of or at least do not mind Demonstrations would entertain no Scripture but what they received from the Authority or Testimony of Philosophers and consequently ought to suppose Philosophers cannot Err in the interpretation of Scripture which truly would be a new Ecclesiastical Authority and a kind of Priesthood which the vulgar would rather scorn then reverence And tho' our method require the knowledge of the Hebrew Tongue which the vulgar have no time to Study nothing can upon that Score be objected for the common People of the Iews and Gentiles to whom the Prophets and Apostles Preached understood the Language of the Prophets and Apostles and by it understood the meaning of the Prophets tho' not the reasons of the things they Preached which according to the opinion of Maimonides they ought to have known to make themselves capable of understanding the Prophets meaning It doth not follow from the rule of our method that the common People must necessarily rely upon the Testimony of interpreters for I have given an instance of a People that knew the Language of the Prophets and Apostles but Maimonides can never shew me a common People that knew the causes of things which he says was the knowledge whereby the mind of the Prophets was to be understood and as for the common People of these days we have already shewn that all things necessary to Salvation tho' the reasons of them be not known may be easily understood in any Language because they are so common and ordinary and for this knowledge the vulgar do not depend upon the Testimony of interpreters in other things they follow the Fortune of the Learned But to return to a stricter examination of Maimonides opinion first he supposeth that the Prophets did in all things agree one with another and that they were most excellent Philosophers because as he will have it their conclusions were drawn from the Truth of things but this I have proved in my Second Chapter to be false Next he supposeth that the Sense of Scripture cannot be made out by Scripture for as much as it doth not Demonstrate any thing nor doth it prove the things of which it Treats by definition and Primary Causes wherefore according to the opinion of Maimonides the true Sense of Scripture can neither appear or be deduced from Scripture But I have likewise proved this to be false in the present Chapter For I have made it appear both from reason and examples that the Sense of Scripture is found out only by Scripture and to be derived thence even when it speaks of things unknown to us by natural light Lastly Maimonides supposeth that it is Lawful for us according to our preconceived opinions to expound and wrest the Words of Scripture and to deny or change the litteral Sense thereof be it never so express and plain which Liberty is Diametrically opposite to what I have Demonstrated in this and other Chapters and Savors of too much boldness but should I grant him this Liberty what advantage will he get by it none at all for those things which cannot be Demonstrated make up the greatest part of Scripture we cannot by this way make out nor by this rule expound or interpret them when on the contrary by following our method we may explain many things of this kind and as we have already shewn safely dispute of them but those things which are in their own nature perceptible their Sense is easily drawn from the context and as Maimonides method is unprofitable so it takes from the common People all certainty which they and all that follow any other method can by diligent reading have of the Sense of Scripture and therefore we reject it as dangerous useless and absurd as for the forementioned Tradition of the Pharisees we know not that there is any such and as for the Popes Authority I for no other reason deny it but because it wants clear Proof for had they as much Scripture to shew for it as heretofore the Iewish High Priests had for theirs I should be as little concerned that some of the Popes of Rome have been Hereticks and wicked Men as that the High-Priests of the Iews were sometimes as bad and yet by the command of Scripture had still the Power of interpreting the Law as appears by the 17 chap. of Deut. v. 11 12. chap. 33. v. 10. and Mal. chap. 2. v. 7 8. But because the Popes can shew us no such Testimony their Authority is very much to be doubted and that no Man may deceive himself and think that according to the example of the Iewish High-Priests the Catholic Religion also wants a High Priest it is to be observed that the Laws of Moses were the public Laws of the Country and needed a public Authority to maintain them for if every Man have a Liberty of interpreting the public Laws as he pleaseth no Common-wealth can stand but presently dissolves and public Laws become private but in Religion the Case is quite different for seeing Religion doth not so much consist in external Actions as in Truth and Singleness of Heart it is of no Public Power or Authority for Truth and Sincerity of mind is not infused by the command of Laws or by public Authority and no Man can be compell'd by force or by Laws to be made holy nothing but good brotherly Council education and a mans own free judgment can do that Seeing then every Man hath right to think of Religion as he pleaseth and it cannot be imagin'd any Man can part with this right it is in every Mans Power to judge of Religion and consequently to expound and interpret it to himself for as the cheif Power of interpreting Laws and judging of Public Matters resides in the Magistrate upon no other account but because they are public so likewise for the same reason the Supream Authority of explaining and judging of Religion is in every particular Person because it is every private Mans right The Authority then of the Iewish High-Priest to interpret Laws is far from proving the Popes Authority to interpret Religion but rather the contrary that every particular Man hath right to do it So that it is evident our method of interpreting Scripture i. the best for seeing the supream Power of interpreting it ought to be that natural reason which is common to all Men and not any Supernatural light or external Authority this method ought not be so difficult and abstruse that none but acute Philosophers can make use of or Compose it but it must be
supreme Magistrates on one side or other concern themselves in the Dispute the Controversie never ends and there is a necessity of dividing into Sects In the Second place it may be observed That the Prophets who were but private persons sometimes by the great Liberty they used in admonishing reproving and reproaching the People did rather provoke than make them better who notwithstanding would with much greater patience receive correction and instruction from their Kings Yea the Prophets were sometimes intolerable to very pious good Kings by arrogating a Power of judging what was well and what ill done and sometimes by reproving Kings to their faces if they suffer'd any thing to be publickly or privately done which was contrary to their Judgment Asa who was by the Testimony of Scripture a good King imprison'd Hanani the Prophet see 2 Chron. chap. 16. for too boldly reproving and reproaching him for the League he made with the King of Syria Beside this Example there are others which shew That the Liberty the Prophets took did sometimes more hurt than good I need not instance the Civil Wars which were occasioned by the Prophets pretending to the Supream Power A Third thing fit to be observed is That during the time the People governed there happened but one Civil War which being ended the Victors had so much compassion for the Conquer'd Party that their whole care and study was how to restore them to their former Power and Dignity But after the People not accustomed to Kings had changed the Form of their Government into Monarchy there was no end of their Civil Wars they fought such fierce and bloody Battels as almost exceed Belief for in one Battel which is hardly credible Fifty Thousand Israelites were slain by the men of Iudah and in another the Israelites slew a very great number though not specified of the men of Iudah took the King himself Prisoner demolish'd a great part of the Walls of Ierusalem and to shew that the Rage of War hath no Moderation they destroy'd the Temple sack't the City laden and glutted with the Spoils and Blood of their Brethren taking Hostages they leave the King in his almost ruin'd Kingdom and more secured by the Weakness than the Faith of the King of Iudah's Subjects laid down their Arms. The men of Iudah in a few years after recovering strength come again into the Field and fight another Battel wherein the Israelites were again Victors killing an Hundred and Twenty Thousand of the Men of Iudah and carried away Captives Two Hundred Thousand of their Wives and Children with a very great Booty so that consumed by these and other Battels mention'd in Scripture they at last fell a prey to their Enemies Before they had Kings they sometimes lived in perfect peace Forty Years together and once which is scarce credible Fourscore Years without any Forreign or Domestick War but after they were governed by Kings and fought not for Peace and Liberty but the Glory of their Monarch we find them continually embroil'd the Reign of Solomon only excepted whose Wisdom and Vertue better appear'd in Peace than in War the desire of reigning at last became so excessive that their Kings sometimes waded to the Throne in Blood. Lastly During the Government of the People the Laws remain'd in their first purity and were constantly observed for before Kings came in there were very few Prophetsâ— but after the Election of Kings the Prophets grew very numerous We read Obadiah hid at one time an Hundred in a Cave to save their Lives We likewise find the People were often deceived with False Prophets the People before Kings had the Government being as there was occasion sometimes haughty and sometimes humble did when they were in Calamity forsake their evil ways sought God restored the Laws and by these means freed themselves from danger and distress but their Kings whose haughty Minds cannot without shame stoop obstinately persisted in their Sins and Vices till the Commonwealth was utterly destroyed By all this it clearly appears First How dangerous it is both to Religion and Government to put the Power of making Laws and governing into the hands of Priests and that it is much safer to restrain them from medling in any Business till their Counsel be ask'd and to keep them from preaching and teaching New Doctrines and Opinions Secondly It is very dangerous to judge and determine of things meerly speculative by Scripture or to make any Laws concerning Opinions which are or may be in themselves disputable That Government is very Tyrannical where Opinions are counted Crimes 't is a sign the angry Multitude are Masters Pilate to gratifie the incensed Pharisees commanded Christ to be crucified It was usual with the Pharisees when they had a mind to put Worthy Persons out of their Places and Offices of Dignity to ask Questions concerning Religion this made them accuse the Sadduces of Impiety According to the Example of the Pharisees base and abominable Hypocrites under pretence of Zeal for Religion persecute and traduce honest worthy vertuous men whom for that Reason they envy and by publickly inveighing against their Opinions stir up the People against their Persons This unworthy Practice because it is cloaked with Religion can hardly be restrained where the Supreme Powers have introduced any Sect whereof they themselves were not Authors for then the Sectaries not the Supream Powers are accounted Interpreters of the Divine Law that is the Supream Power makes Sectaries Interpreters of Scripture and then the Magistrates Authority signifies little with the People who have great Veneration for their Teachers to whose Doctrine and Decisions they think even Kings ought to submit To avoid all these Mischiefs nothing can be safer for a Commonwealth than to place all Religion and Piety only in Works that is only in the Exercise of Justice and Charity and for Matters of Opinion to leave every Man free to his own Judgment But of this Particular more largely hereafter Thirdly We see how necessary it is for the good both of Religion and Government to fix the Right and Authority of determining even in things pertaining to God and Religion and of judging what is right and what is wrong in the Supream Powers for if the power of judging Mens Actions could not without great danger to Religion and Government be allow'd to the Prophets much less ought it to be granted to Men who can neither prophesie or do Miracles But of this Particular I will speak expresly in the next Chapter Fourthly and lastly We see how dangerous it is for People never accustomed to Kingly Government and have Laws accordingly framed to chuse a Monarch for as the People cannot endure such a Government so Kingly Authority cannot brook Laws or any Rights and Priviledges of the People Establish't by any others of less Authority and a King will have very little mind to maintain Laws wherein the Peoples Interest was more intended and provided for than his own for
their Kings could not personally officiate as a Priest in the Temple because all men that could not derive their Pedigree from Aaron were counted profane and unclean which is now no Obstacle in a Christian Common-wealth for in these days the Priesthood not being entailed upon any particular Family but requiring only some particular Qualifications Kings or Supream Magistrates cannot be barred from medling with Matters belonging to Religion upon any account of profaneness but all is in their power and no body but by their authority or allowance hath any Right to officiate in the Church for the Power of chusing Ministers of setling the Church of stating and determining the Doctrines thereof prescribing Religious Rites and Ceremonies judging of Mens Piety and Manners the power of excommunicating and receiving again into the Church and of providing for the poor are all in the Supream Magistrate and these things are not only true but likewise very necessary not only for the good of Religion but also for the safety of the Commonwealth for all men know how much the People esteem and depend upon the Power and Authority of those whose Function is accounted Sacred they having an absolute Dominion over their Minds He then that endeavours to deprive the Supream Magistrate of this Power goes about to share and divide or else usurp the Government from whence must necessarily arise such Contention and Discords as were heretofore between the Kings and Iewish High Priests which could never be appeased If this Power be taken away from Supream Magistrates how can they determine of Peace or War or of any other Business if they must be obliged to follow other Mens Opinions by whom they are to be taught what is good or evil That Power is Supream and there can be none greater which hath the Right of declaring and determining what is Piety what Impiety and what in Religion is lawful or unlawful All Ages have been sensible how many Mischiefs such a Power in any but the Supream Magistrate hath produced I will give you but one Example As soon as such a Power was granted to the Pope or Bishop of Rome by degrees he became Superiour to all Kings and at last ascended to so high a pitch of earthly Dominion that whatever Kings or Emperours have since done to lessen it hath been to no purpose but they have rather much encreased it and that which no Monarch ever effected by Fire and Sword Church-men have been able to do only with their Pen which is a plain proof of the Pope's Power and a convincing Argument to perswade Supream Powers to keep that Authority he pretends to in their own hands If we consider the Observations I have made in the preceding Chapter we shall find that the residing of this Power in the hands of Supream Magistrates is very much for the Benefit and Advancement of Religion and Piety for as I have already declared the Prophets themselves though fill'd with Divine Power and Vertue yet because they were but private men the great Liberty they took in admonishing reproving and upbraiding the People did rather provoke than amend them who notwithstanding patiently submitted to the Reproof and Chastisement of their Princes Besides Kings themselves because they had not the power of judging and determining Matters of Religion many times forsook the true Religion and most of their People with them which hath likewise upon the same account often happen'd in Christian Governments But here perhaps some will ask if Supream Powers should chance to be wicked who shall then have the Power and Authority of vindicating and maintaining Religion and Piety And who shall then be the Interpreters of it I ask them on the other side What if Priests and Ecclesiasticks grow wicked and impious must they continue Interpreters of Religion and God's Word If they that have Supream Power should do whatever they please whether they do or do not meddle with Religion all things without doubt both Sacred and Civil are like to be in a very ill Condition but in much worse when private men shall seditiously pretend to a Divine Right of defining and defending all chings which concern or in any wise pertain to Religion The denying of this Power to Supream Magistrates must necessarily cause very ill Consequences for they will in all probability as did the Iewish Kings who had not this Power absolutely grow wicked and ungodly and from that which is but uncertain and contingent will follow most certain Mischief and Ruin to the Government If then we have any regard either to the Just Right of Supream Power to the safety of Government or the advancement of Religion and Piety we must grant that the regulating and determining all things concerning Religion and the Worship of God depends upon the Decrees of the Supream Power and that such only are Ministers of God's Word who are authoriz'd by the Supream Magistrate to teach and instruct the people in those principles of Religion and Piety which they that have the Supream Power think most likely to procure the publick Good of the Common-wealth I have now no more to do but to declare the Cause why in Christian Governments there hath been so much dispute about this Power when in the Iewish Commonwealth it never that I know came into controversie It is little less than a Wonder that a thing so necessary and profitable should still be a Question and the Subject of continual Cavil and that Supream Magistrates should never be able to exercise this Power without contention and without fear of danger and prejudice to Religion If the Cause of this could not be found out I would confess all I have said in this Chapter to be meer Theoretical Speculative Notions of no use but any person that will but look back and consider the beginnings of Christian Religion may easily discover the Cause of this Controversie They that first taught Christian Religion were not Kings but private persons who contrary to the Will and Commands of those in Supream Power whose Subjects they were preached in private Churches or Congregations and instituted Forms of Worship without any respect had or account given to the Government and likewise regulated and determined all things relating to Religion Though Christian Religion after many years began to be profest in Commonwealths by those that had the Supream Power yet the Ecclesiasticks who instructed Emperours and Kings in the Christian Religion were without any difficulty still acknowledged Teachers and Interpreters of God's Word Pastors of the Church and God's Ministers but that Christian Kings and Princes might not afterwards assume any such Authority to themselves Churchmen very warily provided against it by forbidding the Chief Ministers and the High Priest of the Church to marry by multiplying the Doctrines and Tenets of Religion to a prodigious number and by so confounding them with Philosophy that it was absolutely necessary for the Chief Interpreter and Judge of Religion to be a Philosopher as
well as a Divine and to busie himself in unprofitable Speculations fit only to take up private mens time who have nothing else to do But it was far otherwise in the Iewish Commonwealth for their Church began with their Government and Moses who was the Supream Magistrate taught the people Religion setled their Forms of Worship and chose their Priests This was that which made Kingly Authority so much esteemed by the People and put the Right and Power of all things pertaining to Religion into the hands of Supream Magistrates for though after the Death of Moses no Man governed so absolutely as he did yet the Right and Power of determining all things concerning Religion as well as other Affairs still remained as we have already proved in the Prince and the People to be instructed in Religion and Piety were no more bound to go to the High Priest than they were to the Chief Iudge Deut. chap. 17. v. 9 11 12 Thou shalt come to the Priests the Levites and to the Chief Iudge that shall be in those days to enquire and he that will not hearken unto the Priest or unto the Iudge that man shall die Though the Kings had not power equal to that of Moses yet the Priests and Levites were appointed and ordered to do what the Kings thought fit for as it appears in 1 Chron. chap. 28. v. 11 12. King David order'd how the Temple should be built according to a Model he prescribed and as it appears in the 23 d Chapter of the same Book David out of all the Levites chose twenty four thousand to set forward the building of the Temple six thousand to be Officers and Iudges four thousand to be Porters and four thousand to praise the Lord upon musical Instruments he likewise divided the Levites into companies and set Rulers over them which Companies were to serve and wait in their turns For other particulars I refer the Reader to the 28 th Chapter of the 2 d Book of Chron. v. 13. where it is said That King Solomon commanded Offerings to be made according as Moses instituted And ver 14. it is said That Solomon according to the order of David his Father appointed the Courses of the Priests and Levites to their Service and Charges and ver 15. the Historian saith They departed not from the Commandment of the King given to the Priests and Levites concerning any matter or concerning the Treasures By all which by other Histories of their Kings it is evident that the whole Exercise of Religion and all the Service that concerned it depended only upon their King's Command And tho' their Kings had not as Moses had the Power of chusing the High-Priest or of consulting God without him or of condemning the Prophets that prophesy'd in their Reigns the Prophets having power to chuse a new King and to pardon any that had taken away a King's Life yet I say the Prophets themselves had no power to call any King to an account for breaking the Laws or in any judicial manner and form to proceed against or condemn him And therefore if there had been no Prophets who by particular Revelation could pardon the killing of a King Kings in the Jewish Commonwealth must have had absolute Power over all things both Sacred and Civil as Supreme Powers have in these our Days who have no Prophets nor are obliged to receive any being in no wise bound by the Laws of the Jews Commonwealth And this Power tho' our Kings marry they absolutely have and may keep if they do not suffer Doctrines and Articles of Religion to be multiplied or mingled and confounded with Arts and Sciences CHAP. XX. In a Free Commonwealth it should be lawful for every Man to think what he will and speak what he thinks WEre it as easie to command Mens Minds as it is their Tongues all Supreme Powers would reign securely and no Government would be Violent or Tyrannical For then every Man would live according to the Will of those in Supreme Power and would think every thing true or false good or evil just or unjust according to their Determinations and Decrees But it is impossible as we have observed in the beginning of the 17 th Chapter that any Man's Mind or Thoughts should be in another Man's power because no Man can transfer or be compelled to transfer his natural Right of Reasoning and Judging of Things upon any other Man And therefore that Government is counted Tyrannical which would reign over Mens Minds and Supreme Powers do their Subjects wrong and deprive them of their just Right when they command them to receive or reject according to their Prescriptions whatever they declare to be true or false and positively appoint what Opinions and Notions Men in their Devotions shall have of God which is a thing wholly in a Man 's own power and from which no Man tho' he would can part I confess a Man's Judgment may be so many ways prepossest that tho it be not directly and absolutely in another Man's power yet it may have such a dependence on him as to be thought very much at his dispose but in spite of all that Art can do Men will abound in their own Sense and there will for ever be as many diversities of Opinions as there are of Palats Tho' Moses not by Craft but by Divine Power had so prepossest the Minds of his People that they believed he said and did all things by Divine Inspiration yet he could not escape ill Reports and sinister Interpretations much less then can other Monarchs Were the thing possible it might rather be done in Monarchical than in Democratical Government which is managed by an Assembly of all or the greatest part of the People and the Reason I think is obvious Tho' Supreme Powers have right to all things and are believed to be Interpreters both of Law and Religion yet they could never keep Men from judging of things according to their Reason and Capacities nor from being this or that way affected They may indeed account all men Enemies who do not in all things absolutely think as they do but we do not here dispute of their Power but of what is most convenient and profitable I grant that Supreme Powers may Reign Tyrannically and put Subjects to death for very slight Causes if they please but all Men will deny that this can be done with Reason or Prudence because it will prove dangerous and destructive to the Government Yea it may be denied that Supreme Magistrates have absolute Power and consequently have not absolute Right to do such things as these because we have proved that the Right of Supreme Magistrates is determined by their Power If then no Man can part with this Liberty of Judging and Thinking what he will but every Man by the Sovereign Right of Nature is Master of his own Thoughts Supreme Powers in any Commonwealth can never hope for Success in prescribing to Men of different
is most likely to incline him most religiously and heartily to serve God and of this mind was Iosephus for he concludes his Second Book of Antiquities with these words Neither ought any Man to marvel at this so wonderful discourse that thorow the Red Sea a passage should be found to save so many Persons in times past and they rude and simple whether it were done by the Will of God or that it chanced of it self since not long time ago God so thinking it good the Sea of Pamphilia divided it self to give way to Alexander King of Macedons Souldiers having no other passage to destroy the Empire of the Persians and this all acknowledge who have Written the Acts of Alexander and therefore of these things let every one think as he pleaseth Chap. VII Of the Interpretation of Scripture MOst Men acknowledge the Holy Scripture to be the Word of God which teacheth Mankind the way to true Happiness and Salvation but this Opinion hath so little influence upon Mens Lives that the common People take no care to regulate theirs according to the Doctrines of Scripture and every Man believing himself divinely inspired would under pretence of Religion compel all others to be of his Opinion We often see those whom we call Divines very solicitous to father their own Fancies upon Scripture and the Divine Authority thereof making no scruple with great boldness to interpret it and tell us what is the mind of the Holy Ghost When they meet with any difficulties they do not so much fear mistaking the Holy Spirits meaning and the right way to Salvation as to be found guilty of Error and by loosing their Authority to fall into contempt but if Men did heartily believe that which they profess concerning the Scriptures they would lead other kind of Lives there would not be half so much contention and hatred in the World as now there is nor would Men with so much Blind Zeal and boldness venture upon expounding Scripture and introduce so many novelties into Religion but on the contrary would be very cautious of maintaining any thing for Scripture Doctrine which is not manifestly contained in it and the Men who have not been affraid to adulterate Scripture in so many places would never have commited such impious Sacriledge But ambition and wickedness have so far prevailed that Religion doth now consist not so much in obeying the dictates of the Holy Spirit as in defending Mens own fantastical opinions Charity is now no part of Religion but discord and implacable hatred pass under the masque of Godly Zeal To these evils superstition hath joyned it self teaching Men to despise reason and nature and to admire and reverence that only which is repugnant to both 't is no wonder that Men to be thought the greater admirers of Scripture should Study so to expound it that it may seem contradictory both to nature and reason and therefore dream of profound misteries hidden in it which misteries that is their own obsurdities they labour and weary themselves to find out and neglecting things which are of most use ascribe to the Holy Spirit all the Dotages of their own imagination and with much heat and passion endeavor to defend their own idle conceits Whatever is the result of Mens understanding that Men endeavor to maintain by clear and pure reason but all opinions derived from their passions and affections must be defended by them to avoid these troubles and to free our minds from all Theological prejudices that we may not rashly receive the Foolish inventions of Men for the Doctrins of God I will now treat of a right method of interpreting Scripture of which method whoever is ignorant he can never certainly know the true Sense and meaning either of the Scripture or the Holy Ghost I say in few Words that the method of interpreting Scripture doth not differ from the method of interpreting nature for as the method of explaining nature cheifly consists in framing a History thereof from whence as from undeniable concessions shall follow the definitions of natural things so likewise to expound Scripture it is absolutely necessary to compose a true History thereof that thence as from sure Principles we may by rational consequences collect the meaning of those who were Authors of the Scripture that every one who admits of no other Principles or concessions in expounding Scripture or in reasoning of the things therein contain'd but such as are fetcht from the Scripture it self or the History of it may proceed without danger of Erring and be able to discourse and reason as securely of things which exceed human capacity as of any thing we know by natural light Now that it may evidently appear that this is the only sure way and agrees with the method of explaining nature we are to observe that the Scripture very often treats of things that cannot be deduced from Principles known to us by natural light because Revelations make up the greatest part of Scripture History which Principaly contains Miracles that is as we have already shew'd in the foregoing Chapter narrations of things not common or usual in nature suted and fitted to the judgment and opinions of the Historians that wrote them Revelations also as we have shew'd in the Second Chapter were accomodated to the opinions of the Prophets and exceed human capacity wherefore the knowledge of all these things that is of almost every thing contained in Scripture ought to be derived only from Scripture as the knowledge of natural things ought to be from nature as for moral Doctrins contained in the Bible tho' they may be demonstrated from common and general Notions yet it doth not appear by those Notions that the Scripture teacheth those Doctrins nothing but the Scripture it self makes out that and to give a clear demonstration of the Scripture's Divinity we must from the Scripture it self prove the Truth of the Moral Doctrins which it teacheth because in that Truth only the Divine Authority of Scripture appears for as we have already shewn the certainty of the Prophets consisted in their being just and vertuous which to make us believe them ought likewise appear to us We have already shewn that Miracles cannot prove the Divine Nature of God and that they might be wrought by false Prophets the Divine Authority of Scripture appears then in its teaching us what is true and real Vertue and that can be proved only by Scripture it self if not we could not without a great deal of prejudice believe the Scriptures and think them to be of divine inspiration the Scripture indeed doth not give us any definition of the things whereof it treats so neither doth Nature and therefore as from several Actions of Nature we make definitions of natural things in the same manner from several narrations of all things contained in Scripture are conclusions to be drawn The general rule then of interpreting Scripture is that we conclude nothing to be Doctrine which doth not manifestly
Supernatural Illumination to fit and apply Religion which they had before confirm'd by Signs to every Man 's ordinary Capacity that it might be readily embraced nor was Supernatural Assistance necessary to mind Men of it the design and end of all the Epistles is to teach and admonish Men to live that kind of life which every one of the Apostles judg'd best to confirm and establish them in Religion and here we are to remember what was said a little before That the Apostles were not only enabled to preach the History of Christ and confirm what they preach'd by Signs as Prophets but had also Power and Authority to admonish and instruct Men in that way which every particular Apostle thought best both which gifts Paul mentions in his 2 d Epist. to Timothy chap. 1. v. 11. Whereunto I am appointed a Preacher and an Apostle and teacher of the Gentiles Likewise in his 1 st Epist. to Timothy chap. 2. v. 7. Whereunto I am ordain'd a Preacher and an Apostle I speak the truth in Christ and lie not a teacher of the Gentiles in Faith and Verity which Texts clearly prove both his Offices of Apostle and Doctor but his Authority to warn and instruct whomsoever and whensoever he pleas'd he expresly declares in his Epistle to Philemon verses the 8 th and 9 th Tho' I might be much bold in Christ to enjoyn thee that which is convenient yet for loves sake I rather beseech thee whence we are to note that if those things which Paul was to command Philemon had been receiv'd from God by Paul as a Prophet and which as a Prophet he ought to have commanded him then it had not been lawful for Paul to change that Command of God into Intreaties it must therefore be necessarily understood that Paul here speaks of the liberty of Warning and Admonishing which he had as a Teacher and not as a Prophet Tho' it be not clearly prov'd that every Apostle might chuse that way of teaching which he himself thought best but only that they were both Prophets and Teachers by vertue of their Apostleship yet Reason tells us that whoever hath Power and Authority to teach hath also Power and Liberty to chuse his own way of doing it but because it will be more satisfactory to prove by Scripture that every Apostle chose his own particular way of teaching Consider what Paul himself saith in his Epistle to the Romans chap. 15. v. 20. So have I strived to preach the Gospel not where Christ was named lest I should build upon another mans foundation if every one of the Apostles made use of the same way of teaching and all built Christian Religion upon the same Foundation what reason had Paul to call those Foundations another Mans It must necessarily be concluded that every one built Religion upon a several Foundation and it was with the Apostles as it is with other Doctors who having a peculiar method of teaching desire alway to teach those who are perfectly ignorant and never learnt of any other Master If we carefully read over the Epistles we shall find that the Apostles did agree concerning Religion it self but differ'd about its Foundations To establish Men in Religion and to prove that Salvation depended only upon the Grace and Mercy of God Paul's Doctrine was that no Man ought to boast of his Works but only of his Faith and that no Man could be justify'd by Works but only by Faith Rom. chap. 3. v. 27 28. By Paul also was preached the whole Doctrine of Predestination but Iames on the other side in his Epistle declares that a Man is justify'd by Works and not by Faith only Iames chap. 2. v. 24. and in few words gives a brief account of Religion not at all concerning himself with any of Paul's Disputations Without doubt the Apostles building Religion upon several Foundations hath been the original cause of all those Controversies and Schisms wherewith the Church was in the Apostles time hath been ever since and for ever will be troubled unless Religion be purg'd and separated from all Philosophical Speculations and reduced to those few and plain Doctrines which Christ taught his Followers which was impossible to be done by the Apostles themselves because Men then knew not the Gospel and because the novity of its Doctrine should not offend their Ears they as near as possible suited and fitted it to the Genius and Disposition of Men in that time as appears by the 1 st Epist. to the Corinth chap. 9. v. 19 20. and was built upon the most known Foundations and receiv'd Principles of those times therefore none of the Apostles philosophiz'd so much as Paul who was called to preach to the Gentiles the rest preaching to the Iews who were despisers of Philosophy likewise apply'd themselves to their Genius see the Epist. to the Galath chap. 2. from the 11 verse forward and preach'd Religion strip'd naked from all Philosophical Speculations How happy likewise would our times be could we see Religion freed from all Superstition CHAP. XII Of the true Original Hand-writing of the Divine Law why Scripture is called Holy and why the Word of God Lastly That the Scripture as it contains the Word of God is derived down to us pure and uncorrupted THey that look upon the Bible however it be as a Letter sent from Heaven by God to Man will certainly exclaim and say I am guilty of the sin against the Holy Ghost in maintaining that the Word of God is faulty maimed adulterated and contradictory to it self that we have but fragments of it and that the Original Writing of the Covenant which God made with the Iews perish'd but I doubt not would they well consider the thing it self they would cease their exclamations for Reason as well as the Opinion of the Prophets and Apostles plainly declares That the Eternal Word and Covenant of God and true Religion is written in Mens Hearts that is imprinted by God upon the Mind and Understanding of mankind which is that true Hand-writing of God which he sealed with the Idea of himself that is the Image of his own Divine Nature Religion was first deliver'd to the Iews as a written Law because they were at that time in their Understanding little more than Children but afterwards Moses Deut. chap. 30. v. 6. and Ieremy chap. 31. v. 33. prophesied that in time to come God would write his Law in their Hearts so that the Iews and among them chiefly the Zaduces always contended for their Law written in Tables which others did not who had it engraven on their Hearts He then that considers this will find nothing in what I have said contrary to God's word or that will weaken Faith and Religion but rather as I have shewed toward the end of the tenth Chapter what will confirm and strengthen both Had not that been my intention I had been altogether silent upon this Subject and to avoid disputes would have freely granted that there
are deep Mysteries hidden in the Scripture but because from thence hath sprung up intollerable Superstition and many other mischievous inconveniences of which I spake in the beginning of the seventh Chapter I could not possibly pass them by Religion needs not be attired with any Superstitious Ornaments but rather loseth part of its Beauty and Lustre when it is adorned with such Fopperies But some will say That tho' the Divine Law be written in Mens Hearts yet nevertheless the Scripture is the word of God and therefore 't is as unlawful to say of Scripture as of the Word of God that 't is maimed or corrupted I on the other side fear such Men pretend too much Sanctity and convert Religion into Superstition yea that they worship Pictures and Images that is Paper and Ink for the Word of God this I know that I have said nothing misbecoming the Scripture or the Word of God and that I have laid down no Position which I have not made good by clear Reason and therefore I may positively aver that I have not publish'd any thing that is impious or that savors of the least impiety I confess some prophane persons to whom Religion is a burthen may take a liberty of sinning and without any reason indulging their sensual pleasure may infer that the Scripture is every where faulty and falsify'd and consequently of no Authority to such Men nothing will be an answer for according to the common saying that which is never so well and truly spoken may be abused by an ill and sinister Interpretation they that are lovers of their Pleasure will take any occasion to do it and they who in time past had those Originals the Ark of the Covenant the Prophets and Apostles themselves were not one jot the more obedient or the better for them but all as well Iews as Gentiles were alike still the same and Vertue in all Ages was a thing very rare But to clear all Scruples I will now shew upon what ground and reason Scripture or any other mute thing may be called Sacred or Holy next what is indeed the Word of God that it is not contained in a certain number of Books And lastly that as it contains those things which are necessary to Obedience and Salvation it cannot be corrupted By these particulars every one may easily judge that I speak nothing against the Word of God or give any occasion for Men to be wicked or ungodly That is called Holy and Divine which is dedicated to Piety and the practice of Religion and a thing continues Holy so long as Men make a Religious use thereof when Men cease to be Religious that thing ceaseth to be Sacred and when the thing is used to impious purposes then that thing which was before Sacred becomes unholy and prophane For example the very place called by Iacob the Patriarch Beth-el the House of God because he there worship'd God reveal'd to him was afterwards called by the Prophets the House of Iniquity Amos chap. 5. v. 5. Hoshea chap. 10. v. 5. because the Israelites by the Command of Ieroboam did there sacrifice to Idols Another example will plainly prove the thing Words have a certain signification only by use and custom and if they be according to that use so disposed that they move Men who read them to Devotion then those words are esteemed Sacred and likewise the Book wherein they are written but if afterward it come to pass that the use of those words is lost and thereby the words become insignificant and the Book wherein such words are is quite neglected and laid aside either through malice or because Men have no need of it then the words and the Book as they are of no use so have they no Sanctity in them Lastly If those words come to be otherwise construed and Custom so far prevail as to give them a clean contrary sense and signification then the words and the Book which were before esteemed Sacred may become filthy and profane whence it follows that nothing can be absolutely either Sacred or Profane but only in respect of Mans Mind or Understanding which clearly appears by many places of Scripture I will quote only one or two Ieremy chap. 7. v. 24. saith the Iews did falsely call Solomon's Temple the Temple of God for as he further saith in that Chapter the Name of God could remain in that Temple no longer than it was frequented by Men who worship'd him and maintain'd Justice but when Murderers Robbers and Idolaters resorted to it 't was then but a Den of Thieves I have often wonder'd that the Scripture no where declares what became of the Ark of the Covenant certainly it was either lost or burnt with the Temple tho' nothing was esteemed more Sacred and Venerable among the Iews The Scripture then is Sacred and its sayings Divine so long as Men are thereby moved to Devotion but if the Scripture be quite neglected as it was heretofore by the Iews it is nothing but Paper and Ink 't is then profaned and left liable to Corruption and when it is corrupted and perisheth it cannot be truly said the Word of God is corrupted and lost as in the Prophet Ieremy's time it could not be truly said the Temple of God was burnt which Ieremy himself declareth of the Law for chap. 8. v. 8. he reproves the Wicked in these words How do ye say we are wise and the Law of the Lord is with us Lo certainly in vain made he it the Pen of the Scribes is in vain that is tho' ye have the Scripture yet ye falsely say you have the Law of God since ye have made it of no effect In like manner when Moses brake the first Tables it cannot be said that in anger he cast the Law of God out of his Hands and brake it no person ought to think so he brake only the Stones which tho' before accounted Sacred because upon them was engraven the Covenant by which the Iews bound themselves to obey God yet afterward had not the least Sanctity in them because the People by worshiping the Golden Calf made that Covenant void For the same cause the second Tables with the Ark wherein they were kept might likewise perish 'T is no wonder then if none of those Originals are to be found or that the like should befal the Books we have when the very Original of Gods Law the most Sacred of all things is utterly lost Let Men then forbear to charge me with impiety seeing I have spoken nothing against the Word of God nor have any way profaned it if their anger be just let it be vented against the people of old whose wickedness prophaned and destroyed the Ark of God the Temple the Law and all things else that were Sacred If according to the 2 d Epist. to the Corinth chap. 3. v. 3. The Epistle of Christ were written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in Tables
Men nevertheless blessed and happy Having shewed that the Scripture in respect of Religion only and the universal Divine Law is properly called Scripture It now remains to prove that in this respect and as it is properly so call'd it is neither maimed faulty or corrupted and here I call that thing faulty maimed and corrupted which is so falsely written and compos'd that the true sense of the words cannot either by the use of the Language or by the Scripture it self be found out for I do not affirm that the Scripture as it contains the Divine Law always observes the same letters points accents and words I leave that to the Masorites who so superstitiously adore the Letter but only that the signification and sense in respect of which only any Speech is to be called Divine is derived to us uncorrupted tho' the words whereby that sense was signified have been often changed that cannot as we have said detract from the Sacredness of Scripture for it would not have been one jot less Divine had it been written in other Words or in any other Language That we have received the Divine Law in this respect uncorrupted no body can question for by the Scripture it self without any doubt or difficulty we perceive that the summ thereof is to love God above all things and our Neighbours as our selves This cannot be adulterated nor written by a too hasty erring Pen for if the Scripture ever taught any other thing it must necessarily teach all other things otherwise seeing this is the Foundation of all Religion take away this Foundation and the whole Fabrick falls to the ground and if this were not so the Scripture were not Scripture but quite another Book It remains then without Controversie this was always the Doctrine of Scripture and consequently that no error could creep into it to corrupt its Sense which would have been quickly perceiv'd by every body and who ever had gone about to corrupt it his Malice would have presently appear'd If then this Foundation be immoveable and incorruptible the same must be concluded of other things which indisputably follow from it and which are also fundamentals as that God is that he provides for all that he is Omnipotent and that he hath decreed it shall go well with Good and ill with Wicked-men and that our Salvation depends only upon his Grace and Mercy These things the Scripture every where plainly teacheth and ought always to teach else all other things were vain and without any Foundation 'T is as impossible to corrupt any other Moral Doctrines which are built upon and evidently follow from this Foundation namely to do justice to succour those that are in want and distress not to kill not to covet and none of these moral Precepts can be mis-interpreted or corrupted by malice or obliterated by length of time If any of these things should be blotted out they would be again dictated to mankind by the first general Foundation and more especially by the Doctrine of Charity which is every where so much commended in the Old and New Testament Should it be granted that there is no wickedness which ever entred into the Heart of Man which some person or other hath not committed yet never was there any Man who to excuse or justifie his Crimes endeavour'd to blot out the Laws or to preach Impiety for good and wholsome Doctrine Tho' it be every Man's nature whether King or Subject when he hath done any thing that is evil to palliate the fact with such Circumstances as may make it appear as little as is possible dishonest or unjust We therefore conclude that the Universal Divine Law which the Scripture teacheth is deliver'd and derived to us pure and incorruptible There are other things also which have been faithfully deliver'd to us namely the general Collection of Scripture Histories because they are universally known The common people of the Iews were wont to sing the Antiquities and Ancient Facts of their Nation in Psalms or Songs The principal things done by Christ and his Passion were quickly publish'd through the whole Roman Empire and therefore 't is impossible to believe unless the greatest part of mankind should agree in that which is incredible that the principal things in Scripture Histories should be deliver'd to posterity otherwise than they were first receiv'd Whatever then is adulterated or faulty must happen only in this or that Circumstance of a Prophesie or History the more to move people to Devotion or in some Miracle to puzzle and nonplus Philosophers or lastly in matters Speculative after they were brought into Religion by Schismaticks abusing Divine Authority to support their own inventions But whether these things be or be not adulterated and corrupted doth not at all concern Salvation which I will expresly shew in the following Chapter tho' I think enough hath been already said to prove it in this and the second Chapter CHAP. XIII Shews that the Scripture teacheth nothing but what is very plain intending nothing but Mens Obedience neither doth it teach or declare any other thing of the Divine Nature than what a Man may in a right course of life in some degree imitate WE have already declared in the second Chapter of this Treatise that the Prophets did not so much excel in perfection of Mind and Understanding as in a singular faculty and power of Imagination That God revealed to them no deep points of Philosophy but only things very plain and easie condesending and applying himself to their Capacities and preconceiv'd Opinions We have in the fifth Chapter shewn that the Scripture delivers and teacheth things in such a manner as may render them most easie to be understood by every Man and that it doth not prove deduce and link things together by maxims and definitions but only plainly relates and declares things and to make Men believe confirms what it says by Experience that is by Miracles and Histories making use of such a Stile and such Expressions as are most likely to move and prevail upon the Minds of the common people of which I have spoken in proving the third Particular of the sixth Chapter Lastly I have shew'd in the seventh Chapter that the difficulty of understanding the Scripture lies only in the Language wherein it was originally written and not in the sublimity and abstruceness of the Subject whereof it treats and moreover that the Prophets did not preach only to the Learned but in general to all the Iews and that the Apostles preached the Doctrine of the Gospel in Churches where there was a common and universal Assembly of all people by all which it evidently appears that Scripture Doctrine contains no high Speculations nor Philosophical Arguments but only things plain and intelligible by the meanest and dullest Capacities I strangely admire the accuteness of those Men who discover in the Scripture Mysteries so profound that 't is impossible for the Tongue of Man to unfold them and who have
Idolize for the Word of God they account it great Piety in a Man not to trust to his own Judgment and Reason but great wickedness to doubt their fidelity who communicated to us the Sacred Volumes Certainly such Men's Folly exceeds their Piety What troubles them What is it they fear Cannot Religion and Faith be defended unless Men be professedly ignorant and bid Reason farewell they that think so do rather fear than believe Scripture God forbid that Religion should be a Servant to Reason or Reason to Religion both may with great Peace and Concord preserve their own proper Dominion which I will presently prove after I have a little examined the Tenet and Opinion of our Rabbin Alpakhar he as I have said would have us receive every thing for truth which the Scripture affirms and reject every thing as false which the Scripture denies and maintains that the Scripture doth no where in express words affirm or deny any thing contrary to what in another place it hath positively affirmed or denied both which are very bold and rash Positions I will not press him with what perhaps he never took notice of that the Scripture contains several Books that it was written by several Authors in several Ages for the use of divers people and seeing upon his own Authority only he maintains what neither Reason or Scripture ever said he ought to shew that all those places of Scripture which do but by consequence contradict others may from the nature of the Language and in respect of the place conveniently bear a metaphorical interpretation and he ought likewise to prove That the Scripture is derived down to us without any corruption or adulteration To come close to the business I ask him concerning his first Position Whether we are bound to believe every thing to be true which the Scripture affirms and reject every thing as false which it denies tho' both be contrary to our Reason If he answer that nothing can be found in Scripture contrary to Reason I press him with this instance In the Decalogue Exod. 34. 14. Deut. 4. 24. and in other places it is said That Gâ—d is Iealous but that such a passion as Jealousie should be in God is contrary to Reason Now if there be other places in Scripture which suppose God not to be Jealous they must be metaphorically interpreted that they may not seem to suppose any such thing The Scripture expresly saith That God came down upon Mount Sinai Exod. 19.20 and ascribes to him other local motions no where expresly declaring that God is not moved so that all Men ought to believe it to be truth and therefore that which Solomon saith of God in 1 Kings 8. 27. That he cannot be comprehended or contained in any place tho' it do not expresly but only consequentially declare that God is not moved ought to be in like manner metaphorically understood The Heavens also must be taken for God's Throne and Habitation because the Scripture declares positively they are Many things of this kind are said in Scripture consonant to the Opinions of the Prophets and People which Reason and Philosophy but not Scripture say are false all which according to the Rabbi's Opinion who in such cases will allow no consulting with Reason must pass for Truths He affirms that which is not true in saying that no one place of Scripture expresly and directly contradicts another but only by consequence for Moses Deut. 4. 24. expresly declares That God is a consuming fire and directly denies that God is like any visible thing Deut. 4. 12. Now if the Rabbi will have this latter Text not directly but only by consequence to deny that God is Fire and therefore must be so interpreted that it may not seem to deny it let him have his Will and let us grant that God is Fire or rather not to be as mad as he we will let this pass and make use of another example Samuel directly denies that God ever repents of his Decrees 1 Sam. 15. 29. but Ieremy on the contrary affirms Chap. 18. v. 8 10. That God doth sometimes repent both of the good and of the evil that he purposed and decreed Do not these two Texts directly oppose one another Which of these two must be metaphorically interpreted both the Opinions are general and contrary to each other what one directly affirms the other positively denies so that the Rabbi by his own Rule is bound to believe one and the same thing to be true and false but what matter is it tho' one place do not directly but only by consequence contradict another If the consequence be clear and the nature and circumstance of the place will admit of no Metaphorical Explication of which many are to be found in the Bible we have spoke to them in the second Chapter where we have shewn that several Prophets had different Opinions and particularly of those contradictions which I in the 9 th and 10 th Chapter have made appear to be in several of the Scripture Histories they need not be repeated what I have said being sufficient to confute the Absurdities and Falsities which must necessarily follow from the Rabbi's Rule and to shew how unadvisedly and grosly the Author is mistaken The different Opinions of both Rabbies being confuted I do again positively declare That Divinity or Theology ought not to be a Servant to Reason nor Reason to Theology but both ought to maintain their own Dominion Reason ought to rule in things which relate to Wisdom and Truth and Theology in matters which concern our Piety and Obedience The power of Reason doth not so far extend it self as to determin that Men only by Obedience without the true knowledge of things may be blessed and happy but Theology dictates nothing else and commands nothing but Obedience not intending or being able to do any thing against Reason as we have shewed in the preceding Chapter Theology determins Doctrines of Faith no further than is necessary to Obedience but how those Doctrines are precisely in respect of Verity to be understood it leaves Reason to resolve which is the light of our Mind and without which we see nothing but Dreams and Fancies But here by Theology I mean only Revelation so far as it declares the scope and end to which the Scripture aims namely the reason and manner of living obediently or the Doctrines of Faith and Piety This is that which is properly the word of God and doth not consist in a certain number of Books as we have shewed in the 12 th Chapter Theology taken in this sense if we consider its Precepts and Instructions perfectly agrees with Reason and if we consider its End and Design in nothing contradicts it and therefore universally concerns all mankind As for the whole Scripture in general the sense thereof as we have shewed in the 7 th Chapter is to be determined by Scripture History and not by the History of Nature which is the
according to his Will to whom he hath parted with that Liberty and from him only must expect Protection Injury or Wrong is when a Citizen or Subject is compell'd to suffer loss or damage from another contrary to Civil Right and the Decrees of the Supreme Power for there can be no such thing as Wrong or Injury any where but in a Civil State nor can any wrong be done to Subjects by the Supreme Power which may lawfully do whatever it pleaseth and therefore hath place only amongst private persons who by Law are obliged not to offend one another Justice is a constant resolution of giving to every one that which by the Law rightly interpreted belongs to him Justice and Injustice are sometimes called Equity and Iniquity because they that are appointed to end Suits and Differences are bound not to have any respect to persons but to look upon all as equals and equally to defend every Man's right neither envying the rich nor despising the poor Confederates are Men of two Cities or Societies who to avoid the danger and inconveniencies of War or for any other advantage and benefit mutually covenant not to offend or hurt one another but in case of necessity to assist and help one another both preserving their own Power and Dominion This League or Contract will so long continue firm and binding as the consideration of danger or profit upon which it was founded continues because no person covenants or is oblig'd to perform his contracts unless it be in hope of some good or fear of some evil which being the Foundation of all Contracts take away that Basis Experience tells us they all fall to the ground For tho' divers Empires and Governments do mutually covenant not to do any thing to the prejudice or hurt of one another yet 't is always the endeavour of both to hinder one another from growing too powerful neither do they believe one anothers promises unless they be fully satisfied that the End of their agreement be for the benefit of both nor is there any wrong in the case for who but a Fool ignorant of the right of Supreme Power will give credit to the words or promises of him who having Supreme Power hath right to do what he will and who is obliged by no other Law but the publick safety and benefit of the people under his Government we likewise observe that Religion and Piety signify very little for who ever hath the Supreme Power cannot without consequent mischief keep his Promises which prove prejudicial and destructive to his People and Government or that he cannot perform them without breaking Faith with his Subjects by which Faith he is principally obliged and which usually with Oaths he solemnly and religiously promiseth to keep An Enemy is one that liveth out of the Commonwealth and neither as a Confederate or Subject will own its Power or Government for 't is not the hatred of a Commonwealth but its Right and Power which maketh a Man an Enemy for the Power of a Commonwealth over him who will by no kind of Contract own its Power is the same that it hath over him who doth it harm because it hath right to compel him one way or other to yield and submit to it or confederate with it Lastly Treason in Subjects or Citizens is only where they have by express or imply'd Contract transferr'd all their right to the City or Commonwealth and that Subject is counted guilty of Treason who endeavours to usurp the right of the Supreme Power to himself or transfer it upon another I say he that but endeavours it for if none were to be condemned till after the commission of the fact the punishment would many times come too late therefore I say positively he that by any means goes about to usurp or take away the right of the Supreme Power making no difference whether the Commonwealth shall be a gainer or loser by it upon what account soever he attempted or did it yet he hath committed Treason and is justly condemned which every one also acknowledgeth to be just in War for if a Souldier keep not his station but without his General 's knowledge or command assaults the Enemy tho' he beat him and did it very advisedly yet doing it of his own head he deserves death having violated his own Oath and his Geneneral's Authority Now tho' Subjects do not see that their case and a Souldiers is alike yet in truth the reason is the same in both sor seeing the Commonwealth ought to be governed defended and preserved by the Counsel only of the Supreme Power and all have absolutely covenanted that this right shall reside only in the Supreme Power if any Man shall at his own Will and Pleasure without the knowledge of the Supreme Council make any publick attempt which would certainly prove very advantageous to the Commonwealth yet having violated the right of the Supreme Power he is lawfully and deservedly condemned Now to clear all scruples if any Man ask Whether maintaining that a Man in his Natutural State hath Natural Right to live according to the Laws and Dictates of his own Appetite be not flatly contrary to the revealed Law of God Seeing every Man whether he have or have not the use of Reason is equally obliged by God's Command to love his Neighbour as himself and therefore we cannot without being very injurious do any harm to another and live according to our own Lusts. This Objection is easily answered for if we consider only the state of Nature that state and Nature it self were before there was any Religion for by Nature no Man knows that there is any obligation upon him to obey God nor can he come to the knowledge of it by Reason but whoever knows it must know it only by Revelation confirm'd with Signs and therefore before Revelation no body was bound by the Divine Law of which every Man must be necessarily ignorant The state of Nature then and the state of Religion must not be confounded but considered apart and as we have proved by Paul's Authority the state of Nature is understood to be without Religion without Law without sin or wrong doing Nor do we consider the state of Nature as before and without the revealed Law of God in respect of Ignorance only but in respect also of that freedom and liberty in which all Men were born for if Men by Nature were bound by the Law of God or if God's Law were by Nature a Law there was no need of God's making a Covenant with Men and obliging them by Oath and Contract It must therefore be absolutely granted that God's Law took place from the time that Men by an express Covenant with God promised to obey him in all things by which Covenant and Promise they did as it were depart from their natural freedom and transferr'd their natural right upon God in like manner as we have declared is done in a Civil State. But of this I
purchase another new Tyrant So that there was no end of their Discords and Intestine Wars and the Causes of violating God's Law were still the same which could never end but with the Total Destruction of the Common-Wealth We have now seen how Religion began in the Iewish Common-Wealth and how the Government might have been perpetual if the Just Wrath of God would have permitted it to continue But because it would not therefore it perished I have here spoken only of their First Government the Second being but a Shadow of their First seeing they were still under the Power of the Persians After they obtained their Liberty of Cyrus the High Priests became their Princes by usurping the Supreme Authority the Priests having as great a Mind to the Crown as to the Mitre Of this Second Government I need say no more Whether their First Government as it was conceived Durable or Religious be a Pattern that may be followed will appear in the next Chapter For the Close of all I desire it may be particularly observed That by what hath been declared in this Chapter it is evident That Divine Right or Religion had its Beginning and Rise from a Covenant or Contract without which there is no Right but that of Nature and therefore the Iews were not obliged by any Precept of Religion to shew any Kindness towards any other Nations who were not concerned in the Covenant but only to those of their own Common-Wealth CHAP. XVIII Certain Political Maxims Collected from the Government and Histories of the Jews Commonwealth THough the Government of the Jews as it hath been describ'd in the preceding Chapter might have been perpetual yet 't is an Example that cannot now be follow'd nor is it advisable to put it in practice for if any Men would transfer their power upon God they ought to do it as the Jews did by an express Contract or Covenant so that not only the mind of them that transfer their power but also the Will of God upon whom the power is transfer'd ought to be known but God hath revealed by the Apostles that the Covenant of God shall no more be written with Ink nor in Tables of Stone but shall by his Spirit be written in our Hearts That form of Government under which the Jews lived might be very useful and convenient for them who lived alone without any foreign Trade or Commerce who kept themselves within their own Territories and separated themselves from all the rest of the World but 't is in no wise fit for People that live by trading with others and consequently it is to very few people that the Jewish government can be of any use or advantage but though it be a pattern that cannot be follow'd in all things yet there were in it many things very worthy of our observation and which are fit to be put in practice Because my intention is not to treat expresly of Government I will pass many things by and only take notice of those that make for my purpose Namely That it is not repugnant to the Kingdom of God to make Majesty Elective that is to chuse the Person or Persons who shall have the Supream Power of Government for after the Iews transferr'd their Power upon God they delivered the Supream Power of Governing to Moses who thereby had in God's Name the sole Authority of making and abrogating Laws of chusing sacred Ministers and likewise the sole power of teaching judging and punishing and though the Priests were Interpreters of the Law yet they had no power at all to judge the People nor to excommunicate any person for none could do that but the Judges and Princes who were chosen out of the People as appears Ioshua chap. 6. v. 26. where Ioshua adjured the people not to rebuild Iericho Iudges chap. 21. v. 18. where the Elders of the Congregation appointed what Women the Benjamites should marry to propagate their Tribe and 1 Sam. chap. 14. v. 24. where Saul commanded the People not to eat any food till Evening If we consider the Histories and Successes of the Iews we shall find other things very well worth our Observation First That there were no different Sects of Religion amongst them till after the Priests in the Second Government usurped the Supream Authority and the Power of making Laws To make their Authority lasting they took upon them the Power which the Princes had and at last would be called Kings The Reason is apparent for in the First Government nothing was made Law by the High Priest because he had no power of decreeing any thing his Business was only to return those Answers to the Princes and Council which were given by God So that at that time their High Priests could not desire to make new Decrees but only to do that which was their known Duty for they had no other way to preserve their Liberty against the Princes but by keeping the Laws free from Violation and Corruption but after the Priests got power of medling with matters of Government and of Priests became Princes then every one as well in Religion as other Affairs would have all things determin'd by the Pontifical Authority daily making Decrees which they would have to be as Sacred as the Laws of Moses so that Religion degenerated into horrible Superstition the true Sense and Interpretation of the Law was corrupted and the Priests after the Restauration attempting to get the Supream Power into their hands to gain the People so soothed and flatter'd them that they approved of all they did were it never so wicked and made Interpretations of Scripture suitable to their Humours and Practices which Malachy in express Words testifies reproving the Priests of his own time in this manner Mal. chap. 2. v. 7 8. The Priest's lips should preserve knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts But ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the law ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi saith the Lord of hosts And so goes on in reproaching them with interpreting the Law as they pleased with their respecting of persons and taking no heed to walk in God's ways It is certain that though the Priests were never so cautious and wary yet they were narrowly observed by the wiser sort who taking notice of the Priests Boldness declared That the People were not bound to the Observation of any Laws but those that were Written and that all Decrees made by the Priests which the deceived Pharisees chosen as Iosephus tells us out of the meanest of the People called the Tradition of their Fathers were not at all obligatory nor to be obey'd Without all doubt the High Priest's flattering the People the Corruption of Religion and the Multiplication of Laws became a great occasion of those Disputes and Controversies which could never be ended for when men in the heat of Superstition begin to quarrel and
power of the Divine Law depends upon the Decrees of the Supream Magistrate it follows that the Supream Powers are Interpreters of it Upon what account we shall presently declare but first we will shew That the External Worship of God and the Exercise of Piety if we will rightly obey God ought to be perform'd and regulated in such a manner as may best suit with and is most likely to preserve the Peace of the Commonwealth Certainly a Man's Piety and Love to his Country ought to be very great for take away Government farewel all hope of benefit or safety all things are presently in a perillous Condition and the Reign of Rage and Impiety fills all Peoples Minds with Terror and Confusion Whence it must follow that what good soever I do to my Neighbour if it be destructive to the Commonwealth may be counted Impiety and on the other side any hurt done to my Neighbour for the preservation of the Commonwealth ought to be accounted Charity for Example if a Man strive with me for my Coat it is very great Charity in me to give him my Cloak also but where this may endanger the safety of Government it is much greater Charity to bring that Man to Justice though I know he will be condemn'd to death Manlius Torquatus is celebrated in Story for preferring the Peoples Publick Safety before his own Son's Life If then Publick Safety be above all Laws and all Laws both Divine and Humane have a special regard to it if it likewise be the Office and Duty only of the Supream Power to determine what is for the Publick Safety of Government and to command whatever it thinks is so 't is a necessary consequence that no body but the Supream Power ought to determine in what manner a Man ought to shew his Love to his Neighbour that is in what manner he is bound to obey God. So that now we understand why and upon what ground the Supream Powers are Arbiters and Interpreters of Religion and that no body can rightly obey God if he do not accommodate the Publick Practice of Piety whereto every man is obliged to the publick benefit and peace of the Commonwealth by observing all Commands of the Supream Powers for seeing we are all bound to practice Piety towards all men none excepted and to do no man any Injury it follows That it is not lawful for any man to do good to one if thereby he hurt another much less if he thereby endanger the Commonwealth and no person can according to God's Command practice Charity towards his Neighbour unless his Religion and Charity be so regulated as to promote the Publick Good. Now no private man can know what is for the Publick Good unless it be by the Decrees and Laws of the Supream Power whose business it is to take care of the Commonwealth and therefore no man can rightly practice Piety and obey God unless he be obedient to the Decrees and Determinations of the Supream Power which is verified by common practice for it is not lawful for any Subject to help or assist any Man whom the Supream Power hath judged worthy of Death or declared to be a publick Enemy Though the Iews were commanded to love their neighbours as themselves Levit. chap. 19. v. 8. yet if any man had offended against the Commands of the Law they were bound to make it known to the Judge and in case he were condemned to Death to kill him Deut. 13. 8 9. and 17. 7. That the Iews might preserve their Liberty and keep their Lands in their own possession it was necessary as we have shewn in the Seventeenth Chapter to accommodate their Religion to their Government and separate themselves from other Nations It was therefore said Love thy neighbour but hate thine enemy Matth. chap. 15. v. 43. But after they lost their Government and were carried away Captives to Babylon then Ieremy bid them seek the peace of that City And because Christ knew they were to be scattered and dispersed into all parts of the World he taught them the Practice of Charity to all Mankind in general which evidently proves That Religion was always accommodated to the publick benefit of the Common-wealth If any man ask me by what Right or Authority the Disciples of Christ who were but private persons could preach Religion I say they did it by Vertue of that Power they received from Christ against unclean Spirits See Matth. chap. 10. v. 1. I have in the end of my Sixteenth Chapter expresly declared That all men are bound to keep Faith with a Tyrant unless it be such a one against whom God hath by Revelation promis'd his particular assistance and therefore none can take Example from the Apostles unless he have also power to do Miracles which appears by what Christ said to his Disciples Matth. chap. 10. v. 28. Fear not those who can kill the body Had this been said generally to all men Government would be to no purpose and those Words of Solomon not at all to be regarded Prov. chap. 24. v. 21. My son fear God and the King. We must therefore conclude That the Authority which Christ gave his Disciples was in a particular manner given only to them and ought not to be drawn into example by others I value not the Reasons which are urged against this Opinion by them that would have the Civil Power to be in the Civil Magistrate but all things pertaining to Religion in the Power of the Church their Reasons are so frivolous they need no refutation yet I cannot chuse but take notice how mightily those men are deceived who to maintain pardon the Expression their seditious Humour urge the Authority of the High Priest among the Iews who say they was the sole Administrator of all things that were sacred and concern'd Religion But those men may remember the High Priests received that Power from Moses who as we have proved was the person that had the Supream Power and by whose Command or Decree the High Priest could at any time be divested and deprived of his Power for Moses did not only chuse Aaron but also his Son Eleazer and his Nephew Phineas and gave them power to exercise the Pontifical Office and though the Priests always kept that power yet nevertheless were they still but the Substitutes of Moses that is of the Supream Power for as we have made it appear Moses chose no Successors but so distributed all his own Offices that they who came after him seemed but such Deputies as administer the Government for absent not deceased Kings In the second Government the High Priests were indeed the Supream Magistrates but that was after they had usurped the Regal Power but before that Usurpation the Priests always depended upon the Decrees of the Supream Power and their Kings had absolute power over all things pertaining to Religion as shall appear by what will be said towards the End of this Chapter 'T is true
Man's Fidelity to the Commonwealth as his Faith towards God ought to be judged and known only by his Works namely by Charity towards his Neighbour we cannot doubt but that the best Commonwealths will give every Man the same Liberty of Reasoning that they do of Believing I confess by such a Liberty some Inconveniences may sometimes happen But what Wisdom and Prudence can prevent all Inconveniences He that by Laws thinks to prevent all will sooner provoke then amend vicious Men. Inconveniences that cannot possibly be prevented or avoided must be tolerated we must bear with them tho' we suffer by them Of how many Mischiefs are Luxury Drunkenness Envy and Covetousness the Cause Yet these are tolerated because tho' they be Vices it is not in the power of Laws to restrain them How much more then ought Liberty of Judgment to be allowed which is truly a Vertue and should not be supprest No Inconveniences can arise from it which may not as I will prove be avoided by the Authority of the Supreme Magistrate Beside this Liberty is very necessary to the Advancement of Arts and Sciences in which the greatest proficiency is made by those men who have their Judgments free from preoccupation But suppose mens mouths may be stopt and so awed that they shall not dare to utter any thing against the Determinations of the Supreme Power yet 't is still impossible to keep them from thinking what they please and when men think ill of Magistrates there breach of Faith soon follows and nothing is to be expected in such a Commonwealth but abominable Flattery Perfidy and the destruction of all ingenious Arts. 'T is not so easie a matter to keep men from talking the greater care is taken to keep them silent the more many times will they talk Perhaps Covetous men Flatterers and mean-spirited People who place their chiefest Felicity in filling their Bags and their Bellies may hold their Peace but vertuous honest men who have had Liberal Education cannot be silent Such is mens Nature that nothing is a greater Vexation to them than to see those Opinions which they verily believe to be true condemn'd and themselves accounted wicked and sinful for doing that which they think is their Duty both towards God and Man. This makes them detest the Laws and count any seditious Attempts against the Magistrate lawful and just In Laws against Opinions wicked men are seldom concern'd such Laws are commonly made not to restrain bad but to provoke good men and cannot be defended without a great deal of danger to the Government Such Laws are likewise useless for men cannot obey Laws which condemn those Opinions they firmly believe to be true And on the other side they who think those Opinions false take the Laws that condemn them to be be their Privileges wherein they so triumph that afterward the Magistrate if he would is not able to repeal them Lastly The making of such Laws hath often caused great Schisms in the Church for if men did not hope with the general applause of the People to insult over their Adversaries and get Preferment by procuring the Magistrate to favour and the Laws to countenance their Opinions Learned Doctors would quickly leave their fierce Disputes and bitter Contentions Reason and daily Examples tell us That Laws which command what every man must believe and forbid speaking or writing against this or that Opinion are commonly instituted to gratifie or give way to the Passions of those who rather than endure a Baffle from ingenious men will with their stern and morose Authority turn the Peoples Zeal into Fury and hound them on upon whom they please But would it not be much better to suppress the Anger and Rage of the Multitude rather than make Laws against men that love Vertue and Learning and bring the Commonwealth into such a Condition that honest harmless men cannot live in it What can be more mischievous to a Commonwealth than to send Honest men like Rogues into Banishment only because they are of this or that Opinion and cannot dissemble Can any thing be more pernicious than to treat Persons of a free ingenuous disposition like Enemies and for no Crime or Wickedness put them to death making the Scaffold which frights none but Villains a publick Theatre whereon innocent Persons give such Examples of Courage and Patience as turn to the shame and reproach of the Supreme Magistrate's Majesty They that know themselves to be honest never fear Punishment as the wicked do neither will they by base whining Submissions and Recantations endeavour to avoid it Their innocent Minds are not troubled with Guilt or Repentance they do not think it shameful but glorious to die for Liberty and a good Cause To whom can their Death be a Terror The base ignorant Multitude know not why they suffer honest men are their Friends and none but seditious Persons their Enemies and all but base Sycophants and Flatterers are ready to follow their Example That Faith and Honesty then may be in greater esteem than Flattery and Dissimulation that Supreme Magistrates may keep their Power and not be forced to yield to seditious Persons Liberty of Judgment ought to be allowed and men are so to be govern'd that tho' they be of different and contrary Opinions they may however live together in peace and amity Without doubt this way of Governing is best and subject to least Inconveniences seeing it is most agreeable to Mens Nature For in Democratical Government which comes nearest to the State of Nature all covenant to act but not to reason and judge by common Consent my meaning is because all men cannot think the same things they have agreed to make that a binding Law which had most Voices reserving still a Power of repealing that Law when they thought fit And therefore where there is least Liberty allow'd of Judging there men are farthest from their natural State and the Government is full of Force and Violence To make it evident that from this Liberty can arise no Inconveniences which the Supreme Magistrate may not with ease avoid and keep men of contrary Opinions from hurting one another I need not go far for Examples The City of Amsterdam hath to the wonder of all the World and its own great advantage tasted the Fruits and Benefit of this Liberty for in that flourishing Commonwealth and famous City men of all Nations and Religions live together in peace and when they would trust any man with Goods or Money they only desire to know whether he be rich or poor or whether in his Dealing he be a man of his Word or a cheating Knave they never enquire of what Religion or Sect he is neither is that regarded in any Court of Justice there is no Sect so odious but hath the Publick Magistrate's Protection if they do no man wrong live honestly and give every one his Due How great a Schism was there occasion'd not long since by a Controversie in Religion between the Remonstrants and Contra-remonstrants And it appeared by many Examples that Laws made to take away Disputes concerning Religion did much more provoke than pacifie People and made some take the greater Liberty Schisms proceed not from the study of Truth that Fountain of Meekness and Moderation but from an imperious Humour of prescribing to others And therefore they are rather to be counted Schismaticks who damn other mens Writings and stir up the waspish Multitude against them than those that write to Learned men and call nothing but Reason to their aid So that they are truly Disturbers of the Publick Peace who in a Free Commonwealth would take away the Liberty of mens Judgments which ought not to be supprest We have now shewn First That 't is impossible to take away mens Liberty of speaking what they think Secondly That this Liberty may without prejudice to the Rights of Supreme Power be granted to every man and that every man may use this Liberty provided he design no Innovations in the Commonwealth and act nothing against the known establish'd Laws thereof Thirdly That this Liberty which every man may enjoy if he do not break the Publick Peace can cause no Inconveniences which may not easily be restrained or remedied Fourthly That all men may make use of this Liberty without being guilty of any Impiety Fifthly That all Laws made concerning Opinions and Matters meerly speculative are useless and unprofitable Sixthly and lastly we have proved That this Liberty may not only be allow'd without any Danger to Publick Peace Piety and to the Right of Supreme Power but ought to be granted for the Preservation of all these For where there are Endeavours to take away this Liberty and men are arraigned only for Opinions without examining whether they have any evil Intentions there honest men are made Examples and suffer a Martyrdom which doth not at all terrifie but irritates and moves the People to Pity and Revenge Learning and Arts decay Faith is corrupted Flatterers and perfidious Persons are countenanced Adversaries triumph in having their Will and prevailing on the Supreme Powers to embrace their Doctrine which at last inclines them not only to undervalue but usurp their Authority boasting they are God's Elect that their Power is from God but the Magistrate's Authority only from men and consequently the Magistrate's Power subordinate to theirs which absolutely destroys the very Being of all Commonwealths and therefore as I shew'd in the 18 th Chapter a Commonwealths greatest Safety is to place Religion and Piety in the Practice of Justice and Charity and to make things Sacred as much subject to Supreme Power as things Civil and to take cognizance of nothing but mens Actions suffering every man to think what he will and speak what he thinks I have now in this Treatise done what I design'd and I do again sincerely profess That I have written nothing which I do not freely submit to the Examination and Judgment of the Supreme Powers of my Country If they think any thing I have said be contrary to the Laws or Publick Safety thereof I recant it I know my self a man subject to Errors but my chiefest Care hath been to write nothing but what is consonant to Reason to the Laws of my Country and to the Rules of Piety and Good Manners FINIS