Multitude as Superstition Whence it happens that the common People under colour of Religion are sometimes easily induced to adore their Kings and at other times to curse and abhor them as the common Plagues of Mankind Therefore to avoid this mischeif great Pains are taken to adorn and attire Religion whether true or false that it may appear very Grave and Solemn and all Persons pay unto it the highest degree of respect and veneration This hath so luckily succeeded amongst the. Turks who count it a Crime so much as to dispute and have their understandings possest with so many prejudices that there is no place in their Minds left for Reason no not so much as doubt But if it be as indeed it is the great Arcanum and concern of Monarchical Government to deceive the People and to cover Fear by which they are kept in Subjection under the specious name of Religion that so they may fight for Slavery as for their own Safety and think it no Shame but their greatest Honour to spend their Bloud and Lives for the Glory of one single Person so on the contrary in a free Commonwealth nothing can be more mischeivously devised or attempted than to possess Mens Judgments which are free with Prejudices or in any manner to restrain or compel them it being utterly repugnant to Common Liberty As for Seditions stir'd up under pretence of Religion they arise from enacting Laws concerning things meerly speculative and because Opinions are many times Condemned for Crimes and the maintainers and followers of those Opinions seldom Sacrific'd to the public Safety but to the Hatred and Cruelty of their Adversaries But if the Laws of Government would take no Notice of Words and only punish Mens Actions there could never be any lawful pretence for such Seditions nor could Controversies be turn'd into Quarrels Seeing therefore that Men are seldom so happy to live in a Commonwealth where every one is allowed the Liberty of Judging and Worshipping God according to his own Understanding or where nothing is esteem'd dearer and sweeter then Liberty I thought my Undertaking would be neither unpleasing or unprofitable if I could make it appear that such a Liberty may be granted without any danger to Religion or the Peace of a Commonwealth but that all three must stand and fall together And this is the chief thing which in this Treatise I intended to demonstrate to which purpose I thought it necessary in the first place to mark out the chief Prejudices concerning Religion I mean the Footsteps of Antient Servitude and in the next place those Prejudices which relate to the right of Sovereign Power which many with shameless boldness study to Usurp and then to secure themselves amuse the Minds of the Multitude still Subject to Superstition with specious shews of Religion that all may again run into Bondage In what order I make these things manifest I will presently in few words declare but first I will mention the Causes which moved me to write I have often wonder'd that Men who boast themselves Professors of the Christian Religion which consists in Love Peace Moderation and Dealing uprightly with all Men should so unjustly contend and cruelly hate one another by which their Faith is better known then by the forenamed Vertues There is now scarce any Man whatever he be Christian Iew Turk or Heathen that can be known by any thing but his habit and attire by frequenting such a Church by maintaining such an Opinion or by being the sworn Disciple of such a Master but in all other things Mens Lives and Conversations are all alike Searching into the Cause of this Evil I found it proceeded from the common Peoples being perswaded that a very great part of Religion consisted in setting a very high value upon the Service Dignities Offices and Benefits of the Church and in honouring Churchmen with all possible Reverence for so soon as this abuse crept into the Church every Knave had a mind to be a Priest and the desire of propagating Religion degenerated into sordid Avarice and Ambition so that the Temple it self was turn'd into a Theatre where Ecclesiastical Doctors did not Preach but like Orators harangued the People not to instruct but to be admired by them publicly reproaching their Adversaries and venting such new fangled Doctrines as they thought would best please the Multitude From hence necessarily arose those great Contentions Envy and inveterate Hatred which no length of time could asswage T is no wonder then that of the primitive Religion nothing remains but the external worship wherein the People seem rather to Flatter than Adore God Faith is become nothing but credulity and prejudice such as turns rational Men into Brutes by denying them the Liberty of their Judgment to distinguish Truth from Falshood and such as seems purposely invented totally to extinguish the Light of Human Understanding Piety and Religion O immortal God! now consist in absurd Mysteries and they that contemn and reject Human Reason and Knowledge as naturally depraved they forsooth which is strangely irrational must pass for Men divinely illuminated Truly if such Men had but one spark of Divine Light they could not be so superciliously Mad but would learn to Worship God with more Prudence and instead of hating as they now do would love those that differ from them in Opinion and forbearing to prosecute them with so much enmity would rather since they pretend to fear their Salvation more then their own Fortune have pity and compassion upon them Moreover if such Men had any Divine Light it would appear in their Doctrine I confess they pretend they can never enough admire the profound Mysteries of the Scripture yet I cannot perceive they teach any thing but the Speculations of Aristotle and Plato to which that they may not seem followers of the Gentiles they have fitted and accomodated the Scripture and as if it were not enough for these Men to run mad with the Greeks would have the very Prophets also to doat like themselves which clearly shews they never saw the Divinity of the Scripture no not so much as in a dream By how much the more they admire the Mysteries of Scripture so much the more they seem to flatter and sooth Scripture rather than believe it of which likewise another Evidence is that many Men as to the better understanding and finding out the true meaning of Scripture lay it down for a Principal and Fundamental position that the Scripture is of divine inspiration and in every part infallibly true which is the very thing that cannot be made out or proved by any other way but a strict examination and right understanding thereof and do likewise establish it for a rule that in interpreting Scripture which needs no human Glosses the Scripture it self is our best guide When I seriously considered that natural reason was not only contemned but also by many condemn'd for the Fountain of Impiety and human inventions past
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
benefits which he promised they should receive from Heaven The Laws which he establisht were not very severe as will appear to any Man that considers how many circumstances were required to the condemning of any offender that the People who could not govern themselves might absolutely depend upon the verbal commands of the supream Magistrate he did not permit them being accustomed to Bondage to do any thing of their own accord but whatever they did was to be done according to the prescript of the Law no Man could at his own Pleasure Plow Sow or Reap no Man could eat what he pleased nor could he cloth himself shave his Head and Beard or make merry but according to certain Rules set down in the Law nor was this all for they were to have upon the Posts of their Doors upon their Hands and their Fore-heads certain Signs which were to put them in continual mind of their obedience the end and design then of Ceremonies was that the People might do nothing by their own will and determination but only by the command of another and by continual Action and meditation confess they were not Masters of themselves but wholly Subjected to the will of another by all which 't is evident that Ceremonies conduce nothing to true felicity and that those of the Old Testament yea the whole Law of Moses concerned only the government of the Iews and consequently had respect to nothing more then Bodily conveniences as for Christian Ceremonies namely Baptism the Lords Supper Holy-days public Forms of Prayer or any others common to Christianity if they were ever instituted by Christ or his Apostles which doth not clearly appear they were only appointed as marks and signs of the Universal Church but not as things that contain any Sanctity in themselves or contribute any thing to eternal happiness and therefore being ordain'd not in reference to government but only in respect to mutual Society he that liveth alone or he that liveth under a government where the Christian Religion is forbidden is not oblig'd to the Observation of these Ceremonies and yet may live happily an example whereof we have in the Kingdom of Iapan where the Hollanders by the command of their East-India Company abstain from all outward Worship and that their so doing is justifiable I think is not difficult to prove from the Fundamental Principles of the New Testament But I hasten to the Second particular which I purposed to treat of in this Chapter namely why believing the Histories contained in Scripture is necessary and to find out this by Natural reason I thus proceed Whoever will perswade or disswade Men to or from any thing which is not in or by it self known must deduce that thing from Principles generally granted and allowed and must convince those Men either by reason or experience that is by things which Men by their Sences know to have happen'd in Nature or else by maxims which the understanding can neither doubt or deny but unless experience be such as is clearly and distinctly understood tho' it may convince a Man yet it cannot equally affect the understanding and disperse the Clouds thereof as will that which is proved by intellectual Principles that is orderly deduced from Notions certain and intelligible especially if the question be of any thing that is meerly Spiritual and falls not under sense but because to prove things only by intellectual Propositions requires a long Chain of Notions much Circumspection Sharpness of Wit and great Temper all which are seldom found together therefore Men had rather be taught by experience then put themselves to the trouble of linking together all their perceptions deduced from a few maxims so that he that would teach a whole Nation I need not say all mankind any particular doctrine and would be clearly understood in all things by all Men he must confirm his Doctrine by experience and must accomodate his reasons and the definitions of what he teacheth to the capacity of the vulgar who make up the greatest part of Mankind and must not think of giving such definitions as he thinks fittest for tying his reasons together because he would then write only to the Learned and would be understood but by a very few Seeing then the Scripture was revealed first for the use and instruction of a whole Nation and afterwards of all Mankind it was absolutely necessary that the things therein contain'd should be suited to the capacity of the common People and confirm'd only by experience to make my meaning yet more clear I say that all things taught in Scripture which are only Speculative are cheifly these First that there is a God or a being which made all things and by infinite wisdom governeth and sustaineth all things who taketh great care of Mankind and particularly of those that live honestly and Religiously but for those that live wickedly he separates them from the good and afflicts them with greivous Punishments But all those things the Scripture confirms only by experience namely by the Histories which it recites nor doth it plainly define any of these things but fiteth all its reasonings and expressions according to the capacity and understanding of the vulgar and tho' experience can give a Man no true and plain knowledge of things nor teach a Man what God is in what manner he orders and upholdeth all things or how he takes care of Mankind yet it gives Men so much light and knowledge as is sufficicient to Imprint in their Minds Piety and Obedience So that now I think 't is very plain to what Persons and for what reasons the belief of Scripture Histories is necessary that is to the common People by whom things cannot be clearly and distinctly understood and whoever denies these Histories because he neither believes the being or Providence of God is impious but he that is ignorant of these Histories and yet by natural reason concludes there is a God who made and preserveth all things if he live a vertuous life that Man is blest yea more blessed then the vulgar because beside the Truth of his Opinions he hath a clear and distinct understanding Lastly he that is ignorant of Scripture History and knows nothing of God by the light of natural reason if he be not impious and obstinate yet he may well be accounted a Beast rather then a Man and to have no Gift of God in him but 't is to be observed that when we say the knowledge of Scripture History is very necessary for the common People I do not mean all the Histories contain'd in the Bible but only the cheif and those that give the clearest Evidence of the before mentioned Doctrins and have the greatest influence upon the minds of Men for if all the Histories in the Scripture were absolutely necessary to prove its Doctrine and no conclusion could be made but from the consideration of all the Histories together contain'd in it then the demonstration and proof of its Doctrine
in maintaining such Laws he will think himself rather the Peoples Servant than their Master A New Monarch will make it his business to make New Laws framing the Rules of Government to his own purpose and will reduce the People to such a Condition that they shall not be able with as much ease to unmake as make a King. But here I cannot pass by another Observation which is That it is a very dangerous thing to take away the Life of a King though it be evident to all the World he is an Absolute Tyrant Because when a Nation is accustomed to Kingly Authority and hath been governed only by it they will scorn and contemn any Authority that is less and when they have taken away one Tyrant they will be necessitated as heretofore the Prophets were to chuse another in his room who must be a Tyrant whether he will or no for how can he behold his Subjects Hands stain'd with Royal Blood and approve the Fact which was but a president to shew how they might likewise deal with him If he will be a King and will have the People acknowledge his Power and not be his Judge he must unless he intend to reign precariously first revenge the Death of his Predecessor and make the People an Example that they may not dare to commit the like Parricide upon him But how can he revenge upon the People the Death of a Tyrant unless he first defend the former Tyrant's Cause approve his Actions and consequently tread in his steps Hence it comes to pass that people may indeed change but never destroy a Tyrant or turn ancient Monarchical Government into any other form Of this the People of a Kingdom not far from us have given the World a fatal Example who under colour and form of Law and Justice took away their King's Life and when he was gone they could do no less than change the form of Government but after much Blood spilt it came to this pass at last that another person was set up not by the Name of King as if all the Quarrel had been for nothing but a Name who could not possibly stand unless he destroyed the Royal Line and all that were suspected to be the last King's Friends He disturb'd the Quiet of Peace which breeds Rumors with new Wars that thereby he might divert the Minds of the People from reflecting upon the King's Murder but the Nation at last finding they had done nothing for the publick good by putting to Death their Lawful King and by changing the Government had brought themselves into a Condition worse than they were in before they resolved to return from whence they had strayed nor were they quiet till they saw all things restor'd to their former state Perhaps some will object the Example of the People of Rome who with much ease rid themselves of a Tyrant but their Example I think makes good my Opinion for though the People of Rome could easily destroy a Tyrant and change their form of Government because the Power and Right of chusing a King and his Successor was in the People and because the People amongst whom were many criminal and seditious persons were not accustomed to Kings for of Six they kill'd Three yet still they did nothing but in the place of one Tyrant chuse many who kept them always embroil'd in Foreign and Civil War till the Government under another Name as it did lately in England fell again to a Monarch but the States of Holland never that we know had Kings but only Earls or Counts upon whom the Supream Power was devolved for the States by their Declaration publisht in the time of the Earl of Leicester make it evident That they still reserved to themselves the Power and Authority of minding those Counts of their Duty and likewise kept continually in their own hands the power of maintaining their own Authority and defending their Subjects Liberty in case those Counts did at any time abuse their power the States had still Authority to restrain and punish them that they could do nothing without their Consent and Approbation Whence it clearly follows that the Right of Supream Power and Majesty always resided in the States which Power the last Earl endeavouring to usurp the States could not possibly be thought guilty of any Revolt or Rebellion when they did only restore their almost lost Government to its Pristine State These Examples fully prove That ancient Forms of Government ought to be preserved and cannot without great danger of total ruine be changed CHAP. XIX Religion and all things pertaining to it are subject to no other Power but that of the Supream Magistrate Publick External Forms of Religious Worship ought to be accommodated to the Peace of the Commonwealth WHen I said That they only who have the Supream Power have Right to all things and that all things depend upon their Decrees I meant things Sacred as well as Civil that is Supream Magistrates are the Supream Heads Judges and Interpreters of all things both in Church and State which is the particular Point I intended to treat of in this Chapter because there are many who will not allow Supream Civil Magistrates to have any power over things Sacred nor will they own them to be Judges or Interpreters of God's Law but with strange Boldness accuse and traduce them yea sometimes as heretofore Ambrose did the Emperor Theodosius Excommunicate them out of the Church But as it will appear in the end of this Chapter these Men have a mind to divide and share the Government or get it wholly into their own hands I will first shew That Religion hath the Force of a Law only from their Decrees who have the Supream Power and that all External Religious Worship and Outward Practice of Piety ought to be suited and accommodated to the Peace of the Common-wealth That is so ordered and regulated as may make most for the Quiet thereof and consequently ought to be determin'd and settled by the Supream Power to whose Judgment in all Causes Sacred and Civil we ought to submit But that I may not be mistaken I speak only of the outward Worship and Exercise of Religion and Piety and not of Piety it self and the inward Worship of God or of the Means whereby the Mind is internally disposed to worship God in sincerity for the inward Worship of God and Piety it self is in every man 's own power as we have shewn in the end of the Seventh Chapter which power no man can transfer upon another It appears by the Fourteenth Chapter what I mean by the Kingdom of God where I shew That he fulfilleth the Law of God who exerciseth Justice and Charity because God hath commanded it from whence it follows That the Kingdom of God is where Justice and Charity have the force of a Law and Precept I think there is little difference whether God teach us the Practice of Justice and Charity by Natural Light or
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
just or unjust pious or impious And then I conclude that that Right is best maintained and the Government most safe where every Man hath free liberty to think and speak what he thinks These are the things Philosophical Reader which I offer to thy examination believing they will be acceptable to thee for the Excellency and Utility of the Subject as well of the whole Book as of every single Chapter to which many things might be added but to this Preface I do not intend the Dimensions of a Volum the chief things in it are sufficiently known to Philosophers to others I care not to commend this Treatise because I have not the least hope they will like it I know how fast those Prejudices stick which the mind of Man hath embraced under the form of Religion I known also 't is as impossible to root out Superstition as Fear out of the Minds of the common People whose constancy is but contumacy and are never to be govern'd by Reason but always rashly praise or dispraise The Vulgar therefore and all of like Affections with them I do not invite to read these things I had rather they should contemn the Book then be troublesome by making perverse Constructions of it as they use to do of all other things not profiting themselves but hindring others who would reason more like Phylosophers did they not think Reason ought to be but a Hand-maid to Divinity To Men of that Opinion I think this Work extreamly useful but because many have neither mind or leisure to read these things I am forced here as well as in the end of the Treatise to declare I have written nothing which I do not willingly submit to the Examination and Judgment of the chief Rulers of my Country For if they shall think any thing I say repugnant to the Laws or public Peace of it I willingly unsay and recant it I know my self a Man Subject to Mistake but I have taken the greatest Care I could not to Err and particularly that whatever I write may in all things be consonant to the Laws of my Country and agreeable to Piety and good Manners A TABLE Of the several CHAPTERS CHAP. I. OF Prophesy CHAP. II. Of Prophets CHAP. III. Of the calling of the Jews and whether the Gift of Prophesy were peculiar only to the Jews CHAP. IV. Of the Divine Law. CHAP. V. The reason why Ceremonies were instituted of the belief of Scripture-Histories why and to whom it is necessary CHAP. VI. Of Miracles CHAP. VII Of the Interpretation of Scripture CHAP. VIII Sheweth that the Pentatenk the Books of Joshua Judges Ruth Samuel and the Kings were not Written by the Persons whose Names they bear and then inquires whether those Books were Written by several Persons or by one only and by whom CHAP. IX Whether Hesdras did perfectly finish those Books and whether the Marginal Notes found in the Hebrew Copies were but diverse readings CHAP. X. The rest of the Books of the Old Testament are examined in the same manner as the forementioned CHAP. XI Whether the Apostles Writ their Epistles as Apostles and Prophets or only as Doctors and Teachers and what is the Office of an Apostle CHAP. XII Of the true Original Hand Writing or Text of Scripture why Scripture is called Holy and why the Word of God Lastly that the Scripture so far as it contains the Word of God is derived to us pure and uncorrupted CHAP. XIII What is Faith who are the faithful what are the Fundamentals of Faith Faith distinguisht from Philosophy CHAP. XIV Divinity no Hand-maid to Reason nor Reason to Divinity upon what ground we believe the Authority of Sacred Scripture CHAP. XV. How Commonwealths came to be founded of every Mans Natural and Civil Right of the Right of Supreme Powers CHAP. XVI No Man can transfer or part with all his particular Right to the Supreme Power nor is it necessary that he should Of the Commonwealth of the Jews what it was while Moses lived and what after his Death before they chose Kings and of the Excellency of it lastly what were the Causes why so Divine a Commonwealth perished and could not subsist without Seditions CHAP. XVII Certain Political Maxims Collected out of the Commonwealth and Histories of the Jews CHAP. XVIII That Religion and all things relating to it are subject to no other Power but that of the Supreme Magistrate that the external Form of Public Religious Worship ought to be accommodated to the Peace of the Common-wealth if we would rightly obey God. CHAP. XIX That in a free Commonwealth it is lawful for every Man to think as he pleaseth and to speak what he thinks CHAP. VIII Sheweth that the Pentateuk the Books of Joshua Judges Ruth Samuel and the Kings were not Written by the Persons whose Names they bear and then inquires whether those Books were Written by several Persons or by one only and by whom CHAP. IX Whether Hesdras did perfectly finish those Books and whether the Marginal Notes found in the Hebrew Copies were but diverse readings CHAP. X. The rest of the Books of the Old Testament are examined in the same manner as the forementioned CHAP. XI Whether the Apostles Writ their Epistles as Apostles and Prophets or only as Doctors and Teachers and what is the Office of an Apostle CHAP. XII Of the true Original Hand Writing or Text of Scripture why Scripture is called Holy and why the Word of God Lastly that the Scripture so far as it contains the Word of God is derived to us pure and uncorrupted CHAP. XIII Shews that 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 then what a Man may in a right Course of Life in some degree imitate CHAP. XIV What is Faith who are the faithful what are the Fundamentals of Faith Faith distinguisht from Philosophy CHAP. XV. Divinity no Hand-maid to Reason nor Reason to Divinity upon what ground we believe the Authority of Sacred Scripture CHAP. XVI How Commonwealths came to be founded of every Mans Natural and Civil Right of the Right of Supreme Powers CHAP. XVII No Man can transfer or part with all his particular Right to the Supreme Power nor is it necessary that he should Of the Commonwealth of the Jews what it was while Moses lived and what after his Death before they chose Kings and of the Excellency of it lastly what were the Causes why so Divine a Commonwealth perished and could not subsist without Seditions CHAP. XVIII Certain Political Maxims Collected out of the Commonwealth and Histories of the Jews CHAP. XIX That Religion and all things relating to it are subject to no other Power but that of the Supreme Magistrate that the external Form of Public Religious Worship ought to be accommodated to the Peace of the Common-wealth if we would rightly obey God. CHAP. XX. That in a free Commonwealth it
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
fill'd Religion with so many Philosophical Speculations that they have turn'd the Church into an Academy Religion into a Science or rather into Wrangling and Dispute But 't is no wonder that Men who boast of Supernatural Illumination should pretend to more than we find in Philosophers who own they have no more than what is Natural I would really admire those illuminated Men could they teach us any new Speculations or any thing that was not common and vulgar amongst the Heathen Philosophers whom they call Blind For if you inquire what are those profound Mysteries these inspir'd Men perceive in Scripture they can tell us of nothing beyond the idle fancies and conceits of Plato and Aristotle which look more like the Dreams of Ideots than Discoveries made out of Scripture by Learned Men. I do not positively maintain that nothing belongs to Scripture Doctrine which is matter of meer Speculation for in the preceding Chapter I have mentioned some fundamentals of Scripture that are so but my meaning is they are very few and very plain what they are and upon what reason determin'd to be so I come now to shew which will be easily done after that we know the Scriptures chief design was not to teach Arts and Sciences and that it requires from Men nothing but Obedience condemning their Obstinacy not their Ignorance Moreover because Obedience toward God consists only in loving our Neighbour for whoever loveth his Neighbour purposely to obey God he as Paul saith Rom. chap. 13. v. 8. hath fulfilled the Law it follows that no other Knowledge is commended in Scripture but that which is necessary to all Men that they may according to this Precept of loving our Neighbour obey God which Knowledge if Men have not they must necessarily be stubborn or at least without the discipline of Obedience but all other Speculations which do not directly tend to this end whether they concern the knowledge of God or of natural things they have nothing to do with Scripture and are to be excluded out of revealed Religion Now tho' these things be obvious to every Man yet because upon this point depends the ending of all debate in Religion I will demonstrate and explain the thing as fully and clearly as is possible which to perform we in the first place ought to prove That an intellectual and accurate knowledge of God is not a gift so common to all Believers as is Obedience Secondly That the Knowledge which God by his Prophets requir'd of all Men in general and which every Man is oblig'd to have is nothing else but the Knowledge of his Divine Justice and Love both which particulars are evidently prov'd out of the Scripture it self Exod. chap. 6. v. 3. God for an evidence of his particular favour to Moses saith I am the Lord I appear'd unto Abraham unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the name of God Almighty but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them for the better understanding of this Text we are to observe that Elsadai signifies in Hebrew God alsufficient because he giveth to every Man that which is sufficient for him and tho' Sadai of it self be often taken for God yet the word El is always to be understood we are therefore to note that in Scripture there is no other word to be found but Iehovah that signifies God's absolute Being without any relation to things created and therefore the Iews will have this to be God's proper Name and all others to be Appellatives and indeed all the rest of God's Names whether they be Substantives or Adjectives are but Attributes given to God as he is consider'd under a relation to his Creatures or is made manifest by them The word El or by adding to it the Paragogical Letter He Eloha signifies nothing else but Powerful which is a title of Dignity or Excellency as when we stile Paul an Apostle Other Vertues of his Power are exprest by saying the great God God to be feared the just merciful God c. or to express them all at once the plural number of this word El is often used in a singular signification Seeing then God said to Moses he was not known to the Patriarchs by the Name of Iehovah it follows they knew no Name or Attribute of God that express'd his absolute Essence and Nature but only his Works and his Promises that is his Power as it was manifested by things visible and this God said to Moses not to accuse the Patriarchs of Unbelief but to magnify and commend their Faith and readiness to believe by which tho' they had not so great a knowledge of God as Moses had yet they firmly rely'd on his Promises not like Moses who tho' he had sublimer Notions of God doubted his Divine Promises and told God that instead of the Deliverance he had promised he had brought the Children of Israel into a worse condition If then God told Moses that the Patriarchs knew not that singular and proper Name of God to commend their Faith and simplicity of Heart and to put Moses in mind of the particular Favour and Grace God had shewed him it clearly proves my first Position which is That Men are not obliged by any express Command to know God's Attributes it being a peculiar gift granted only to some Believers which I need not prove by Scripture since it is evident beyond all dispute that every Man hath not an equal share of Divine Knowledge and that a Man is no more able by a Command to become Wise than 't is in his own power to be or live Men Women and Children may all as they are commanded obey but never could a Command make any Man wise If any Man say there is no need of understanding God's Attributes but only of simply believing them without any demonstration he talks idly for invisible things which are the objects only of the Mind can only be seen by Demonstrations that is firm convincing Arguments and therefore what a Man only and barely hears of things invisible never affects the Understanding nor declares a Man's meaning any more than do the words of a Parrot or some artificial Engin that speak without Understanding or Sense But before I proceed further I ought to give an account why 't is often said in Genesis that the Patriarchs preached in the Name of Iehovah which seems expresly to contradict what I have said This is easily answer'd if we consider what hath been said in the eighth Chapter where we have proved that the Writer of the Pentateuch did not call things and places by those very names which they had at the time of which the Writer speaketh but by the names which they were known by in the Writers own time therefore when 't is said in Genesis that God was preached to the Patriarchs by the Name of Iehovah it is not because God was known to them by that Name but because to that Name of God the Iews pay'd the highest Reverence and