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
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
shall his Kingdom stand here Christ convinceth the Pharisees from their own Principles and Opinions who said he cast out Devils by Belzebub the Prince of Devils but we ought not to conclude that Christs Words are an absolute proof that there are Devils and a Kingdom of Devils So also when he said to his Disciples Matth. Chap. 18. v. 10. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little Ones for I say unto you that in Heaven their Angels do always behold the Face of my Father which is in Heaven by these Words Christ taught nothing more then that they ought not to be proud or despise any one whatever else was faid was only the better to perswade his Disciples the same may be said of the Signs and Discourses of the Apostles nor need we say more of this Subject because it would be extreamly tedious to Quote all those places of Scripture which are Writen only Ad hominem or according to Mens Capacity and with a great prejudice to Philosophy are maintain'd to be Divine Doctrines 'T is sufficient to have mention'd these few general ones the Curious Reader may himself examine the rest but seeing all those things which I have spoken concerning Prophets and Prophesy do directly concern the thing I aimed at which was to divide Philosophy from Theology yet because I have only touched upon the question generally I will now in the following Chapter inquire whether the Gift of Prophesy were peculiar only to the Iews or common to all Nations And also what is to be understood by the calling of the Iews CHAP. III. Of the calling of the Jews and whether the Gift of Prophesy were peculiar only to the Jews EVery Mans prosperity and true happiness consists only in the fruition of good but not in the glory that he alone and no other Person enjoys that good for whoever thinks himself the more happy because it is well with him when it is not so with other Men or because he is more fortunate and prosperous then others is ignorant what is true felicity and beatitude and the joy which ariseth from such a conceit is Childish and savors of an envious Evil Mind for example Mans true beatitude and felicity consists only in Wisdom and the knowledge of Truth but not in his being wiser then other Men or that other Men want true knowledge for that adds not at all to his Wisdom which is his true happiness he therefore that rejoyceth in being happyer then other Men takes Pleasure in their misfortune and is an envious Evil Man and he that is so never knew true Wisdom or the Peace of a good Life seeing therefore that the Scripture for the better perswading the Iews to obey the Law saith Deut. chap. 10 v. 19. that God chose them above all People and was nigher to them then to all other Nations Deut. chap. 4. v. 7. that he gave them Statutes and Laws more righteous and just then he did to other Nations as it is in the 8 th Verse of the same chap. and lastly that God made himself more known to them then to other People as it is in the 32 th verse of the 4 th chap. All this was spoken according to the capacity and understanding of those that did not know what was true blessedness as we have shewn in the foregoing Chapter and as Moses himself testifies in Deut. chap. 9. v. 6 7. for the Iews had not been less blessed tho' God had equally called all Men to Salvation nor had God been less gracious to them tho' he had been as nigh to other Nations their Laws had not been less righteous nor they less wise tho' the same had been prescribed to all other People and the Miracles done among them had not less declared Gods Power tho' the like had been wrought for other Nations nor had the Iews been the less obliged to serve and Worship God tho' God had equally given to all other Men the same Gifts which he bestow'd on them God's saying to Solomon in the 1 st Book of Kings chap. 3. v. 12. that none after him should be ever like him for understanding seems to be only a manner of speaking to declare the excellency of Solomons Wisdom what ever the words mean yet we ought not to believe that to increase Solomons happiness God promis'd never to make any Man so wise as he for that would not at all have made Solomons Wisdom greater neither would a wise King have given God the less thanks tho' God had said he would bestow as much Wisdom upon all other Men. But tho' we say that Moses in the forecited places of the Pentateuch spake according to the Capacity of the Iews yet we cannot deny but that God prescribed those Laws of the Pentateuch to the Iews only that he spoke only to them and that no other Nation ever saw such miracles as were wrought amongst them all that I intend is that Moses spake after such a manner and made use of such arguments the better to convince their Childish understandings and bind them the faster to the service and worship of God. Lastly we will shew that the Iews did not excel other Nations in knowledge or Piety but in some other thing or that I may with Scripture speak to their Capacity God did not make choise of the Iews above other Nations that their knowledge might be more sublime or their Lives more righteous then other Peopl's but for another end and purpose and what that was we will in order declare But before I begin I will in few words explain what I mean in that which follows by Gods disposing and direction what by Gods external and internal assistance what by Gods calling or Election And Lastly what I intend by fortune I take Gods disposing or direction to be the fixed order and immutable course of Nature or the Concatenation of Natural things and causes for we have already shewn that the universal Laws of Nature whereby all things are done and determin'd are nothing else but Gods eternal decrees which imply eternal verity and necessity therefore whether we say that all things are done and brought to pass according to the Laws of Nature or by the ordination and decree of God we say but one and the same thing because the Power of all Natural beings is nothing else but the Power of God by which all things were ordered and done it therefore follows that whatever Man who is a part of Nature doth for the preservation of his being or whatever Nature without any indeavour of his offers him for that end it is offered by the divine Power operating either by human Nature or by things without it so that whatever human Nature can perform by its own Power for self preservation that may be truly called Gods internal assistance and that benefit and advantage which Man receives from the Power of external causes may be justly termed Gods external help which fully explains what is
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
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
and clearly appear from the History of Scripture what kind of History it ought to be and what are the Principal things it ought to contain comes now to be declared First it ought to contain the Nature and Proprieties of that Language in which the Books of Scripture were Originally Written and which the Authors of those Books were wont to speak that so all the Senses which every Speech according to the ordinary use of speaking will bear and admit may be found out and because the Pen-Men both of the Old and New Testament were Iews the knowledge of the Hebrew Tongue is above all things necessary to understand not only the Books of the Old Testament which were Written in Hebrew but also of the new for tho' some of the Books of the New Testament were Published in other Languages yet they are full of Hebrewisms Secondly The Sentences of every Book ought to be Collected and reduced to Heads that so all that concern one and the same Subject may be easily found and all those which seem doubtful and obscure or repugnant to one another ought to be noted I call those Speeches clear or obscure whose Sense is easily or difficultly made out by the context and not in respect of the Truth of those Speeches easily or difficultly perceived by reason for only the Sense of what the Scripture saith and not the verity is our business we are therefore to take special heed that in searching out the Sense of Scripture we do not suffer our reason as it is founded upon the Principles of natural knowledge to be prepossest with prejudice and likewise that we do not confound the true Sense of the words with the verity of the matter for the true Sense is to be found out only by the use of the Language or by such a way of reasoning as is grounded only upon Scripture That all these things may be perfectly understood Take this example for illustration These sayings of Moses God is Fire and God is jealous how plain and clear are they so long as we regard only the signification of the words but in respect of reason and truth how dark and obscure yea tho' the litteral Sense of the words be contrary to natural reason yet unless it contradict any fundamental Principles derived from Scripture their litteral Sense is still to be retained so on the contrary if these sayings in their litteral construction should be found repugnant to Principles deduced from Scripture tho' they should be most agreeable to reason yet they ought to be Metaphorically not litteraly understood To know then whether Moses did or did not believe God to be Fire we ought not to conclude the one or the other because the Opinion is either contrary or consonant to reason but it must be gathered from some other of Moses own sayings for example because Moses in very many places hath plainly declared that God is not like any visible thing either in Heaven Earth or the Waters we must conclude that either this saying God is Fire or else all his other sayings are to be Metaphorically interpreted but because we ought as seldom as 't is possible to depart from the litteral Sense we must therefore inquire whether this saying God is Fire will admit of any other Sense beside the litteral that is whether the word Fire signify any other thing beside natural Fire and if in the Hebrew Tongue it can never be found to signify any thing else then this saying of Moses is no other way to be interpreted tho' it be repugnant to reason but on the other side all those other sayings of Moses tho' consentaneous to reason are to be conformable and accomodate to this but if the common use of the Language will not suffer this to be done then those several sayings are Irreconcileable and we are to suspend our judgment of them But now because the Word Fire is also taken for anger and jealousy Iob. chap. 31. v. 12. these sayings of Moses are easily reconcileable and we may lawfully conclude that these two Sentences God is Fire and God is jealous signify both the same thing Moreover because Moses plainly saith God is jealous and doth no where declare that God is free from all manner of passion and affections of the mind we may conclude that Moses did think or at least taught other Men to think God was jealous tho' we believe the opinion contrary to reason for as we have already shewn it is not lawful for us to wrest the Sense and meaning of Scripture according to the dictates of our reason or preconceived Opinions because all our knowledge both of the Old and New Testament must be derived only from themselves Thirdly This History of Scripture ought to give such an account of the Books of the Prophets remaining with us as may inform us of the Lives Manners and Studies of the Authors of every Book who the Person was upon what occasion he wrote in what time to whom and in what Language and Lastly it ought to tell us what was the Fortune of every Book how it was first received into whose hands it fell how many various readings it had how it came to be received for sacred and Canonical And Lastly how all the several Books came together into one Volume I say all these things this History of Scripture ought to contain To know what Sentences of Scripture are to be taken for Laws and precepts and what only for moral Doctrins it is very expedient to know the Life Manners and Study of the Author beside we can with more ease know the meaning of any Mans Words when we know his genius disposition and ingenuity Moreover that we may not confound Doctrins whose morality and Obligation is perpetual with those that were but temporary and of use only to some particular People it behoveth us to know upon what occasion at what time to what Nation in what Age all these instructions were Written Lastly it is fit we should know beside the Authority of every Book whether the Books have been adulterated or at least whether any Errors have crept into them and whether they have been corrected by Learned and Faithful Men all which things are absolutely necessary to be known that we may not with Blind Zeal receive every thing obtruded upon us but believe that only which is certain plain and past all doubt After we have such a History of Scripture and have firmly resolved to conclude nothing to be the Doctrine of the Prophets which doth not naturally follow or may be clearly drawn from this History then it will be time to prepare our selves to search out the meaning of the Prophets and of the Holy Ghost which to do the like method and order is required that is to be used in interpreting nature by its own History for as in searching out natural things we first endeavour to inquire concerning that which is Universal and common to all nature as Motion and
obscurely but that they may be quickly understood according to that usual saying a Word to the Wise. Euclyd who writ of nothing but what is very plain and obvious is easily understood by every Body in any Language and therefore to be sure of his Sense and meaning there is no need of a perfect but only a superficial knowledge of the Tongue wherein he wrote nor of knowing his Life Study Manners in what Language when or to whom he wrote neither knowing the Fate of his Book its various readings or how it came to be generally received what I say of Euclyd may be said of all Men who have written of things in their own nature easy to be understood so that we conclude the meaning of the Scripture and the true Sense thereof concerning moral Doctrins may be easily attained by such a History as might be composed of it For all Lessons of true Piety are given us in words of common and frequent use and are therefore plain and easy to be understood and because our happiness and the peace of our Lives consists in Tranquillity of Mind which we find only in things which we clearly understand it evidently follows that we may certainly find out the meaning of Scripture in things necessary to happiness and Salvation and therefore we need not be so Sollicitous about other matters which when they seem so difficult to our reason and understanding have more curiosity in them then profit I have now shewn what is the true method of explaining Scripture and sully declared my opinion concerning it I doubt not but every one sees this method requires nothing more then natural reason whose Nature and Vertue cheifly consists in deducing by right consequences things obscure from known and indisputable concessions and tho' we grant that this natural light is not sufficient to find out all things in Scripture it is not from any defect in this natural light but because the right way which it shews us was never observed and troden by Men So that in tract of time it is become painful and almost impossible to pass as in my opinion manifestly appears by the difficulties I have mentioned It now remains that I examin those Mens opinions who are not of mine the first to be considered is theirs who positively affirm that natural light is not sufficient to interpret Scripture and that only Supernatural light can do it but what they mean by Supernatural light I leave them to explain I suppose they do but in obscure terms confess that they are very doubtful of the true Sense of Scripture for if we diligently consider their expositions we shall find they contain nothing Supernatural yea they will appear to be meer conjectures if they be compared with their explanations who pretend to nothing more then what is natural they will be found like them to be human long Studied and Elaborate In maintaining that natural light is not able to explain Scripture they are mistaken what we have said makes it clear that the difficulty of expounding Scripture doth not arise from any defect of strength in natural light but only from Mens sloth I will not say malice who have neglected to Compose such a History of Scripture as might have been framed of it and also because all Men if I be not deceived confess that Supernatural light is a divine gift bestowed only upon believers but the Prophets and Apostles Preached not only to believers but to wicked unbelievers who were notwithstanding their impiety and unbelief capable of understanding the meaning of the Prophets otherwise they had Preached but to Children and Infants and not to Men endued with reason and Moses had in vain prescribed Laws if his Laws were intelligible only to believers who needed no Law. Wherefore they that seek after supernatural light to understand the mind of the Prophets and Apostles seem void even of natural light and such I think are far from having that Heavenly Gift of light supernatural Maimonides was not of these Mens Opinion for he thought most places of Scripture would bear several yea contrary Senses and thought likewise that we cannot be certain of the true Sense of any place unless we know the place as we interpret it to contain nothing but what is agreeable to reason or not contrary to it for if in its litteral Sense it appear repugnant to reason tho' the Sense appear clear yet he thinks the place ought to be otherwise interpreted and this he plainly declares in the 25 th Chapter of his Book called More Nebuchin where he saith know that I do not refuse to say the World is eternal because there are Texts in Scripture which say the World was created for the Texts which declare the World was created are not more then those that tell us God is Corporeal neither are the ways of expounding those Texts concerning the Creation of the World Shut up or barred against us but we could as well explain them as I did the other when I proved God to be incorporeal perhaps I could better and with more ease expound the Texts of the Worlds Creation and maintain the World to be eternal then I did those of Gods corporiety when I proved God to be incorporeal but for two reasons I will not do it or believe that the World is eternal First because it is evident by a clear Demonstration that God is not Corporeal for all places of Scripture whose litteral Sense is repugnant to a Demonstration require explication because it is certain they ought not to be taken litterally but the eternity of the World is not proved by any Demonstration and therefore it is not necessary to offer violence to the Scripture and wrest it by expositions to maintain an opinion that is but probable when we may with any reason maintain the contrary opinion The second reason is because believing God to be incorporeal is not contrary to the Fundamentals of the Law but to believe the eternity of the World as Aristotle did destroyeth the very Foundation of the Law. These are the Words of Maimonides from which that manifestly follows which I said before for if he were convinced by reason that the World was eternal he would not scruple to wrest the Scripture and make such expositions of it as might support that opiuion and he would be presently certain that the Scripture tho' it every where plainly say the contrary did declare the World to be eternal and consequently could never be certain of the true Sense of Scripture tho' never so plain so long as he doubted the Truth of the thing or that the Truth were not evident to him for so long as the Truth of a thing is not apparent we are so long ignorant whether the thing be agreeable or contrary to reason and consequently we know not whether the litteral Sense be true or false which opinion if it were true I would absolutely grant that some other light beside what is natural is necessary
for divine Doctrins that Credulity was accounted Faith and Philosophical Controversies were maintaned both in Church and State with so much animosity and heat of dispute from whence I perceived that not only cruel hatred and dissention by which Men are easily stir'd up to sedition but many other mischeifs too tedious to be here mentioned took their beginning I resolved diligently to examin the Scripture a new with a free and unprejudiced mind and neither to affirm any thing positively of it or admit any thing to be it's Doctrine which was not clearly Demonstrated by it Under this caution I Composed a method of interpreting the Sacred Volums and furnisht with it I began in the first place to inquire what Prophesy was why God revealed himself to the Prophets and whether they were acceptable to God because they had sublime thoughts and notions of God and Nature or only for their Piety These things being known I could easily determin that the Authority of the Prophets was of greatest weight in things relating to real vertue and to the use and benefit of Life but in other matters their opinions did very little concern us This being likewise known I further inquired what it was for which the Iews were called Gods chosen People and when I perceived it was only because God chose out for them a particular part and climate of the World where they might live conveniently and securely I thereby also learnt that the Laws revealed by God to Moses were nothing else but the Statutes of that particular government of the Iews and that none but the Iews were bound to receive them yea that the very Jews themselves were not bound by them any longer then their Government continued That I might know whether it can be concluded from Scripture that the understanding of of Mankind is depraved by Nature I inquired whether the Catholic Religion or the Divine Law revealed to all Mankind by the Prophets and Apostles were any other then that which natural Reason teacheth and Lastly whether Miracles happen contrary to the order of Nature and whether they do more certainly and clearly prove the Being and Providence of God then those things do which we clearly and distinctly understand by their first Causes but when I could find nothing in whatever the Scripture expresly teacheth disagreable or repugnant to human understanding and when I likewise saw that the Prophets taught nothing but what was plain and might easily be understood and that they adorn'd and confirm'd their Doctrin with such a Style and such reasons as they thought would most affect the minds of the multitude with Devotion towards God I was fully perswaded that the Scripture left reason perfectly free and had nothing to do with Philosophy but that each stood on its own basis But that I might plainly demonstrate these things and put an end to the whole matter I shew which way the Scripture is to be interprepreted and that all its knowledge of things Spiritual is to be drawn from it self and not from those things which we know by the light of nature Then I pass on to shew those prejudices which spring from thence and that the common People addicted to Superstition prizing the reliques of time above eternity do rather adore the Books of the Scripture than the very word of God it self After this I shew the revealed word of God not to be any certain number of Books but a simple knowledge of Gods will revealed to the Prophets that is to obey God with the whole heart by practising Justice and Charity I shew that the Scripture teacheth this according to the capacity and opinions of those to whom the Prophets and Apostles were sent to Preach this Word which they did that Men without any reluctancy might cordially embrace it The Fundamentals of Faith being discovered I Lastly conclude the object of revealed knowledge to be nothing else but obedience and so distinct from natural knowledge as well in respect of its object as its foundations and means that it hath nothing in common with it but each maintains its own proper dominion without any mutual disagreement and that neither ought to be subservient or a hand-maid to the other Moreover because the dispositions of Men are very different one being possest with this and another with that opinion and that which moveth one Man to Devotion provokes another to Laughter every one ought to have the Liberty of his own judgment and the Power of interpreting the Principles of Faith according to his own reason and that no Mans Faith is to be justified or condemned but only by his Works so that all Men may obey God with Freedom of mind and only Righteousness and Charity be in esteem After I have by these things shewed the Liberty granted by God's revealed Law to all Men I go on to the other part of the question which is that this Liberty may be allow'd without any prejudice to the Peace of a Common-wealth or to the Rights of the Supream Powers nor can it be taken away without great detriment and danger both to peace and the whole republick To demonstrate this I begin from every Mans natural right which reacheth so far as every Mans Desire and Power can extend it self and no Man by the Law of Nature is bound to live according to another Mans Will or Inclination but every Man is the assertor of his own Liberty Further I shew that no Man departs from this right but he that transfers the Power of defending himself to another and that he must necessarily and absolutely be the keeper of that right upon whom every one hath devolved his own natural right of living as he pleaseth together with the Power of Defending himself and from hence I prove that they who are possest of the Supream Power have right to all things within their Power and that they only are the Protectors of Law and Liberty all other Men being obliged to Act according to their determinations and Decrees but because no Body can so far deprive himself of his Power of defending himself as to cease from being a Man I thence conclude that no Man can be totally deprived of his natural right but that Subjects do still retain by the Law of Nature many things which cannot be taken from them without very great danger to Government Those things being granted to be their rights either by tacit implication or by express agreement and stipulation made between them and their Governours These things being considered I passon to the Commonwealth of the Iews which I fully enough describe shewing upon what Reason and by whose Decree Religion first began to obtain the force of a Law touching upon some other things by the By which seem worthy to be known After this I shew that they who have the supreme Power are not only Protectors and Interpreters of the Civil but also of the Divine Law and that in them only is the right of Judging what is
the 12 th Verse of the 7 th Chapter of Zachary They made their Hearts as an Adamant Stone least they should hear the Law and the Words which the Lord of Hosts hath sent in his Spirit by the former Prophets where Spirit must signifie mercy in this Sense speaketh also the Prophet Haggai Chap. 2. v. 5. Loe my Spirit that is my Grace and Mercy remaineth among you fear ye not Isa. Chap. 48. v. 16. It is said the Lord and his Spirit hath sent me there Spirit may be understood to signifie the Will and Mercy of God or his mind revealed in the Law for the Prophet saith from the beginning that is when he first came to declare Gods Wrath and Judgments against them he spake not in secret from the time that it was published there was I but now I am a Messenger of Joy sent by the Mercy of God to proclaim your restauration it may also as I have already said be taken for the mind and will of God revealed in the Law that is he by the Command of the Law Levit. Chap. 19. v. 17. came to admonish them therefore under the same conditions and in the same manner he warns as Moses did and at last like Moses ends with predicting their restauration but in my Opinion the first Exposition seems the best To return to what was first intended by all these Quotations it is evident that these following plain Phrases of Scripture The Prophets had the Spirit of God. God poured out his Spirit upon Men. Men were filled with the Spirit of God and with the Holy Ghost signifie nothing more then that the Prophets had some particular extraordinary Vertue above other Men and were Persons very Eminent for their constant piety Moreover that they understood the Mind and Will of God for we have shewn that the Spirit in the Hebrew Language signifies both the mind and the purpose and resolutions of the mind yea the Law because it makes known Gods Mind is called the Spirit and Mind of God so that the imagination of the Prophets forasmuch as by it the decrees and purposes of God were revealed may likewise be called the Mind of God and the Prophets may be said to have the Spirit of God now though the Mind and Will of God be Written in our minds and his Eternal purposes and decrees be Engraven on our Hearts and consequently to use the Scripture Phrase we also understand the Mind of God yet because natural Knowledge is common to all Men it is very little esteem'd and the Iews who valued themselves above all other Nations extreamly despised it because it was common to all Mankind Lastly the Prophets were said to have the Spirit of God because Men were altogether ignorant of the Causes of Prophetical Knowledge and did not only admire it but as they did all other strange and unusual things ascribed it to God as the immediate Author of it We may then without any scruple affirm that the Prophets did no other way understand the revelations of God then by the help of imagination that is by the means of words or signs and these either real or imaginary for seeing we find in Scripture no other means beside these it is not lawful to suppose or fancy any other but by what Laws and Rules of Nature it was done I confess I am utterly ignorant I might with others say it was done by the Power of God but it would be little to the purpose and no more then if I should by some unintelligible terms express the form of any thing all things are done by the Power of God for the Power of Nature is nothing but the Power of God and 't is certain that we therefore do not understand the Power of God because we are ignorant of natural Causes and we very foolishly have recourse to the Power of God when we know not the natural Cause of any thing that is when we are ignorant of Gods Power but we have now no need of knowing the cause of prophetical Knowledge for as I have already intimated we only endeavour to find out what the Scripture teacheth us that from thence as from the precepts of Nature we may know our Duty but with the Causes of scripture-Scripture-Doctrines we have nothing to do Seeing then the Prophets by the help of imagination understood those things which God revealed there is no doubt but they perceived many things which were beyond the extent of natural understanding for from words and signs many more Ideas may be formed then can be only out of those Principles and Notions upon which all our natural Knowledge is founded Hence it is evident why the Prophets perceived and declared all things parabolically and in dark Speeches and exprest all spiritual things after a corporal manner because that doth better sute with the nature of the imagination neither can we now wonder why the Scripture or the Prophets spake so improperly and obscurely of the Spirit or Mind of God as Numb Chap. 11. v. 17. I will come down and talk with thee there and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee and put it on them Likewise in the 1 st Book of Kings chap. 22. v. 11. and Zedekiah the Son of Chenaanah made him Horns of Iron and he said thus saith the Lord with these shalt thou push the Syrians till thou hast consumed them Michah saw God sitting Daniel saw him like an Old Man cloathed in white Garments Ezekiel like fire and they who were with Christ descending like a Dove the Apostles like Cloven Tongues and Paul before his Conversion like a great light all which Visions agree with those fancies and imaginations which the vulgar have of God and of Spirits Lastly because the imagination is wandring and unconstant Prophesy did not long continue with the Prophets nor was it frequent but very rare and as there were but very few that had it so likewise 't was very seldom we are now to inquire how the Prophets could be sure of those things which they perceived only by the strength of imagination and not by the certain Principles of mental Knowledge but whatever may be said concerning this Particular ought to be fetcht from Scripture tho' as we have already confest we have no true knowledge of the thing and cannot explain it by its first Causes however what the Scripture declareth concerning the truth and certainty of the Prophets I will shew in the following Chapter wherein I resolve to treat of Prophets CHAP. II. Of Prophets IT appears by the preceding Chapter that the Prophets were not endued with perfection of mind above other Men but only with strength and vivacity of imagination which Scripture-Histories abundantly testify Solomon excell'd all others in Wisdom but not in the gift of Prophesy Heman Darda Kalcoll tho' Men very Wise yet were no Prophets when plain Countrymen who had no Learning yea Women as Hagar Abrahams Maid had that gift which is agreeable both to
Reason and Experience for they who most excel in fancy and imagination are less apt to understand things clearly and they that have excellent understandings have their fancy and imagination not so strong but better kept within compass that it may not be confounded with the intellect those Men therefore who endeavor out of the Books of the Prophets to find the true knowledge of Natural and Spiritual things are extremely mistaken which I purpose to shew at large because the Times Philosophy and the matter it self requires it I will not at all value what superstition babbles to the contrary which hates nothing more then such Men as live good Lives and are lovers of true solid knowledge with shame be it spoken 't is now come to that pass that they who freely confess they have no particular Idea of God and only know him by created Beings of whose Causes they are Ignorant are presently branded with the Name of Atheists To proceed orderly in proving the Point I will shew that there was a difference between the Prophets not only in respect of imagination and temperament of Body but also in respect of the Opinions wherewith they were prepossest so that they never became the more Learned by Prophesy which I will presently more fully make out but I must first speak of the Prophets certainty because it belongs to the Subject of this Chapter and because it contributes somewhat to the Proof of what I design to demonstrate Because simple imagination doth not in its own Nature include certainty as every clear and distinct Idea doth there must necessarily some other thing accompany imagination to make us sure of the things we imagin and that is reasoning whence it follows that Prophesy of it self doth not include certainty because it depends only upon the imagination and therefore the Prophets themselves were not certain of what God revealed by the Revelation it self but by some sign as appears by Abraham Gen. chap. 15. v. 8. And he said Lord God whereby shall I know that I shall Inherit it asking a Sign after he heard the promise without doubt he believed God and did not ask the sign that he might believe but that he might be sure the promise came from God. The same thing more plainly appears by Gideon Judges chap. 6. v. 17 and he said unto him if I have found Grace in thy sight then shew me a Sign that thou talkest with me God said to Moses let this be a sign unto thee Ezechiah who well knew that Isaiah was a Prophet asked a sign of him when he foretold his recovery which shews that the Prophets had always some sign by which they were certain of the things they Prophetically imagined and therefore Moses Deut. chap. 18. v. 22. bids the People ask a sign of any that pretend to Prophesy which sign was to be foretelling some future event Prophesy therefore in this particular gives Place to Natural knowledge which needs no sign but in its own Nature includes certainty but the certainty of Prophesy was not Mathematical but only Moral which also appears by Scripture Deut. chap. 13. Moses warneth the People that if any Prophet should teach them to Worship any other God tho' he confirmed his Doctrine by Signs and Miracles yet the Prophet was to be put to death for Moses goes on and says that God did by Signs and Miracles prove the People whether they loved the Lord with all their heart Christ in like manner warneth his Disciples telling them Math. chap. 24. v. 24. there should arise false Christs and false Prophets and should shew great signs and wonders Ezechiel chap. 14. v. 9. plainly declares that God sometimes deceives Men with false Revelations And if the Prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing I the Lord have deceived that Prophet which Michaiah also testifies of the Prophets of Ahab 1 st Book of Kings chap. 22. v. 21. 22 23. And tho' this shews Prophesy to be a thing somewhat doubtful and uncertain yet it had a great deal of certainty in it for God never deceiveth the Godly and Elect but according to that saying in the 1 st Book of Sam. chap. 24. v. 13. As saith the Proverb of the Ancients wickedness proceedeth from the wicked but my hand shall not be upon thee and as it likewise appears by the History of Abigal and her discourse God useth pious Persons as Instruments of his goodness and wicked Men for Executioners of his wrath this likewise is made Evident by the Case of the Prophet Michaiah for tho' God had decreed Ahab should be deceived by the Prophets he made use of false Prophets but to a good Prophet revealed the Truth of what was to happen and did not hinder the Prophet from foretelling the Truth but still the certainty of the Prophet was but Moral because no Man can justify himself before God nor boast that he is the Instrument of God the Anger of God led David to Number the People whose Piety the Scripture sufficiently declares all Prophetical certainty was founded upon three Particulars First the Prophets did as strongly and with as much vivacity imagin the things revealed as Men waking use to do the things they see Secondly the certainty of the Prophets was confirm'd by a Sign and Thirdly because their Minds were continually inclin'd to Vertue and Justice tho' the Scripture doth not always make mention of the sign yet we ought to believe the Prophets still had a sign for the Scripture doth many times leave out circumstances and conditions and relates things as supposed to be known Moreover it is to be granted that the Prophets who Prophesied nothing new but what was contain'd in the Law of Moses had no need of a sign for example the Prophesy of Ieremy concerning the destruction of Ierusalem needed no sign because 't was confirm'd by the Prophesies of the rest of the Prophets and by the threatnings of the Law but for the confirmation of Hananiahs Prophesy who against all the Prophets foretold the sudden Restauration of the City there was necessity of a sign till the coming to pass of what he predicted should make it good Ierem. chap. 28. v. 9 10. Seing then the certainty of Prophesy which depended upon signs was not Mathematical that is such as necessarily follow'd from the thing apprehended or seen but only Moral and that signs were given to satisfy and convince the Prophet himself it likewise follows that signs were given according to the Opinion and Capacity of the Prophet so that the sign which made one Prophet confident and certain of his Prophesy could not assure another as the signs were different and various so also Revelation it self did vary in every Prophet according to the disposition of his imagination the temper of his constitution or the Opinions wherewith he was prepossest for example if a Prophet were chearful and merry to him were revealed Victories and Peace which cause Mirth and Gladness such things using
would not only exceed the capacity of the vulgar but the understanding of all Mankind for who could possibly retain and comprehend so great a Number of Histories and so many circumstances and parts of Doctrine as might be collected from so many and different Histories truly I cannot be perswaded that those Men who left us the Scripture as we now have it abounded with so much Wit as to be able to find out such a demonstration of its Doctrine much less do I believe that the Doctrine of the Scripture could not have been understood unless we had been told of Isaacs strivings about the digging of Wells of Achitophels Council to Absalon and the Civil Wars between the Children of Iudah and Israel with other Chronicles of like kind or that the Iews who lived in the time of Moses were not so capable of understanding the Doctrine of Scripture by Histories as were the Iews who lived in the time of Esdras of which more hereafter the common People are therefore obliged to know only those Histories which stir up their minds to Devotion Piety and Obedience but they are not competent Judges of those Histories because they are more pleased with the narrations and the unexpected events of things then with the Doctrine it self and for this reason beside the reading of Histories they need Pastors and Ministers in the Church to instruct their weak understanding But not to digress from what we principally design'd to prove we conclude that the belief of Histories whatever they be doth not belong to the Divine Law nor doth of it self make Men happy or blessed nor are Histories profitable except it be in point of Doctrine which is the only thing that makes some Histories therefore contain'd in the Old and New Testament excel those that are profane and common and Scripture Histories mutually compared are more excellent one then another for sound and wholsom Doctrine He then that reads Scripture Histories and in all things gives intire credit to them yet if he follow not their Doctrine and amend his Life it is all one with him as if he read the Alchoran a Comedy or any vulgar History but as we have already said he that never heard of Scripture if his Opinions be true and his Life righteous he is truly blessed and the Spirit of Christ is in him but the Iews are of a contrary Opinion for they say let a Mans Opinions be never so Orthodox and his Life never so vertuous yet if he be guided only by natural Light and not by the Doctrins which are Prophetically revealed to Moses he can never be blessed and happy which Rabbi Maimonides boldly affirms in his Eighth Chapter and Second Law concerning Kings He that receiveth the Seven Commandments and diligently performeth them is one of the Pious among the Nations and Heir of the World to come that is if he receive and Practise them because God in his Law commanded and revealed them by Moses and because those precepts were also given to the Sons of Noah but if he Practise them by the guidance and dictates of natural reason he is none of us nor is he to be thought one of the Pious and Learned of the Nations It was an opinion among the Iews that God gave to Noah seven Commandments and that all Nations were obliged to observe only those seven but that God gave many more Commandments to the Iews that he might make them much happier then other Nations Rabbi Ioseph the Son of Shem Tob in his Book called Kbod Elohim or the Glory of God likewise saith that tho' Aristotle whose Book of Ethicks was in his opinion the best that ever was written had omitted nothing which belonged to that Subject and he himself had diligently Practised all he Writ yet he could not be saved because he embraced those Doctrins he taught as the dictates of reason and not as divine and Prophetical Revelations But these conceits are meer Fopperys grounded neither upon reason or Scripture and need no more confutation then doth the opinion of some Men who maintain that by natural light and reason we cannot know any thing belonging to Salvation a Tenet that cannot be rationally prov'd by Men who do not allow themselves any reason but what is corrupted and depraved and if they boast of any thing above reason 't is meer Folly and far beneath reason as sufficiently appears by their manner of living so that of this we need say no more I will only add this that no Man can be known but by his works and therefore they that abound in the Fruits of Love joy peace long suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance c. against whom saith Paul Galat. chap. 5. v. 22. there is no Law whether they be taught by reason or Scripture they are certainly taught of God and are truly blessed CHAP. VI. Of Miracles AS Men use to call that knowledge Divine which exceeds human capacity and understanding so when any thing is done in nature of which the common People know not the cause that they call the Work of God for the vulgar believe Gods Power and Providence do most plainly appear when they see any thing strange and unusual happen in nature contrary to the customary opinion they have of Nature especially when that which happens is for their benefit and advantage and they think the being of a God never more clearly proved then when nature seems not to keep its constant course and therefore conclude that those Men deny the Being and Providence of God who endeavour to explain and understand what they call Miracles by their natural causes They indeed think that while Nature goes on in her wonted course God doth nothing and on the contrary when God Acts the Power of Nature and Natural Causes are idle and at a stand so that they imagin two numerical distinct Powers namely the Power of God and the Power of Nature appointed and directed or as most Men now believe Created by God but what they mean by either or what they understand by God and Nature they know not but fancy Gods Power to be like that of a great King. And the Power of Nature nothing but blind force and violence the Common People therefore call the extraordinary Works of Nature Miracles or the Works of God and partly out of Devotion partly out of a desire to contradict those that love the Study of Natural Sciences they affect being ignorant of Natural Causes desiring to hear of things they do not know and those things which they least know they most admire by taking away Natural Causes and by imagining things out of the order of Nature they think God is most adored when all things are immediately referr'd to his Power and Will neither do they think the Power of God at any time so wonderful as when according to their fancy it conquers and subdues the Power of Nature Which Opinion was first brought into the World by the Iews who to
very Prophets themselves knew not how to reconcile the Course of Nature and Human Eevents with the Notions they had of God's Providence but to Wisemen whose Knowledge is not built on miracles but upon clear and distinct conceptions the thing is very evident especially to those who place true Happiness in Vertue and Tranquility of Mind and study more to submit to Nature then to make Nature obedient to them knowing certainly that God directeth Nature as its own Universal Laws and not as the particular Laws of Human Nature require and that God hath a care not only of Mankind but of the whole Frame of Nature in general and it appears by Scripture that miracles cannot teach us to know God or his Providence tho' we find in Scripture that God wrought miracles to be known to Men. Exod. Chap. 10. v. 2. The wonders which he did in Egypt were to convince the Israelites that there was a God yet it doth not follow that the miracles themselves taught them to know God but only that the Iews were prepossest with such Opinions that they would easily be perswaded by those Signs for as I have already shewed in the Second Chapter that the conceptions which the Prophets had by Revelation were not drawn from Universal and common Notions but from concessions sometimes absurd and from the Opinions of those to whom the Revelations were made and from theirs whom the Holy Spirit would convince as we have proved by many Examples and the Testimony of Paul who was to the Iews a Iew and with the Grecians a Greek But tho' those Miracles were sufficient to convince the Israelites and the Egyptians from their own Principles that there was a God yet they were not able to give them a right understanding and Idea of God they understood nothing more by them then that there was a Power greater then all other known Beings and that that Power took a particular care of the Iews whose Affairs were at that time so prosperous above all other Nations but did not teach them that God hath an equal care of all Mankind which we know only by Philosophy or true Wisdom and therefore the Iews and all that knew nothing of God's Providence but from the different State of Human Affairs and from the disparity of men's Fortunes perswaded themselves that the Iews were better beloved by God then all other Nations tho' they did not excel any other People in Human perfection as we have already declared in our Third Chapter We now proceed to the Third Particular that is to prove by Scripture that the Commands and Decrees of God and consequently his Providence are indeed nothing else but the regular Course of Nature that is when the Scripture saith any thing was done by God or the Will of God nothing more is to be understood then that it was done according to the Order and Rules of Nature and not as the Vulgar imagine that Nature was idle and ceased from Action or that the Order of Nature was for sometime interrupted The Scripture doth not give us the true Knowledge of things which do not concern its Doctrine because as we have already declared it needless it meddles not with demonstrating things by their natural Causes nor with things that are meerly Speculative and therefore to prove by consequence what we intend we will quote some Scripture Histories whose Relations are fullest of Circumstances In the first Book of Sam. Chap. 9. v. 15 16. It is said that God told Samuel in his Ear that he would send Saul to him and yet God did not send him as Men use to send Messenger one to another but this mission of God was nothing but the Order and Course of Nature for Saul sought his Father's lost Asses and thinking he should not find them by Advice of his Father's Servant he went to the Prophet Samuel to know if he could tell him where they were nor doth it appear any where in the whole Relation that Saul had any particular Command from God beside this natural Course to go to Samuel Psal. 105. v. 24. 'T is said that God turned the Heart of the Egyptians to hate the Israelites which turning was Natural as appears by the first Chap. of Exodus where very good Reasons are given for the Egyptians keeping the Israelites in subjection In the 9 th Chap. of Gen. v. 13. God saith to Noah that he would set his Bow in the Cloud which Action of God was nothing but the Reflection and Refraction of the Sun-Beams in the minute drops of Rain Water Psal. 147. v. 18. The natural Operation and warmth of the Wind by which Frost and Snow are melted is called the Word of God and v. 15. the Wind is called the Commandment of God Psal. 104. v. 4. The Wind and the Fire are called the Messengers and Ministers of God and many other like places in Scripture clearly shew that the Decree the Command the Saying and Word of God are nothing else but the Operation and Order of Nature and without doubt many things which are related in Scripture and attributed to God naturally come to pass because it was not the intent of Scripture to give us an account of things by their natural Causes but only to relate those things which strongly possess the imagination and in such manner and stile as was most likely to cause admiration and fill Mens minds with Devotion If then we find in Scripture some things of whose natural causes we are ignorant or that seem to have happen'd against the order of nature we are not presently to doubt but believe that what did really happen came to pass by the course of nature which is confirm'd by the many Circumstances that accompany'd miracles tho' the Circumstances were not particularly related or were at least poetically related I say the Circumstances clearly prove that the miracles required and had natural causes When the Egyptians were to be smitten with the Plague of boiles Moses was to cast up and sprinkle Ashes into the Air Exod. chap. 9. v. 10. The Locusts also by Gods natural command namely by an East Wind blowing a whole Day and Night covered the Land of Egypt and left it again with a strong West Wind Exod chap. 10. v. 13. 19. By the command of God was a way made through the Sea for the Iews by an East Wind that blew a whole Night Exod. chap. 14. v. 21. when the Prophet Elisha was to raise the Child thought to be dead he several times stretched himself upon the Body till he grew warm and opened his Eyes in the 2 d. Book of Kings chap. 4. v. 34,35 so also in the 9 th chap of St. Iohns Gospel some Circumstances are mentioned which Christ used when he Cured the blind Man many other things are related in Scripture which all declare that miracles require somewhat more then the absolute command of God and therefore tho' all the Circumstances of miracles and their natural causes be not
not well acquainted with them will take many things in Scripture for Miracles which were never thought so by the Penmen of it so that he will not only be mistaken in the Things and Miracles that happen'd but will be likewise ignorant what was the meaning of those by whom the Scripture was Originally Written for Example The Prophet Zachary chap. 14. v. 7. speaking of a future War saith but it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord nor Day nor Night but it shall come to pass that at the Evening time it shall be Light in which words he seems to predict a great Miracle but they signify no more then that a doubtful Battle should be fought whereof the Success should be known only to God but towards Evening the Iews should be Victorious In the like Phrases and Expressions the Prophets were wont to foretel and write the Victories and overthrows of the Nations Isaiah chap. 13. v. 10. declareth the destruction of Babylon in these words the Stars of Heaven and the Constellations thereof shall not give their Light the Sun shall be darkned in his going forth and the Moon shall not cause her Light to shine which no body believes did happen in the destruction of that Empire nor that which the Prophet adds v. 13. therefore will I shake the Heavens and the Earth shall remove out of her place In like manner Isaiah chap. 48. v. 21. they thirsted not when he led them through the deserts he caused the Waters to flow out of the Rock for them he clave the Rock also and the Waters gushed out by which words nothing more is meant then that the Iews found Fountains in the deserts by which they quenched their thirst for no such Miracles happen'd when by the consent of Cyrus they returned to Ierusalem many expressions of like Nature occur in the Scripture and are only fashions of speaking amongst the Iewish Nation I need instance in no more but let it be observed that the Iews made use of such Phrases not only for Ornament to their Language but also to express their Devotion and therefore attributed all things to God so that the Scripture seems to relate nothing but Miracles even when it speaks of things meerly natural We are therefore to believe that when the Scripture saith God hardened the Heart of Pharaoh nothing more was signified then that Pharoah was very obstinate and disobedient and when it is said God opened the Windows of Heaven nothing more is to be understood then that there fell abundance of Rain whoever then will but consider that many things in Scripture are related very briefly imperfectly and without Circumstances shall find nothing repugnant to natural Reason but many things which seem very obscure may with a little Meditation be explain'd and easily understood so that I think I have sufficiently proved what I intended but before I put an end to this Chapter I have thought fit to intimate that in speaking of Miracles I have taken a course different from that I made use of in treating of Prophesy for I declared nothing positively concerning Prophesy but what I could conclude from fundamental Princiciples revealed in the Scripture but what I have said concerning Miracles I have drawn from Principles known by the Light of Nature which I did designedly because I could not know wherein Prophesy consisted nor could I aver any thing of it it being a meer Theological question exceeding human Capacity but what I could derive from revealed Principles so that I was forced to make a short Historical Collection of Prophesy and from thence to form some Maxims which might instruct me as far as 't was possible in its Nature and Properties but because that which we inquire concerning Miracles namely whether any thing in Nature can happen which is either contrary to its Laws or doth not follow from them is a Philosophical Subject I thought it much better to clear the Question by making use of Principles known by the Light of Nature as those that are most obvious I say I did it purposely because I can also prove it from fundamental Principles of Scripture which declareth that the course and order of nature in general is constant and immutable Ps. 148. v. 6 he also establisht them for ever and ever he hath made a decree which shall not pass and Ierem. chap. 31. v. 35 36. thus saith the Lord who giveth the Sun for a Light by Day and the Ordinances of the Moon and the Stars for a Light by Night which divideth the Sea when the Waves thereof roar if these Ordinances depart from before me saith the Lord then the Seed of Israel shall cease also from being a Nation before me for ever the Philosopher in his Book of Ecclesiastes chap. 1. v. 10. saith is there any thing whereof it may be said see this is new it hath been already of old time which was before us v. 11. he saith there is no remembrance of former things neither shall there be any remembrance of things to come with those that come after by which words he means that nothing happens which hath not happen'd before tho' it be forgotten in the 3 d Chapter v. 11. he saith that God hath made every thing beautiful in its time and v. 14. he saith whatever God doth it shall be for ever nothing can be put to it nor any thing taken from it v. 15. that which hath been is now and that which is to be hath already been which clearly declares that Nature keeps a constant fixed and unchangeable course that God in all Ages known and unknown it still the same that the Laws of Nature are so large and perfect nothing can be added to or taken from them and lastly that there is nothing new in Miracles but what seems so to Mans ignorance these things are expresly declared in Scripture but 't is no where said that any thing happens in Nature either contrary to its Laws or not proceeding from them so that Miracles require Causes and Circumstances and are not immediately wrought by I know not what Kingly and absolute Empire which the Vulgar attribute to God but by his divine Power and Decree manifested in the Laws and Order of Nature and that Miracles may be wrought by seducing Impostures as appears Deut. chap. 13. and Matth. chap. 24. v. 24. from whence it manifestly follows that Miracles were things natural and therefore to use Solomons expression are not to be thought new or contrary to Nature but have as neer an Alliance as is possible to natural things which may be easily made out by the Rules I have laid down drawn from the Scripture but tho' I say we are taught these things by Scripture yet I do not mean that the Scripture delivers them to us as Doctrines necessary to Salvation but only that the Prophets received them as we do and therefore 't is left to every Mans Liberty to have such an Opinion of them as
Rest and the Laws and Rules of both which nature always observes and by which it continually Acts and from these we afterwards by degrees proceed to other things less general so likewise from this History of Scripture we are first to inquire after that which is most general and is the Basis and Foundation of all Scripture and is commended by all the Prophets for the most profitable and perpetual Doctrine to Mankind for example that there is only one omnipotent God who only is to be worshipt who provideth for all and loveth those best who serve him and love their Neighbours as themselves is a Doctrine every where so express and plain in Scripture that no Body ever doubted the Sense and meaning thereof but what God is why and in what manner he beholdeth and provideth for all things the Scripture doth no where expresly and positively declare nor teach it as an eternal Doctrine but on the contrary the Prophets as we have already shewn did not agree amongst themselves concerning these things and therefore in matters of like nature we are not posiâ—ively to determin what is the Doctrine and meaning of the Holy Spirit tho' it may be very well made out by natural knowledge This general Doctrine of the Scripture being rightly known we are then to pass on to things less Universal which concern the common use of Life and which are derived like rivulets from this general Doctrine Such are all the particular external Actions of real Vertue which cannot be Practiced but as occasion is offer'd and whatsoever in Scripture relating to them seems doubtful or obscure must be explain'd and determin'd by the Universal Doctrine and for those things which seem contradictory one to another we are to examin Upon what occasion at what time and to whom they were written for example when Christ said Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted We know not who are the Mourners meant in this Text but because Christ afterwards bids us take no thought for any thing but seek the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof which he commends to us as our cheifest good Math. chap. 6. v. 33. therefore it follows that the Mourners meant by Christ must be those who lamented to see the Kingdom of God and its righteousness so much neglected by Men for which no others could Mourn but those whose affections were Heavenly and contemned all things here below So also when Christ said Math. chap. 5. v. 39. Whatsoever shall smite thee on the right Cheek turn to him the other also if he had spoken this as a Law-giver by this command he had abrogated the Law of Moses which he declareth in the 17 th verse he came not to destroy but fulfil We are therefore to inquire who said this to whom and when he said it First it was Christ that said it not as a Law-giver who ordained Laws but as a teacher who gave moral instructions not so much to reprove their deeds as to correct their thoughts next he spoke it to Men opprest who lived in a Common-wealth extreamly corrupted where justice was neglected and whose ruine and destruction was near at hand this Doctrin of Christ was likewise Preached by the Prophet Ieremy before the first destruction of the City of Jerusalem Lament Chap. 3. v. 30. He giveth his Cheek to him that smiteth him Wherefore seeing the Prophets did not teach this Doctrine but in the time of oppression nor was any where commanded by them as a Law and on the contrary Moses who did not write in times of oppression but took care to establish a good Common-wealth tho' he condemned revenge and the hating of our Neighbour yet he commanded that an Eye should be given for an Eye hence it appears by the fundamental Principles of Scripture that this Doctrine of Christ and Jeremy for suffering Injuries and submitting to Wicked Men ought to be practised only in times of oppression and in Places where Justice is not so easily to be had but not in a good Common-Wealth because in good Governments where Justice is maintain'd every Man is obliged if he will be Just to require Satisfaction for Injuries before a Judge Levit. Chap. 5. v. 1. Not upon the score of Hatred and Revenge which are forbidden Levit. Chap. 19. v. 17 18. But to preserve and maintain the Justice and Laws of a Man's Country and that wicked Men may not get advantage and thrive by their wickedness all which is agreeable to Natural Reason to this purpose I could bring many more Examples but these are sufficient to explain my meaning and shew the usefulness of that method which is the Subject of my present Discourse But hitherto I have only shewn the Way to find out the Sense of those Scripture Sentences which concern the Use of Life and are therefore more easily understood because among the Penmen of the Bible there never was any controversy about them but other passages in Scripture which concern Matters meerly Speculative are not so plain and obvious because the Way to them is very narrow for tho' in things meerly Speculative the Prophets as we have already shewn differ'd amongst themselves and the narrations of things were suited to the prejudice of every Age yet it is not at all Lawful for us to determine what was the meaning of one Prophet by the clear Places of another unless it be evident to us that they were both of one Opinion how then the meaning of the Prophets in such Cases is to be known by the History of Scripture I will in few words declare we must in the first Place begin with what is most general and from those Sentences of Scripture which are most plain and clear inquire what is Prophesy or Revelation and in what it chiefly consists Next we ought to inquire what a Miracle is and after that of things usual and common this being done we ought to consider the Opinions of every Prophet and from them guess at the meaning of every Prophesy History and Miracle but what caution we are to use that in these things we do not confound the Sense of the Prophets and Historians with the meaning of the Holy Spirit and the Truth of the Matter I have already shewn in their proper Places But this is to be noted concerning the meaning of Revelations that this my method teacheth us to find out only those things which the Prophets heard or saw and not what they signified and represented to us by Figures an Hierogliphicks of these things we can only make Conjectures but cannot certainly derive them from the fundamental Principles of Scripture Now though I have shewn the manner of interpreting Scripture and proved it to be the sure way of finding out the Sense thereof yet indeed I confess those Men may have a more certain Knowledge of the true meaning of it if any such Men there be who have received a Traditional Explication thereof made by the Prophets themselves
Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews is to be excused that in the 21 th Verse of the 11 th Chap. of that Epistle he explains the Text in the 31 th Verse of the 47 th Chap. of Genesis quite otherwise then it is in the pointed Hebrew Text as if the Apostle had been to learn the Sense of Scripture from the Punctists in my Opinion the Punctists are mistaken that it may appear they are and that the difference of the two interpretations ariseth from the want of Vowels I will give you both The Punctists by their Points render the Text in Genesis thus and Israel bowed himself Vppon or by changing hgain into Aleph a Letter of the same Organ towards the Beds Head but the Author of the Epistle saith Israel bowed himself leaning Vppon the top of his Staff by reading Mateh instead of the Word Mitah which difference cometh only from the Vowels Now seeing the forecited Chapter of Genesis speaketh only of Iacob's Age and not of his Sickness as doth the following Chapter it is much more probable the Historian meant that Iacob leaned Vppon the top of his Staff wherewith Men of very great Age use to support themselves and not that he did bow himself uppon or towards his Beds Head because in so rendring the Text there is no need to suppose any interchange of Letters By this Example I have not only reconciled that Place in the Epistle to the Hebrews with the Text in Genesis but have also shewn how little credit is to be given to our new Points and Accents so that he who will interpret Scripture without prejudice must with a great deal of doubting narrowly examin them To return to our purpose every one may easily conjecture that from such a Nature and Constitution of the Hebrew Tongue must proceed so many Ambiguities that 't is impossible for any method to resolve them all and there is little hope it can be done by the mutual comparing of one saying with another which we have declared to be a singular way of finding out the true of many Senses which every Sentence according to the common use of the Language will bear and admit Seeing this comparing of Places cannot explain one another but by meer chance because no Prophet wrote with express Intention to explain the Words of another Prophet or his own and also because we cannot know one Prophet's or Apostle's meaning by anothers unless it be in things that concern the use of Life but not when they speak of things Speculative and when they relate Miracles or Histories moreover I can give you many Instances of Speeches in Scripture that are inexplicable but at present I pass them by and proceed to observe what other difficulties yet remain in this method of interpreting Scripture and what is further to be wisht for in it Another difficulty attends this method because we have not such a History of all the Books of Scripture as is necessary for we know not the Authors or rather the Pen-men of many of the Books at least we doubt of them as I shall at large shew in the following Chapter neither do we know upon what Occasion or when those Books of whose Pen-men we doubt were written we are ignorant into what Hands all the Books fell nor know we in whose Copies so many various Readings are found and whether there be not some which have more various Readings what advantage it is to know all these things I have briefly declared in its proper place but I have there purposely omitted some things which come now to be considered if we read any Book that contains things incredible unintelligible or written in very obscure Terms and know not who was its Author or at what time or upon what occasion it was written in vain do we labour to find out the true Sense thereof for none of these things being known 't is impossible to understand what the Author did or could mean but when we are once satisfyed in these things our Thoughts demine without prejudice and give to the Author or to him in whose Favour the Author writ neither more or less then is his due nor do we think of any other things then were or might be in the Author's mind and such as the time and occasion requir'd and this is apparent for it often happens when in divers Books we read stories one like another we pass different Judgments on them according to the different Opinions we have of the Writers I remember I have read in a certain Book of a Man called Orlando furioso who rid upon a winged Monster through the Air into what Countries he pleas'd and slew a great Number of Men and Giants with abundance of other Fancies beyond all Reason and Sense A story like this I have read in Ovid of Perseus and another in the Book of Iudges and Kings of Sampson who single and unarmed slew Thousands of Men and of Eliah who with a Chariot and Horses of Fire mounted up to Heaven these stories I say are like one another yet we make different judgments of every one of them The first Author wrote nothing but Fables the Second matters Political and the Third Sacred and this for no other reason but the different opinions we have of the writers It is therefore evident that the knowledge of those Authors who have written things obscure and very difficult to be understood is absolutely necessary to interpret their writings and among several readings of obscure Histories that we may chuse the true 't is necessary to know in whose Copies those diverse readings are found and whether many other readings have not been met with amongst Men of greater Authority Lastly we meet with another difficulty in expounding some Books of Scripture by not having those Books in the same Language wherein they were first written for 't is the common opinion that the Gospel according to St. Mathew and the Epistle to the Hebrews were written in the Hebrew Tongue which Copies are no where extant In what Language the Book of Iob was written is a doubt Abenezra in his Commentaries affirms it was Translated out of some other Language into Hebrew which is the cause of its obscurity Of the Apocryphal Books I say nothing because they are of little or no Authority These are all the difficulties in this method of interpreting Scripture by such a History as might be had of it of which I promised to give an account and I think them so great that I may boldly say we cannot know the true sense of Scripture in many places or at most we can without any certainty but guess at it however this is to be observed that all those difficulties can only hinder us from knowing the mind of the Prophets in things imperceptible which we can only imagin but not in things intelligible of which we may form clear conceptions for things which in their own nature are easily conceived can never be spoken so
clearly shew that they were not by Divine Revelation and Command but were the dictates of their own natural Reason and contain nothing but brotherly admonitions full of gentleness and kindness no evidence of Prophetical Authority such as is that excuse in the 15. chap. to the Rom. verse 15. Brethren I have written the more boldly unto you and this Opinion may with the greater confidence be maintain'd because we no where read that the Apostles were commanded to Write but only to Preach where ever they went and to confirm their Doctrine by Signs for their Presence and Signs were absolutely requir'd to convert the Nations to Christianity and confirm them in it as Paul himself in his Epist. to the Rom. chap. 1. v 11. expresly declares I long to see you that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end you may be establish'd But here it may be objected that if we allow the Apostles did not write as Prophets then by the same reason it may be concluded they did not preach as Prophets for when they went hither and thither to preach they did it not by express Command as did the Prophets in time past We read in the Old Testament Ionah went to Nineveh to preach that he was expresly sent thither and that which he was there to preach was reveal'd to him We are told at large that Moses was sent into Egypt by God what he was commanded to say to the people of Israel and to King Pharaoh what Signs and Wonders also he was to do in their presence to make them believe Isaiah Ieremy and Ezekiel were expresly commanded to preach to the Israelites Lastly the Prophets never preached any thing but what the Scripture testifies they receiv'd from God but of the Apostles we very seldom read any such thing when they went hither and thither to preach but on the contrary we find the Apostles according to their own Will and Inclination chose what places they would preach in as appears by that contention even to separation between Paul and Barnabas Act. chap. 15. v. 39. and that the Apostles many times in vain attempted to go to some particular places whereof we have instances in Paul himself who says in his first Chapter to the Romans v. 13. I would not have you ignorant that oftentimes I purposed to come to you but was let hitherto and chap. 15. v. 22. For which cause I have been often hindred from coming to you And lastly in the 16 th chap. 1 st Epist. to the Corinth v. 12. he saith As touching our brother Apollos I greatly desir'd him to come unto you with the Brethren but his Will was not at all to come at this time but he will come when he shall have convenient time so that from such expressions as these from the Apostles contention and because when they went hither and thither to preach the Scripture doth no where testify as it did of the Ancient Prophets that they went by the express command of God we ought to conclude that the Apostles did not preach as Prophets but as Men who were only Teachers But this Objection may be easily answered if we take notice of the difference between the calling of Apostles in the New and of Prophets in the Old Testament for the Prophets were not called to Preach and Prophesie to all Nations in general but only to some particular people for which an Express and particular Command was necessary but the Apostles were called to preach to all Nations without exception and to convert them to Christ so that where-ever they went they executed his Commission nor was there any necessity before they went that which they were to preach should be reveal'd to them they being those Disciples to whom Christ said Matth. chap. 10. v. 19 20. When they deliver you up take no thought how or what ye shall speak for it shall be given unto you in that same hour what you shall speak We therefore conclude the Apostles had those things by particular Revelation which they personally preach'd and confirm'd by Signs but what they simply spake or writ without Signs to confirm it that proceeded only from their Natural Reason and Knowledge as you see in the forecited 14 th chap. of the 1 st Epist. to the Corinth v. 6. That all their Epistles begin with the Declaration and Approbation of their Apostleship makes nothing against me for on the Apostles as I shall presently shew was not only bestow'd the gift of Prophesie but they had also Authority given them to teach and instruct Upon this ground the Apostles began and wrote their Epistles with the declaration of their Apostleship and perhaps to gain upon the Minds of their Readers and to stir them up to Attention did in the first place testify That they were those Men who by their Preaching were known to all Believers and who by such clear proofs had made it evident they taught the true Religion and right way to Salvation What I find in these Epistles concerning the Call of the Apostles and of the Divine and Holy Spirit wherewith they were inspir'd relates only to their Preaching except it be in those places where by the Spirit of God and the holy Spirit is meant only a sound right Judgment and a pure sanctify'd Mind devoted to God of which we have spoken in our first Chapter For example Paul in 1 Corinth chap. 7. v. 40. saith But she is happier if she so abide after my Iudgment and I think also I have the Spirit of God where by the Spirit of God is understood his own Opinion as the Context proves his meaning is that in his Judgment and Opinion the Widdow was happy who would not marry a second Husband for he himself had resolv'd to live single and therefore thought himself happy Of this kind we find other expressions which I think needless to mention If then it pass for granted That the Epistles of the Apostles were the dictates only of Natural Reason how could the Apostles only by Natural Reason teach those things which did not fall within the compass of it Consider what I have said in the seventh Chapter of this Treatise concerning the Interpretation of Scripture and we shall find no difficulty in the Question for tho' many things contain'd in the Bible often surpass our Capacity and Understanding yet we may safely dispute of them provided we admit of no Principles but what are fetch'd from the Scripture and upon this ground the Apostles might conclude collect and as they pleas'd teach many of those things which they had seen heard and were reveal'd to them Tho' Religion as it was preach'd by the Apostles in barely publishing the History of Christ is not to be comprehended by Natural Reason yet the principal and chiefest part thereof which consists as doth the whole Doctrine of Christ in moral Precepts and Instructions every Man by Natural Light may attain The Apostles did not stand in need of
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
of Stone but in the fleshly Tables of the Heart Let Men cease to adore the Letter and not be so much concern'd for it Having sufficiently explain'd the Holiness and Divinity of Scripture let us now see what is properly meant by Debar Iehovah the word of God. Debar signifies Word Speech Decree Thing now upon what grounds any thing in the Hebrew Language may be said to be God's or have relation to God I have shew'd in the first Chapter so that I need not repeat what I have there said or in the sixth Chapter what I have said of Miracles 't is evident what the Scripture means by the Word of God To make the thing very clear I need only declare that when the Word of God is predicated of any Subject which is not God himself it properly signifies that Divine Law of which we treated in the fourth Chapter namely That Religion which is universal and common to all mankind mention'd in Isaiah chap. 1. v. 10. where the Prophet declares That the right way of living consisted in Charity and in a sincere and pure Heart which he calls the Law and Word of God The Word of God is also taken Metaphorically for the order or course of Nature and Fate because it follows and depends upon the Eternal Decree of the Divine Nature particularly for whatever the Prophets foresaw in this course of Nature because the Prophets understood future events not by natural Causes but thought them to be the Will and Decrees of God. Moreover it is taken for that which any Prophet commanded or declared because he knew it not by Natural Light but by the singular Vertue and gift of Prophesie and more especially because the Prophets as we have shewed in the fourth Chapter apprehended God under the notion of a Lawgiver for these three reasons then the Scripture is called the Word of God namely because it teacheth us true Religion whereof God from all Eternity is the Author Secondly because it makes Prophesies to be God's Decrees And lastly because the Authors of those Prophesies taught for the most part that which they did not know by Natural Reason but by a faculty and gift peculiar only to them and introduced God speaking as it were in them Now tho' the Scripture contain many things which are meerly Historical and may be unnderstood by Natural Knowledge yet the Scripture is called the Word of God in respect of those other particulars I have last mention'd so that now we plainly see why God is called the Author of the Bible namely upon the account of teaching us what is true Religion and not because it contains and hath communicated to us such a certain number of Books And hence we may also learn that the Bible is divided into the Old and New Testament because before the coming of Christ the Prophets Preached Religion as the Law of their Country and by force of the Covenant made in Moses's time but after Christ's coming because the Apostles preached Religion upon Christ's account as a Law universal to all mankind not that the Prophets and Apostles differ'd in Doctrine or that the Books of either Testament are the Deeds and Indentures of the Written Covenant nor lastly because Natural Religion which is universal is new unless it be in respect of those that knew it not according to that saying of Iohn the Evangelist chap. 1. v. 10. He was in the world and the world knew him not If then we had not some of those Books which the Old and New Testament contain yet we should not want God's Word as it properly signifies true Religion for we do not think any part thereof is wanting tho' we lack many of those other excellent Writings namely the Book of the Law which was so Religiously kept in the Temple as the Original wherein the Covenant was first written with many other Books of the Wars and Records of time from whence the Books of the Old and New Testament which we now have were transcribed and collected And this is made good by many reasons first because the Books of both Testaments were not written at one and the same time for the use of all Ages but by chance for some particular people and that as the Time and their particular Disposition requir'd which plainly appears by the calling of the Prophets who are called to warn and reprove the ungodly of their own time and also by the Writings of the Apostles Secondly Because understanding the Scripture and the meaning of the Prophets is one thing but to understand the Mind of God that is the real truth of things is another as appears by what hath been said in the second Chapter of Prophets which distinction likewise holds in Histories and Miracles as we have shewed in the sixth Chapter But in understanding places which treat of true Religion and real Vertue no such distinction ought to be made Thirdly Because the Books of the Old Testament were chosen out of many others and were approved and joyned together by a Council of the Pharisees as we have declared in the tenth Chapter and for the Books of the New Testament they were receiv'd into the Canon by the Decrees of certain Councils when several other Books by many accounted Sacred were rejected as Spurious These Councils both of Pharisees and Christians were made up of Men who were no Prophets but only learned Doctors yet it must necessarily be granted that in this choice they made the Word of God their Rule so that before they gave their Approbation to the Books they ought to know what was the Word of God. Fourthly Because as we have shewed in the preceding Chapter the Apostles did not write as Prophets but only as Teachers and chose that way of instructing which every one judged most easie for his Disciples from whence it follows as we have concluded in the end of the said Chapter that their Writings contain many things whereof in Respect to Religion we have no absolute need Fifthly and lastly Because in the New Testament there are four whom we call Evangelists but who believes it was God's express Will that the History of Christ should be four times told and deliver'd to Men in Writing Tho' things may be contain'd in one which are not in another and that one helps to understand another we must not therefore conclude that all things which the four declare are absolutely necessary to be known and that God made choice of them to write purposely that the History of Christ might be the better understood for every one preach'd his own Gospel in several places and every one wrote what he preach'd plainly that he might the more faithfully relate the History of Iesus Christ and not for any explanation to the rest If by mutually comparing them together they are sometâ—mes more easily and better understood that happens by chance and only in very few places of which tho' we were ignorant the History notwithstanding would be very perspicuous and
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
Veneration when Genesis was written and this must necessarily be a true and clear Answer because it is expresly said in the forecited text of Exodus that God was not known to the Patriarchs by his Name Iehovah and because also in Exod. chap. 3. v. 13. Moses desired to know God's Name which must have been known to him had it been known to the Patriarchs before him It must therefore be concluded that the faithful Patriarchs were ignorant of this Name of God and that the Knowledge of God is a Gift not a Command It is now time to pass on to the proof of the second Particular That God required from Men by his Prophets no other Knowledge of himself than the Knowledge of his Divine Justice and Love that is those Attributes which Men in a right course of living may in some measure and degree imitate which the Prophet Ieremy in express words declares for chap. 20. v. 15 16. speaking of King Iosiah he saith Did not thy Father eat and drink and do Iudgment and Iustice and then it was well with him he judged the cause of the poor and the needy then it was well with him is not this to know me saith the Lord Nor are those words less clear chap. 9. v. 24. Let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness Iudgment and Righteousness in the Earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. We have a further proof Exod. chap. 34. v. 6. where Moses desiring to see and know God God revealeth no other Attributes to him but such as declare his Divine Justice and Love. Lastly How express in the point are the words of St. Iohn in the fourth Chapter of his first Epistle because no Man ever saw God he maketh God known only by Love and concludes that he knoweth God and God dwelleth in him who hath Charity We see then that Moses Ieremy and Iohn comprize that Knowledge of God which every Man is bound to have in that only wherein we say 't is comprehended namely in believing that God is superlatively just and merciful and the only pattern of a good life The Scripture doth no where give any express and positive definition of God neither doth it prescribe any other Attributes to be imitated and believed by us but those we have named nor are those expresly commended as Attributes so that from all these things we conclude that the intellectual Knowledge of God which considers God as he is in his own Nature and Essence which Nature no Man can by any certain course of life imitate or take for his pattern doth not at all teach a Man how to live well neither doth it concern a Man's Faith or revealed Religion So that a Man may be infinitely mistaken in it and yet not offend God. Let us not wonder then that God apply'd himself to the Imaginations and preconceived Opinions of the Prophets and that faithful Believers had different Opinions of God as by many Instances we have proved in the second Chapter nor let any Man wonder that the Sacred Volumes do every where speak so improperly of God ascribing to him Hands Feet Eyes Ears Mind Local Motion yea Passions of the Mind saying he is Jealous Merciful c. and sometimes set him out as a Judge sitting in Heaven on a Regal Throne and Christ at his Right hand all which is spoken according to the Capacity of the Vulgar whom the Scripture intended to make Obedient but not Learned Of these things whatever ordinary profest Divines have by Reason and Natural Light discovered to be disagreeable to the Divine Nature they will have Metaphorically Interpreted but that which is above their Capacity must be taken Litterally If all things of this kind we meet with in Scripture must be taken and understood Metaphorically then the Scripture was not written for the rude and ignorant common people but for the Learned and especially for Philosophers and if it should be sin piously and in simplicity of Heart to believe those things of God which the Sacred Volumes have in the Letter ascribed to him the Prophets considering the weakness of the common people's Understanding ought to have been very wary and careful what Phrases and Expressions they used and should have clearly and plainly which is no where done declared those Attributes of God which every Man is bound to believe No Man ought to think that Opinions considered absolutely in themselves without respect to a Man's Works have any Piety or Impiety in them but a Man is said to be Godly or Ungodly in his Faith in respect of those Opinions which incline him to Obedience or those that encourage him to Sin and Disobedience so that if a Man tho' he rightly and truly believe be stubborn and disobedient his Faith is evil and on the contrary if a Man believe that which is false and yet live well his Faith is good for the true knowledge of God is not a Precept but a Divine Gift and God never required from Men any other Knowledge than that of his Divine Love and Justice which Knowledge is necessary only to Obedience not to Science CHAP. XIV What is Faith. Who are Believers The fundamentals of Faith stated Faith distinguish'd from Philosophy or Reason TO understand truly what Faith is 't is very necessary to know that the Scripture was fitted and accommodated not only to the Capacity of the Prophets but also to the Understanding of the inconstant mutable vulgar people of the Iewish Nation of which no person can be ignorant that will but a little consider and observe the Scripture He that will take all things which are promiscuously set down in Scripture to be that universal positive Doctrine whereby God is to be known can never rightly discern what was suited to the Capacity of the Iews but not being able to distinguish between Divine Doctrine and the common peoples Opinions must take human Fictions and Fancies for Heavenly Instructions and consequently very much abuse the Sacred Scriptures Authority Who doth not plainly see that this is the cause we have so many Sectaries who maintain their different and contrary Opinions to be all Doctrines and Principles of Faith which they confirm by many Scripture proofs so that 't is become a Dutch Proverb Geen Ketter sonder letter there is no Sectary or Heretick but hath a Text of Scripture to maintain his Opinion The Sacred Books of Scripture were not all written by one person nor for the people of one Age but by divers persons of different dispositions and for the people of several Ages distant in time from one another almost two thousand years by some computations many more We do not charge these Sectaries with impiety for applying the words of Scripture to their own Opinions as heretofore they were suited to Vulgar Capacities it being lawful for every one to apply Scripture to his own Opinions if he find himself
thereby more inclin'd to obey God in those things which relate to Justice and Charity but we blame the Sectaries for not allowing other Men the same liberty they themselves take they count all Men be they never so honest and vertuous who are not of their Opinions the Enemies of God and persecute them as such but call those who are of their Mind God's Elect be they never so very Knaves which is the most pernicious wicked humour can possibly be in a Common-wealth To make it clear then how far in point of Faith every Man may extend his liberty of thinking what he pleaseth and upon whom we are to look as Believers tho' they differ in Opinion I resolve to shew in this Chapter what Faith is to declare what are the fundamentals of Faith and to distinguish Faith from Reason or Philosophy which is the chief design of the whole Treatise To do these things in order 't is necessary to put you in mind again what is the Scriptures principal intention for that will shew us the right Rule of determining what is Faith. We have told you in the preceding Chapter that the chief design of Scripture is to teach Men Obedience which no Man can deny for who doth not plainly see the Discipline of Obedience to be the main scope of the Old and New Testament The only End of both is to make Men obey God with all their Heart I need not repeat what I have already told you that Moses did not endeavour to convince the Israelites with Reason but to bind and oblige them by a Covenant by Oaths and Benefits he threatned those that broke the Law with punishment and encouraged the observers of it with Rewards which were means not to increase Knowledge but only to procure Obedience The Doctrine of the Gospel contains nothing but plain simple Faith namely to believe God and to reverence and worship him or which is the same thing to obey him There is no need of demonstrating a thing so evident or of heaping up Texts of Scripture that commend Obedience whereof there are many in both Testaments what a Man is to do to obey God the Scripture in many places declares namely that the whole Law consists in loving our Neighbour so that it must be granted that he in the Judgment of the Law is obedient who according to God's Command loveth his Neighbour as himself and that he on the contrary who hateth his Neighbour or cares not for him is rebellious and disobedient Lastly it must be confest that the Scripture was written and published not only for the Wise and Learned but for all people in general of all times Hence then must it follow that we are not commanded by Scripture to believe any thing else but what is absolutely necessary to enable us to perform and obey this Commandment so that this Precept is the only Rule of Catholick Faith and by it only all those fundamental Doctrines of Faith which every one is oblig'd to believe ought to be defined and determined which being clear and manifest and that from this Foundation only all things ought to be rationally deduced and derived Let any Man judge whether the many Disputes and Dissentions sprung up in the Church could have any other cause than those I mentioned in the beginning of the seventh Chapter which force me here to shew from this Foundation I have laid the manner and reason of stating and determining what are the true Doctrines and Principles of Faith for unless I do this and make it good by sure and certain Rules I have indeed hitherto done very little seeing otherwise every Man may introduce what he pleases under pretence that 't is a necessary means to Obedience especially when any thing comes into question concerning the Divine Attributes To proceed orderly in making the thing clear and plain I will begin with the definition of Faith which according to the Foundation I have laid ought to be thus defined Faith is to have such Thoughts or Opinions of God as make a Man obey him where such thoughts are not there is no Obedience and where they are Obedience necessarily follows such Opinions which definition is so clear and evidently follows from what we have already demonstrated that it needs no explication What follows from this definition I will briefly shew first that Faith of it self without Obedience is not able to save a Man as Iames saith Chap. 2. 17. Faith without Works is dead which is the Subject of that whole Chapter Secondly That he who is truly obedient must necessarily have Saving Faith for where ever there is Obedience there as I have said must be Faith which the same Apostle saith expresly in the 18 th verse of the said 2 d chap. Shew me thy Faith without thy Works and I will shew thee my Faith by my Works and Iohn in his 1 st Epist. chap. 4. v. 78. Every one that loveth his Neighbour is born of God and knoweth God he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love from whence it likewise follows that we can judge no Man to be a Believer or an Unbeliever but by his Works that is if his Works be good tho' in his Opinions he dissent from other Believers yet he is a Believer and if his Works be evil tho' in words he agree with others that believe he is an Infidel for where there is Obedience there must necessarily be Faith and Faith without Works is dead which Iohn in chap. 4. 13. expresly declares Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit which Spirit is Love for he said just before God is Love and concludes from his own Principles that he certainly hath the Spirit of God who hath Love and because no Man ever saw God he concludes that no Man can have any sense or knowledge of God but only by Love and that no Man can know any other Attribute of God but Love by partaking of it which Reasons if they do not absolutely convince yet they sufficiently explain St. Iohn's meaning What he saith in the 3 d and 4 th verses of his 2 d chap. in express words fully proves what we maintain And hereby saith he do we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments he that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him hence it again follows that they are Antichrists who persecute honest and just Men that differ from them in Opinion and do not maintain their Doctrines they that love Justice and Charity are thereby only known to be Believers and whoever persecutes such Believers is Antichrist Lastly it follows that Faith doth not require Opinions that are in themselves true but such only as are pious and incline a Man's Heart to Obedience There are many things that have not the least shadow of â—ruth in them which a Man may believe and yet be
at that time to teach them the true and real Attributes of his Essence because he then revealed none to them but to break and subdue their rebellious and stubborn humor and draw them to Obedience and therefore he did not set upon them with Arguments and Reason but with Tempest Noise Thunder and Lightning as is recorded Exod. 20. 20. I am now to prove that between Faith or Theology and Philosophy there is no commerce or affinity which no Man can deny who knows how much the Foundation and End of these two faculties differ for the end and design of Philosophy is Verity and the intention and end of Faith is nothing but Obedience and Piety The fundadamentals of Philosophy are common notions which are to be drawn only from Nature it self but the principles and fundamentals of Faith are to be derived from Scripture-History Scripture-Language from the Scripture it self and from Revelation as we have shewn in the 7 th Chapter Faith therefore allows every Man such a freedom and liberty of Reasoning or Philosophizing that he may think what he will of any thing provided he do nothing that is wicked and condemns only those for Hereticks and Schismaticks who broach Doctrines that are the causes of disobedience hatred contention and wrath esteeming only such to be Believers who use their utmost endeavours to perswade and practise Justice and Charity Lastly Because what I have said in this and the former Chapter was what I chiefly intended in the whole Treatise I earnestly request the Reader before I proceed further that he will again and again carefully read and seriously consider the Contents of these two Chapters and that he will have Charity enough to believe that I have written nothing with design to introduce new Doctrines but only to rectify what is amiss which I hope e're long to see done CHAP. XV. Theology or Divinity is no Handmaid to Reason nor Reason to Divinity Why we believe the Authority of the Holy Scripture AMongst those that know not how to distinguish and divide Philosophy from Theology there is very great dispute whether the Scripture ought to be subservient to Reason or Reason to Scripture that is whether we are to judge of the Sense of Scripture by Reason or whether Reason ought to submit to Scripture The Scepticks who deny the certainty of Reason maintain one of these Opinions and the Dogmatists who judge all things by Reason the other but both as appears by what I have said are extremely mistaken for whoever follows either of the two Opinions must necessarily deprave either Reason or Scripture We have shewn that the Scripture doth teach us no Philosophy but only Piety and all things contained in it are fitted to the Capacity and Opinions of vulgar people Whoever then goes about to apply it to Philosophy must father upon the Prophets many things whereof they did never so much as dream and interpret that to be their meaning which never was He on the other side who makes Reason or Philosophy a Handmaid to Divinity will be necessitated to let the mistaken Opinions of old times pass for Divine Truths possessing and blinding his Understanding with Error and Prejudice and both run mad together without Reason The first among the Pharisees who openly declared that Scripture was to be accommodated to Reasons was Maimonides whose Opinion we have hinted and refuted in the 7 th Chapter but tho' this Author were of great Authority among the Pharisees yet the greatest part of that Sect did not agree with him in this point but generally maintained the Opinion of Rabbi Iehuda Alpakhar who endeavouring to avoid the Error of Maimonides fell into the clean contrary Opinion holding that Reason ought to be a Handmaid to Scripture and wholly subjected to it and would have nothing in Scripture metaphorically interpreted because the literal sense was contrary and repugnant to Reason but because it was so to the Scripture it self that is to the positive Doctrines of Scripture and laid it down for a general rule that whatever the Scripture did in plain and express words affirm and teach that upon the account of its Authority was to be admitted for Truth if no other Position were found in the Bible which did only consequentially but not directly contradict it for there are some Scripture expressions which seem to imply contradiction to what hath been positively and expresly declared and therefore those places only are to be metaphorically taken For example Deut. 6.4 it is plainly and positively declared That there is but one God or that God is but one but there are many places where God speaking of himself and the Prophets of God speak in the plural number which manner of speaking supposeth and implies more God's than one tho' that doth not clearly and directly appear to be the intention of the words All those places therefore are to be metaphorically interpreted not because it is repugnant to Reason that there should be more Gods than one but because the Scripture it self directly declares that there is but only one So likewise because the Scripture Deut. 4. 15. doth in the Rabbi's Opinion directly declare that God is Incorporeal therefore upon the Authority only of this Text and not upon any account of Reason we are bound to believe God hath no Body and consequently all places of Scripture are to be metaphorically taken which ascribe to God Hands Feet or which seem to suppose God Corporeal This was the Opinion of this Author whom I commend for explaining Scripture by Scripture but I wonder that a rational Man should endeavour to destroy Reason It is very true that Scripture ought to be expounded by Scripture so long as there is doubt of the sense of the words or of the meaning of the Prophets but when we have found out the true sense 't is absolutely necessary to make use of our Reason and Judgment to gain our assent and consent to it for if we must submit to Scripture tho' our Reason be not at all convinced by it must we submit with Reason or like blind Men without any Reason at all if we submit without Reason we do it foolishly without Judgment if we submit with Reason then 't is by the command and dictates of Reason that we believe and embrace the Scripture which we would not do were it contrary to Reason Who can in his Mind believe or consent to any thing which his Reason flatly opposeth Denying a thing with a Man's Heart is nothing else but the gainsaying and dissent of a Man's Reason I extreamly wonder some Men should subject that excellent gift and Divine Light Reason to Dead Letters which humane Malice may corrupt and mis-interpret and yet account it no offence to speak unworthily against Reason and the Mind of Man whereon God hath engraven his Word saying Our Reason is blinded and lost but in the mean time declare 't is abominable wickedness to think any such thing of the Letter which they
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
Foundation and proper Subject of Philosophy Nor ought we to be troubled or concerned if after we have found out the true sense of the Scripture the Scripture in some places seem repugnant to Reason for whatever of that kind we meet with in the Bible and of which Men may without any breach of Charity be ignorant doth not at all concern Theology or the Word of God and consequently of such things a Man may without sin think what he pleaseth and therefore we positively conclude that Reason is not to be accommodated to Scripture nor Scripture to Reason But seeing the fundamental point in Divinity of Mens being saved only by Obedience cannot be demonstrated by Reason to be true or false it may by way of Objection be then asked Why then do we believe it If we do it blindly without Reason we act like Fools without Judgment if on the other side we say this Fundamental Tenet may be proved by Reason then Divinity is a part of Philosophy and cannot be sever'd from it To this I answer That I do clearly confess this Fundamental Doctrine of Theology cannot be made out by Natural Reason at least no Man that I know hath ever done it therefore Revelation was absolutely necessary in the case but yet we may make use of our Judgment and Reason that what hath been revealed may with a moral certainty be believed by us I say with moral certainty for it is not to be expected that we can have any greater assurance than the Prophets themselves had to whom the Revelation was first made and who had no more than a moral certainty as we have shewed in the second Chapter of this Treatise They therefore are in a very great error who endeavour to prove the Authority of Scripture by Mathematical Demonstration for the Authority of the Bible depends upon the Authority of the Prophets and consequently can be proved by no stronger argument than the Prophets made use of to perswade the people of theirs Our certainty of the Scriptures Authority can be grounded upon no other Foundation than that whereon the Prophets founded their Certainty and Authority and we have already shewn the certainty of the Prophets consisted in three particulars First In a clear and lively imagination Secondly In a Sign Thirdly and principally in a Mind inclined and devoted to Justice and Vertue nor could they give any other evidences of their Authority either to the people to whom they spake in their own persons by word of mouth nor can any other be given to us to whom they speak by their Writings the lively imagination of the Prophets was an Argument only to themselves and therefore all our assurance concerning Revelation doth and must consist only in the other two particulars namely in a Sign and in the Doctrine The eighteenth Chapter of Deuteronomy commands the people to obey that Prophet who in the name of the Lord gave them a true Sign but if he prophesied any thing that was false tho' it were in the Name of the Lord he was to be put to death as he was who endeavoured to seduce them from the true Religion tho' he confirm'd his Prophesie with Signs and Miracles as appears in the 13 th Chapter of Deuteronomy whence it follows that a true Prophet was to be known from a false by his Doctrine and by a Miracle both together for such a one only Moses declareth to be a true Prophet and commanded the people to believe him without any fear of being deceived But he declared those to be false Prophets and guilty of Death who foretold any thing that was false tho' it were in the Name of God or he that preached false Gods tho' he wrought true Miracles We then are oblig'd to believe the Scripture that is the Prophets upon account only of their Doctrine confirm'd by Signs because we see the Prophets above all things commend Justice and Charity and intended nothing else because with a sincere Mind without any guile or deceit they declared that Men by Faith and Obedience should be made happy and confirm'd this their Doctrines with Signs We therefore conclude and perswade our selves that when they prophesied they did neither dote or speak unadvisedly in which Opinion we are the more confirm'd when we consider that all their Moral Doctrines did perfectly agree with Reason for it is very observable that the Word of God in the Prophets is exactly consonant to the Word of God within us so that I say again we are as much assured of these things by the Scripture as the Iews were by the Prophets preaching to them viva voce for we have proved in the end of the second Chapter that the Scripture as to its Doctrine and the principal Histories thereof is derived down to us uncorrupted and therefore this Fundamental Doctrine of Scripture and Theology ought with good reason to be embraced by us tho' it cannot be proved by Mathematical Demonstration It is very great folly not to believe a thing which hath been confirmed by so many Testimonies of the Prophets and which is so great a comfort to those who have but ordinary portions of Reason which is so beneficial to the publick and which may without any danger or loss be believed We can give no reason for our doubting or unbelief but our not having Mathematical Demonstration to prove it as if nothing could contribute to living vertuously and prudently but that which is absolutely and apparently true in which there is not the least shadow or doubt and as if there were nothing of chance and uncertainty in our Actions I confess they who think Philosophy and Divinity contradictory one to another and therefore conclude one of them ought to be dethroned and subjected to the other do very well to build Divinity upon a sure Foundation and endeavour by Infallible Demonstration to support it yet I cannot but condemn those that make use of Reason to destroy Reason and by Certain Reason endeavour to prove there is no certainty in Reason while they are demonstrating the Verity and Authority of Theology and strive to deprive Reason of its power they subject Theology to the Empire of Reason and allow it no other splendor than what it borrows from Natural Light If they boast of relying upon the Internal Testimony of the Holy Spirit and say they make use of Reason only to convert Infidels we ought not to believe them because 't is evident that the Holy Spirit beareth witness to nothing but good Works which Paul Galath 5. 22. therefore calls the fruits of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is nothing else but that Tranquility of Mind and Peace of Conscience which ariseth in us from doing good But of the truth and certainty of things meerly speculative no other Spirit but Reason beareth witness Reason only can challenge the power of judging what is true they that pretend to any other Spirit whereby to make themselves certain what is true maintain
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
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