Abreviature of Iehovah was perhaps used by Moses himself which I gather from what Iosephus saith of the Name Written on the High-Priest's Mitre viz. That it had four Vowels and consisted of four Vowels alone This seems to have been Iova which consists of just so many Vowels though two of them are used as Consonants unless you will say they pronounced I and V. as Vowels thus Ioua We may then reasonably believe that the Name of the Heathens God Iovis came from the corrupt pronouncing or contracting the word Iehovah or which comes nearer to it Iehovih for so you will find it Written in Deut. 3. 24. 9. 26. And that Iovis is of Hebrew Original and derived from the Tetragrammaton is confess'd by Varro who thought that Iovis was first of all the God of the Iews as St. Augustin quotes him And though the Pagans alter'd the Name and made it sometimes exceed and at other times come short of four Letters yet this did not extinguish the sense and notion among some of them that the Original Name was a Tetragrammaton For it is likely that the Pythagoreans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Number Four by which they used to Swear especially they confirmed the most serious Truths with this Oath was taken from the Iews Tetragrammaton The Excellent Commentator on Pythagoras's Golden Verses and particularly on this passage in them talks at large why God is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quaternarius so that it seems the Pythagoreans applied it to God Whence a Learned Antiquary of our own concludes that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was Iehovah and he conceives that Pythagoras who speaks of it in his Verses had this Mystery of Quaternity from the Hebrews who had in great veneration the Tetragrammaton the Name of God of Four Letters It was easie for this Philosopher who convers'd in his Travels as is acknowledg'd with Hebrews and Chaldees to arrive to the knowledge of this Name Let me suggest this in the next place that since the Name Iehovah was commonly pronounced Adonai by the superstitious Iews it might hence come to pass that this Adonai with a very small change gave the Name to one of the Poetick Gods among the Heathens viz. Adonis To confirm which add what Hesychius saith that Adonis is as much Lord among the Phaenicians He mistakes the Phaenicians for the Hebrews here as is very usual Whence then can we with greater probability think that Name was given to a Pagan God than from its being of so near affinity with Adonai the Name of the True God among the Iews Again Baal-Berith i. e. the Lord of the Covenant was the Name of a God or Idol of the Phaenicians Iudg. 8. 33. Which seems to be an imitation of the Title of the True God who as soon as the Deluge was past made a Covenant with Mankind and after that we find him Covenanting with Abraham and afterward with the whole People of the Iews and frequently in Scripture we see he is making a Covenant with his Servants so that he is the true Baal-Berith the Lord of the Covenant The Phaenicians borrowed this out of the Jewish and Sacred Writings and applied it to one of their Gods whence it was propagated to other Nations and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Foederator the Covenanter was the Title of Iupiter Among the Names which the Gentiles give to their Gods I may reckon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Sabazius for it is sometimes Latinised to be one That this was the Name of iupiter especially you read in Strabo Valerius Maximus Apuleius That it was a Title also given to Bacchus is witnessed by others In allusion to this the word Sabos is often heard in the Orgia i. e. the Sacred Rites of Liber as Plutarch acquaints us And from Aristophanes we learn that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were words of Acclamation and Rejoycing among the Pagans at their Great Solemnities and Festivals Now this Name seems to be of Hebrew Original and refers to the Iudaick Sabbath that Sacred Festival in which God was most solemnly Worshipp'd by that Nation And this Plutarch was sensible of viz. That there was an assinity between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before mention'd the word used in the Gentile Festivities especially by those that kept the Bacchanalia and the Iewish Sabbath only in this he err'd not knowing the derivation of the Hebrew word that he thought this was taken from that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he expresly saith Or perhaps this Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was given to their false Gods was taken from that of the true one and Iupiter Sabazius is as much as Iehovah Zabaoth which both Isaiah and Ieremiah frequently repeat as the proper Name of God Iehovah Zabaoth the Lord of Hosts is his Name Some have thought the word Tzebaoth is placed here by way of Apposition as if it should be rendred Dominus Sabaoth and thence Ierom reckons Sabaoth among the Names of God But questionless this word is in the Plural Number in regimine and so the true rendering is Lord of Sabaoth i. e. of Hosts Yea you will find the Hebrew word retain'd even in the Greek as if there were something more than ordinarily remarkable in the Hebrew The Pagans who got the sound of this word as very famous among the Hebrews took it by it self for God's Name and thence it is likely framed the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This shall suffice in brief for a proof of what I undertook that the Names of the God of Israel are applied by the Heathens to their Idol-Gods The Pagans call their Deities by Titles which are given to the True God Iehovah This makes good what I aim'd at that the Heathens had these as well as other things from the Sacred Scriptures and it is certain they could have them from these only which is a proof of the verity and antiquity of those Holy Writings Speaking here of the Heathen-Gods and their Names as borrowed from Scripture it may not be impertinent to observe that even the Title of Gods given by the Pagans to their Kings and Princes was derived from the same inspired Writings I grant that it partly proceeded from their sottish Opinion that they were Gods indeed But it is as true that it might be derived to Prophane Writers from the stile of the Holy Ghost in the Old Testament where Magistrates are called Gods Thus in Exod. 22. 8. the Gods and the Rulers of the People are Synonimous Moses was to Aarâ—â— instead of a God Ex. 4. 16. i. e. according to the Chaldee and Arabick a Iudge or Prince God himself honours the Rulers of the Sanhedrim with the Title of Gods Ps. 82. 6. I have said ye are Gods So in Psalm 138. Gods in the 1st verse are Kings of the Earth in the 4th It might be
41. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit John 3. 6. The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh Gal. 5. 7. This is the frequent Acception of the Word in the New Testament Yea 9. Not only the Holy and Godly Nature the Renewed Disposition and Temper but even that which is Unholy and Ungodly the Old and Unregenerate Principle of Man is also known by this Name The Spirit saith St. Iames that dwelleth in us lusteth to Envy ch 4. 5. where by Spirit is meant the Sensual and Carnal Part of Man And so before we took notice of the Spirit of Slumber of Whoredoms and the like Thus much of the word Spirit as it hath reference to the Soul of Man and its Faculties Only I will add this that this Word applied either to the good or evil Operations of the Mind signifies to us the Reality and Efficacy of them and represents their great Vehemency for they proceed from the Spirit of Man which is vigorous and active Though this Word likewise may refer to the Original and Source of these Actions for there is in Men a Double Spirit a Good and an Evil one the Spirit of the World and the Spirit which is of God 1 Cor. 2. 12. Hence in the Stile of Scripture good and evil Actions are frequently attributed to some Spirit for they are Results either of the Good or Evil one that inhabits in them Eighthly Angels both good and bad are signified by this Word First the Good ones Heb. 1. 7. He maketh his Angels Spirits which is taken from Psal. 104. 4. Are they not all ministring Spirits Heb. 1. 14. Secondly the Evil ones who in the Old Testament are call'd Evil Spirits and Lying Spirits and in the New Testament Vnclean Foul Familiar Spirits Spirits of Divination Rejoice not saith our Saviour that the Spirits i. e. the Devils as appears from ver 17. are subject unto you Luke 10. 20. The Spirit that worketh in the Children of Disobedience Eph. 2. 2. is no other than Satan I question not but that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Eph. 6. 12. are no other than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spirits of Wickedness which are said to be in high or Heavenly Places because these Wicked Spirits are so hardy as to encounter often with the Good Angels they labour to wrest the Souls of the Faithful out of their Hands whilst they are conducting them through the Ethereal Regions to the Mansions of Glory in the highest Heavens And if they have the Confidence to grapple with those Blessed Spirits certainly they will not fail to assault Us weak and sinful Creatures Wherefore as the Apostle adjoins in this Place we must take unto us the whole Armour of God that we may be able to wrestle against these spiritual Wickednesses or rather wicked Spirits So in Rev. 16. 14. Spirits of Devils are as much as Devilish Spirits or Evil Angels Ninthly The same Word is used to express an Apparition or Seeming Shape of a Body without real Corporeity as in Luke 24. 37. They supposed they had seen a Spirit They had a Notion of a Spirit 's appearing though as a Spiâ—it it was impossible to be seen of it self for being void of Matter and Quantity it could not be the Object of the Bodily Senses which true Account of a Real Spirit our Saviour gives them in these Words A Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones ver 39. i. e. it hath nothing Corporeal belonging to its Nature and Essence Which brings me to the next the Tenth Acception of the Word and that is this it signifies a Spiritual Immaterial Substance wholly devoid of all Matter John 4. 24. God is a Spirit i. e. he is a Substance in which there is nothing of Body or Quantity he is an Intelligent and Thinking Being which high Privilege and Excellency no Material thing is capable of Lastly A Breath a Wind a Blast are synonimous with Spirit in the Holy Stile as in Eccles. 11. 5. Thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit i. e. of the Wind as is evident from the former Verse where the word Ruach is so â—endred And in Ezek. 37. 9. the four Spirits or Winds are the same and so the word is used twice more in that Verse Thus 't is in the New Testament in Iohn 3. 8. The Wind bloweth where it listeth The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is generally translated Spirit in the New Testament is here translated Wind and that very rightly according to the Interpretation of several of the Antient Fathers Particularly the Air the Wind or Breath which is drawn in and sent forth by the Lungs hath this Denomination Thus in Iob 34. 14. Spirit and Breath are the same And those Words in Iohn 19. 30. He gave up the Ghost or Spirit are expressed thus in another Evangelist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he expired he yielded up his Breath Luke 23. 46. To this refers 2. Thess. 2. 8. Whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit i. e. the Breath of his Mouth which is the same with Isa. 11. 4. With the Breath of his Mouth shall he stay the Wicked To conclude the three Words in the three Learned Languages for Spirit signify Wind or Breath and that in the first and original Sense of them This alone is the Proper Signification of the Word but as for all the other Acceptions of it before-mentioned they are secondary and improrper The word Spirit is improperly applied to the Person and to the Gifts or Graces of the Holy Ghost it is improperly attributed to the Souls of Men and their Faculties and Operations it is improperly spoken of Angels or Devils or of any of those other things â—fore-named except the last But these are the Different Acceptions of the Word in the Sacred Writings according to that Observation which I have made of it at several times and perhaps there are some Other Denotations of this Word which I have not taken notice of I instanced in This whereas I might have instanced in many more to let you see how Large and Extensive the Meaning of some Words in Scripture is and thereby to give you some Account of the Difficulty and Perplexity of the Holy Stile in some Places which yet you see we may render very intelligible and plain by a diligent Enquiry into and Comparing those Places where these dubious Words occur But still to give you a farther Account of the Different Acceptions of Terms I could sufficiently prosecute this tho I confin'd my self to the Hebrew Words of the Old Testament It would most fully appear that the same words in this Holy Volume signify Different things I shall only propound the several Particulars and leave them to be distinctly applied upon occasion by those that have leisure to do it It is well known that Vau is a Conjunction Copulative but it is of other Use in several Places which indeed is common to it
many ambiguous and equivocal and thence the Phrases Sentences and Speeches must needs be so too This is one Reason why the Sacred Truths of Scripture were corrupted when they came into the Hands of the Heathens The Eastern words and forms of speaking were misunderstood by the Grecians the Hebrew Dialect and Idiom were mistaken by the People of another Language and Country The Oriental Expressions were misinterpreted by the Europeans who were Strangers to the literal and proper Sense of them Hence arose Fables Fancies and groundless Conceits which they mixed with the Spiritual Verities and almost defaced and extinguished them 2. The Sacred History of Scripture and the Traditions of the First Ages of the World were easily corrupted because they were Transmitted to Ignorant and Barbarous People God was pleas'd not to vouchsafe that Light and Knowledge to the Gentiles which he bestowed on his own People but he thought fit to leave them in that darkness and blindness which their gross Sins had brought them to and which were now become the just Punishment of them Many of them were so besotted that when they heard of those Holy and Mysterious Truths they were not able to bear them they could not apprehend the true meaning and import of them But because some of them who were the most Contâ—mplative would be exercising themselves about them they resolved to make something of them or out of them And accordingly when they committed them to Writing they applied them to some Person or Thing which was known and famous among them and thus an Historical passage in Holy Scripture became a Story of their own or a Divine Truth was turn'd into a Fable By this means the things which they borrowed from the Word of God came to be Dâ—praved and Disguised 3. The long tract of Time and diversity of years have partly introduced this corruption and alteration For length of time blotted out some of the former Accounts and defaced the Memoirs of things The Antient Names of several Persons and Places are worn out and others quite different from them are used in their stead The true Original Occasion and Meaning of many things were forgotten and in place of them New but False Relations crept in Then came to pass at last when the right Notions of things were worn out that Men of Poetry and Invention thrust upon silly People their own Fancies and Conceits and perswaded them to accept of the most unlikely Stories for Truth 4. The Historical passages of Scripture and the strange Events which hapned among the Iews being spread abroad and passing through many Hands or rather Mouths could not but for that Reason be corrupted By the great diversity of Relators they were changed some adding to them and others diminishing them so that at the last they were quite different from what they were at first 5. As Superstition and Idolatry increased the greater Corruptions there were of True History Men making that to Administer to their Idolatrous Worship So that in those Countries especially where there were the fiercest Bigots for the Pagan Devotion there was alwaies a more plentiful coyning of these Fables under which were hid very useful Truths taken out of the Old Testament 6. This must be added that it was the Custom of the Antient Pagans to wrap up their Notions in obscure and dark Terms and to represent them in an Aenigmatical way Origen thinks Plato in one of his pieces hath something of that Paradise which Moses in the beginning of his Writings speaks of and he gives this Reason why he thinks so viz. because it is Plato's usual way to describe things obscurely and to disguise the greatest and most excellent Verities under the vail of Mysteries and Fables And this was the guise of others besides Plato especially of the Pagan Poets they affected obscurity and difficulty of Stile whence sprang several of the Fabulous Histories of the Gods and other odd passages in their Writings And so when they took some things of moment from Scripture or from those who were acquainted with those Sacred Records they cloath'd them with their dark and Mystical Expressions in so much that it was hard to know whence they had them 7. The Grecian Humour was to Invent and Romance their Poets especially who were their first Writers were famous for this They abused mangled jumbled and confounded the Stories in Holy Writ they turn'd those Sacred Things into Magical Pranks sometimes and from the Names of Holy Persons spoken of in the Old Testament they took occasion to invent new Deities and shape new Gods Their frequent practice was to piece out Scripture with their own Fancies and to add something of their own heads This is owing to the Greek Vanity it is to be ascribed to the Levity and Capriciousness of these Fabulous Men whose very Genius led them to affect Banter and Fictions The Poets dealt with Sacred History as the Legendaries do with the Lives of Saints they have some general ground for what they say but they make plentiful additions to it there is perhaps something of Truth at bottom but then you have their own Inventions besides Thus the Grecian Writers counterfeited all along the shape of Real Truths in most of their Fables there was a medly of Falshood and Truth together 8. This is also certain that the Pagan Philosophers did out of fear sometimes disguise the Notions of Truth which they received from Scripture Plato saith Iustin the Martyr had learnt in Egypt the True Doctrine concerning God One only God with several other Sacred Truths but lest some Melitus or Anytus should Accuse him he would not divulge them to the People For fear of incurring Socrates's Misfortune he either conceal'd or disguis'd all He dreaded the Poysonous Cup and so would not discover those Sacred Things but rather chose to lap them up in Poetick Conceits and Fables in Mysteries and Riddles which his Writings are full of And this it is likely was the Case of other Philosophers and Writers among the Gentiles they were Timorous and dared not Transgress the Publick Laws and incur the punishment due to Innovators in Religion and therefore they spoke ambiguously and obscurely and corrupted those Truths which they had received from the Holy Fountains 9. Some out of meer Ignorance of the Iewish Religion and Affairs misrepresent and corrupt those things This is seen plainly in Strabo and Diodorus the Siciâ—ian who as was hinted afore make the Iews to be Egyptians and Strabo particularly saith of Moses that he was an Egyptian Priest So Herodotus because the Hebrews had lived among the Egyptians saith those things of the former which belong to the latter and so perhaps vice versâ I remember he particularly saith that Circumcision was first of all used among the Ethyopians and Egyptians and from them went to the Phaenicians and Syrians and thence some thought Abraham receiv'd this Rite and commended it to his Posterity It is as easie to
agrees with this Author and tells us that it was an ancient and constant Opinion among the Eastern People that some should come out of Iudea about that time and have the universal Sway and Reign over the World Iosephus the Jewish Historian relates the same and acquaints us that it was the common rumour and vogue among the Iews that one of their own Country should be an Universal Emperor which he as well as the fore-cited Authors applieth to Vespasian because he conquer'd the Iews and with Titus came from Iudea in Triumph to Rome Other Iews thought this common Fame was meant of Herod asserting him to be the Person fore-told by the Prophets and to be the expected Messias These were the Herodians mentioned in Mat. 22. 16. Thus though through Ignorance they knew not how to fix this Rumour aright yet out of Flattery they could apply it to their Princes But it is most evident that this Fame of an Universal Monarch arose from the Scriptures of the Old Testament which frequently speak of a great King and Ruler that should come out of the East and particularly out of Iudea Out of thee Bethlehem shall He come forth unto me that is to be the Ruler in Israel Mic. 5. 2. Which is interpreted of the Messias by the Iewish Sanhedrim whom â—erod gathered together demanding of them where Christ should be born Mat. 2. 4 5. That Prophecy of Micah speaks plainly of a Iew one that by birth â—as of Iudea yea of Bethlehem and therefore it was most falsly applied to those Roman Emperors before-named who came not out of Iudea but â—ut of Italy not from Bethlehem but from Rome And as for Herod he was not a Iew but an Iduâ—ean he was not born in Bethlehem but in Ascalon â—ut in our Blessed Saviour this remarkable Propheâ—y is exactly accomplish'd he being a Iew by â—â—rth and of the City of David and constituted â—y God a matchless King and Governor over his People Behold a King shall Reign in Righteousness 〈◊〉 32. 1. And in several other places of this Prophecy Christ is represented as a King and his Coming is express'd after that manner There was â—iven him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that â—ll People Nations and Languages should serve him His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall 〈◊〉 pass away and his Kingdom that which shall not 〈◊〉 destroyed Dan 7. 14. Which is expresly applied to Christ by the Angel from Heaven Luke 1. 33. And in many other places of Scripture this Divine Person who was to come to redeem and save Mankind is set forth as a King or Great Lord and Prince one that should â—ear Sway in the World and wield his Scepter over all Nations Hence this Rumour was spread among the Eastern People and especially about the time of Christ's birth that a Great Lord or King should arise in those parts and spread his Dominion over the World Hence those Pagan and Jewish Writers beforeâ— mentioned speak of this Great Ruler and Monarch who is no other than our Lord Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords This they had from the Prophesies of the Bible where 't is so often fore-told that a King shall arise and gain an Universal Empire over Mankind To this we may refer that which Suetonius reports and he quotes his Author for it that a few Months before Augustus was born there was this publick Prodigy viz. a Proclaiming of this That Nature was bringing forth a King to the Roman People Whereupon the Senate being allarmed and frighted made a strange Decree That no one born that Year should be Educated This Prodigy without doubt refer'd to Christ whose Birth was in Augustus's Reign this was the King that was to be born to all the World which was then in a manner subject to the Roman Empire and therefore might be call'd the Roman People So the Sibylls Oracles or Prophesies are of a middlâ— nature and Consideration and therefore are justly to be treated of in this place As they were borrow'd from the Scriptures of the Old Testament they belong indeed to the former part of this Discourse but as they attest the Truth of the maiâ— things in the New-Testament they are reducible to this I will consider them first as they are taken out of the Scriptures of the Old-Testament This may seem to be strange at first because the Opinions of Writers have run an other way but after I have plainly laid the matter before you I doubt not but the thing which I offer will easily gain your assent and then it will rather seem strange that it was not taken notice of and imbraced before There have been these four Opinions among the Learned concerning the Sybills Oracles or Verses 1. Some say they are Counterfeit yea that some Christians but Hereticks have imposed upon the World in this matter This I will account for afterwards because it will more pertinently be handled under the Second Consideration viz. as they are used as an Attestation of the Truth of the New-Testament Indeed this Opinion rudely takes away the Subject of the Question and therefore must be consider'd in the last place in the mean time we suppose the thing spoken of to be real and not counterfeit 2ly Then some have asserted that the Sibylls were divinely Inspired and consequently that their Verses are Sacred and Divine Iustin Martyr Arâ—obius Lactantius and some other ancient Fathers cry them up as equal to the holiest Prophets As God say they spake by the Prophets to the Iews concerning Christ before he came so he foreâ—told him to the Gentiles by the Sibylls and the same Prophetick Spirit was in the latter that was in the former Baronius Bellarmine and the Roman Doctors generally think the same of them and therefore they use their Testimony as very Sacred and altogether Irrefragable By the way I might observe that they are sometimes quoted by these and others of the Church of Rome to assert and countenance some of their Popish Doctrines So that it seems Popery was a Religion before there were any thoughts of it in the World and before it had a Being But here Authors are divided again for some hold these Gentile Prophetesses were Good and Holy Person others that they were not The former Opinion is grounded on that Tenent of the Iewish Doctors that never any vicious and unhallowed Persons were honored with the Prophetick Spirit and that those Irradiations and extraordinary Impressions of the Holy Ghost were made only upon Men of holy Lives and innocent Behaviours Besides these Prophetick Women speak of One only True God and they inveigh against the False Gods and their Altars which is a sign they were good and religious People Others have a contrary Opinion of them and think they were Irreligious and Prophane for that Opinion of the Hebrew Doctors before spoken of is not always true though it be generally so We read of Baalam the Sorcerer
this Simon goes under the fabulous name of Icarus the famous Flyer among the Poets This Person faith he at his very first attempt fell down near the Emperor's Bed-Chamber and besprinkled him with his Blood The Representation of Icarus in that Play which Nero exposed to the People might be a mistaking of the true Story of Simon Magus whose downfal happening at Rome in that Emperor's Reign in the sight of all the People might well be remarked in his Life by this Historian But this is propounded in way of Conjecture only Thus I have briefly shew'd what some Heathen Witnesses testifie concerning St. Iohn our Saviour's fore-runner and concerning those chieif Apostles St. Iames Paul and Peter who are so often spoken of in the New-Testament Which is a farther Confirmation of what I have undertaken to make good viz. that the Truth of the holy Writings of the New-Testament is vouched by those who are the greatest Adversaries of them I pass to another Historical matter recorded in these Sacred Writings viz. the Universal Famine fore-told by Agabus Acts 11. 28. which if you will credit Pagan Historians happen'd in accordingly the fourth Year of Claudius's Reign and was over all the World in the sixth Year Dion Cassius who had compiled his History out of the Fasti of Rome through the several Years speaks of this Famine under that Emperor and mentions his great care of the City that the Inhabitants might not be starved So Suetonius commends him for his Diligence and Providence in furnishing the City with Provision Iosephus also mentions this grievous Famine in Claudius's days with some particular Circumstances and Accidents which agree with what is delivered by St. Luke concerning the relief which was sent at that time by the Disciples at Antioch to the Brethren in Iudea that being a Place where the Famine exceedingly raged Thus we find that of Eusebius to be true who speaking of this dreadful Famine recorded in the Acts tells us that even those Writers who were averse from the Christian Religion have deliver'd the same in their Histories The next thing I undertake is to treat of Christ's Predictions concerning the Overthrow of Ierusalem and some things which were to follow upon it and to shew that they are expresly confirm'd by Heathens and Iews In the 24th Chapter of St. Matthew and the 21st of St. Luke which speak of the Destruction of Ierusalem both City and Temple and the whole Nation yea with some remarkable Consequences of it though I know these Chapters have been and may be applied another way viz. as a Description of the fore-runners of the end of the World and the day of Judgment as I shall shew elsewhere there being a primary and secondary meaning of this Chapter as well as of some other places of holy Scripture there is I say first fore-told That many shall come in Christ's name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many v. 5. And again v. 11 Many false Prophets shall rise and shall deceive many i. e. they shall pretend to be Messiasses and Deliverers of the People though indeed they are very Impostors Of the truth of this Iosephus will inform you who relates that there was a vast number of these Pretenders and Mock-Saviours that drew the People after them particularly he tells us of a certain Egyptian in Felix's time and of Theudas when Vadus was Procurator and of Iudas the Gaulanite which two last some think are not the Theudas and Iudas spoken of by Gamaliel Acts 5. 36 37. but others are of Opinion that these are the same with them only that Iosephus mistakes a Gaulanite for a Galilean and is also mistaken in the time for he saith Iudas was in the the Reign of Archelaus If so this Impostor cannot be meant in this 24th of St. Matthew But I will not stand now to dispute whether there were two Iudasses and two Theudasses or whether St. Luke's and Iosephus's Iudas and Theudas are the same It is sufficient for my purpose that these and other Seducers and Disturbers arose and stirred up the People to Sedition and drew many after them in expectation of the Messias's coming and partly pretended that they themselves were He. So it was after the Destruction of Ierusalem there rose up Ionathas Barchochebas who being the most famous of those Impostors is taken notice of by Iosephus and others as a great Ring-leader of the Iews in Adrian's time He confidently profess'd himself the Messias applying Baalams Prophecy to himself Num. 24. 17. A Star shall rise out of Jacob His name Barchochab which signifies the Son of a Star being not a little serviceable to this Imposture He prevail'd on a great number of People to adhere to him by his inviting Promises and perswading them he was to be their Deliverer Yea he brought over a great part of the Learned'st Iews to him not only in Iudea but in Greece and Egypt but he and his Party being vanquished by the Emperor the Iews no longer call'd him Barchochab but changed his name into Barchozab the Son of a Lye a false Prophet a lying Impostor Divers others in those days took upon them the name of Messias and said they were to restore the Iewish Nation and to that end led People after them into the Deserts for in such places the pretended Prophets and Leaders drew up their forces as the fittest rendesvouz for them as Iosephus faith in several places which gives an Account of our Saviour's words in this Chapter vers 26. If they shall say unto you behold he is in the Wilderness go not forth to them Again Wars and rumours of Wars are fore-told to be the fore-runners and attendants of that fatal time which should befall Ierusalem v. 6. Of this we have plentiful mention in the Pagan and Iewish History Those were properly rumours of War when Caius threatned the Iews and offered to set up his Image in the Temple of which Tacitus Iosephus and Philo speak telling us in what Consternation the Iews both in Alexandria and Iudea were at that time There were actual Wars when those slaughters were committed on the Iews in Caius's time at Alexandria and Babylon of which Iosephus makes mention Likewise when upon the cruelty of Cestius Florus the President of Iudea there was a Rebellion of the Iews against the Romans in the Twelfth Year of Nero's Reign and an open War followed that Rebellion which was the first occasion of their final Overthrow by the Roman Armies who came soon after and sat down before their City Or by Wars and Commotions for so St. Luke words it are to be understood those Civil Wars and Intestine Broils among the Iews themselves of which we read in Iosephus and other Iewish Records of those Times There we may be informed concerning the Tumults of the Seditious and the Zealots the former were those that endeavoured to cast off the Roman Yoke and in order to
or spiritual Sense of Scripture is according to some threefold 1. Tropological when one thing delivered in Scripture signifies some other thing pertaining to the Conversation of Men. Thus those Texts of the Mosaick Law wherein is forbidden the eating of certain Animals have partly respect unto the Manners of Persons Both Jewish and Christian Expositors have thought that it was designed in those Prohibitions that some moral Instruction should be taught that People from the Consideration of the natural Inclinations and Qualities of those Creatures 2. There is an Allegorical Sense when things spoken of in the Old Testament are Figures of something in the New or when particularly they have a respect to Christ or the Church Militant as the Rock and the Manna mentioned in Moses's History of the Israelites 3. An Anagogical Sense is said to be in some Places of Scripture and this is when the things related are applicable to the Church Triumphant or the Life everlasting Thus the entring into Canaan and the Holy of Holies in the Temple in the highest Sense of them are meant of Heaven and the State of Eternal Happiness But because there is a great quarrelling about the applying of this triple Distinction to the several Passages in Scripture which are said to bear a mystical meaning and because some learned Divines of the Protestant Perswasion disallow of this Distribution of the mystical Sense of Scripture I will avoid all wrangling by assigning only those two general Senses of Scripture viz. the literal and mystical and by leaving it to every one's Liberty either to omit the particular Subdivisions of the latter or to apply them as they see occasion Or rather if I may be permitted to vary from this received Division of the Sense of Scripture I would divide it thus into a primary and a secondary Sense the former is literal the latter is â—ystical and yet not so but that sometimes as you shall see afterwards the secondary Sense is literal too for there are two literal or historical Meanings in some Places but the latter of them may be called mystical also because it is not so plainly understood as the other The literal Sense of Scripture is the main and indeed the only Sense of the greatest part of it for some particular Places only have a mystical Signification This is the most genuine proper and original meaning and therefore I call it the first or primary one But the mystical Sense is derivative improper indirect and not that which was first and chiefly design'd and therefore I call it the secondary Sense The former of these is that plain meaning of Scripture which the bare Letter and Words themselves denote to us The latter is when some other thing is signified in the Words besides what the Letter of them seems to import The one is obvious and lies uppermost in the Text and is the soonest perceived but the other is more remote and lies deep and is not so easily discovered but is of great Use and Moment yea generally of greater than the other more familiar and obvious meaning wherefore it is our Concern to acquaint our selves with it The Bible like that Book in Ezekiel ch 2. 10. is written within and without it hath an inward secret and mystical Signification as well as one that is external open and literal and we can never arrive to a true Understanding of this Holy Book unless we have some Insight into both I will instance first in the Writings of the Old Testament and shew that there is a secondary or mystical Sense lodged in several Passages of them Indeed the holy Language it self in which these were wrote is big with Mysteries I have observed that there are more Words in this Tongue that signify to hide or conceal than in any other Language whatsoever There are a hundred synonymous Words at least for this one thing Whether this Criticism have any Weight in it or no I shall not be much concern'd but this is unquestionable that many great Mysteries are wrapp'd up in this abstruse Tongue in the holy Volume The Jews who were conversant in these Writings acknowledg'd there was not only a literal but a mystical Interpretation of them which latter they called Midrash because there was no attaining to it but by a diligent Inquisition The Hebrew Doctors say in a proverbial manner there is not a single Letter in the whole Law on which there do not depend great Mountains Their meaning is that there are vast Mysteries and profound Sense in every Word almost in the Sacred Writings Which is the meaning of another Adage of theirs viz. that the Law hath seventy Faces It hath many various Aspects different Significations and Senses for there are mystical as well as literal Interpretations of the holy Text. Thus the Entrance of the Bible the Beginning of the Book of Genesis though it be historical and sets down Matter of Fact as the wonderful Creation of the Heavens and Earth and of Man and the rest of the Inhabitants of this lower World yet it was thought by the wisest Jews that there was a farther Reach in it and that both Moral and Divine Mysteries were couch'd in the several Particulars of that Narrative which Moses gives there of the Origine of the World for which Reason this first Entrance into the Pentateuch was forhad to be read by the Jews till they were thirty Years of Age. It is agreed among the best Expositors that in those Words in Gen. 3. 14 15. The Lord said unto the Serpent I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman and between thy Seed and her Seed Besides the primary or literal Sense viz. that there shall be an irreconcilable Enmity between Mankind and the Serpentine Brood and that Man having an Antipathy against that Creature shall labour to destroy it by â—ruising his Head because there his Venom lies whereby he doth harm and the Head is to be first attack'd if we would destroy this mischievous Creature as Iosephus gives the Sense of this Place Besides this I say there is another for Satan is meant by the Serpent as well as the Creature of that Name for Satan appeared in the Shape of a Serpent or rather actuated a living Serpent and Christ is meant by the Seed of the Woman for he is emphatically and exclusively call'd so because he was not the Seed of Man but was after an extraordinary manner born of a Virgin So that this Text is justly stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first Dawning of the Gospel or the most early Promise concerning the blessed Messias the Christ the Lamb of God that was to take away the Sins of the World So likewise we are certain from the Authority of the Apostle in Heb. 7. 1 c. that what is said in Gen. 14. 18. of Melohisedek King of Salem Priest of the most High God is not only literally spoken but ought to be understood in a higher and
mystical Sense of Christ who was the true Melchisedek that is King of Righteousness and King of â—eace This mystical Interpretation of that historical Passage is vouched by the inspired Penman who wrote the Epiâ—tle to the Hebrews Again it is written viz. in Gen. 16 21. that Abraham had two Sons the one by a Bond-maid the other by a Free-woman This is the Letter or History Now observe the figurative Interpretation of it which things saith the Apostle are an Allegory for these are the two Covenants that is these two Mothers Hagar and Sarah denote the two Covenants the Law and the Gospel the one from the Mount Sinai which gendreth to Bondage which is Hagar for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia that is the Law was given on Mount Sinai and brings Servitude and strict Observances with it this is represented by Hagar for the Name of Hagar signifies the Mount where the Law was given and answereth to Jerusalem that now is that is the present State of the Jews The Hagarens i. e. the Arabians and all that spring from Ismael as Historians tell us no less than the Apostle intimates here are bound by their own Laws to be circumcised and observe therein the Mosaical Law like the Iews and so they like Hagar their Mother are in a servile Condition still are in Bondage with their Children But Jerusalem which is above is free which is the Mother of us all that is Sarah which denotes the State of the Gospel that new City which Christ brought with him from Heaven of which all Christians are free Denizens is a free Woman and signifies that we Christians Gentiles as well as Jews for she is the Mother of us all are free from all Moses's Rites and are justified without them Gal. 4. 22 24 25 26. Thus it appears from the Apostle that besides the historical Sense there is a higher and nobler in the Old Teâ—tament and particularly in that Place of Genesis where the two Mothers Sarah and Hagar and the two Sons Isaac and Ishmael were designed to signify the different State of those in the Church of God they respect the Law and the Gospel the Mosaical and Christian Dispenâ—ation There was this besides the bare historical Sense From the same Divine Writer we learn that the Pillar of the Cloud the passing through the red Sea the Mannah the Drink out of the Rock and the Rock it self which you read of in Exodus had a spiritual meaning and therefore some of these especially are expresly called spiritual they did eat the same spiritual Meat and drink the same spiritual Drink for they drank of that spiritual Rock which followed them and that Rock was Christ. 1 Cor. 1 c. 1 2 3 4. Hence it is evident that this historical Part of the Book of Exodus is likewise symbolical and capable of a spiritual Construction though still the Truth and Reality of the History remain entire So what we read in Numb 22. 9. viz. that Moses made a Serpent of Brass and put it upon a Pole that if any Man bitten with a Serpent beheld it he might live i. e. be cured of the venemous Biting hath a secondary meaning in it as our Saviour himself interprets it namely that the Son of Man should be lifted up that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting Life John 3. 14 15. The lifting up of the brazen Serpent upon a Pole in the Wilderness signified the lifting up of Christ upon the Cross for the healing and saving of all that look up to him with an Eye of Faith Thus when we read that God swore in Numb 14. 28. that the murmuring and unbelieving lsraelites should not enter into Canaan which the Psalmist calls their Rest Psal. 95. 11. the primary historical Sense is well known but besides this there is a secondary or spiritual one which our Apostle hath acquainted us with in Heb. 4. 1 c. Whence you may gather that in the History of the Israelites entring into the Promised Land and of the greatest Part of them that came out of Egypt being shut out there is a secondary meaning included viz. that Believers shall possess the Heavenly Canaan they shall enter into their everlasting Rest that Rest which remains to the People of God but Unbelievers shall come short not only of the Promise whicâ— is left of entring into this Rest but the Rest it self Thus you will find that Place in Numbers interpreted by the inâ—allible Apostle Again this mystical or secondary Sense is observable in those Places in the Mosaick Law which speak of the Rites and Services and Levitical Priesthood which the Jews were under as you may infer from three Chapters together in the Epistle to the Hebrews where the Apostle applies those things in a higher Sense viz. to Christ himself and his offering himself upon the Cross than ever was intended by the Letter But this double Sense of Scripture is no where more remarkable than in the Book of Psalms The 22d Psalm though primarily it be meant of David when he was in great Distress and forsaken of God yet secondarily i. e. mystically it is to be understood of our Blessed Savioâ—r when he was in his Passion and hung upon the Cross and accordingly you will find the first Words of it applied by himself Mattâ— 27. 46. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And other Passages of this Psalm the 8th 16th 18th Verses are taken notice of by the Evangelist as fulfilled at that time Matth. 27. 35 43. Now it is certain they could not be fulfilled unless they had been meant in this mysterious Sense of Christ. The latter Part of the 16tâ— Psalm is spoken in David's Person and is without doâ—bt in the first and immediate Sense of it to be understood of him and of his Hopes of rising after Death to an endless Life But it is as clear from Acts 2. 25 c. that it was spoken of Christ the Son of David and who was typified by that holy King and Prophet for St. Peter saith there in his Sermon to the Jews David speaketh concerning him I foresaâ— the Lord always before my Face for he is on my right Hand that I should not be moved Therefore did my Heart rejoice and my Tongue was glad Moreover also my Flesh shall rest in Hope Because thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see Corruption Thou wilt shew me the Path of Life c. Which are the four last Verses of that Psalm before-named and you may see in the following Words of this Chapter what the mystical Interpretation of them is according to that Apostle who had the Spirit to direct him to the utmost meaning of those Words Part of the 68th Psalm though it be David's Thanksgiving for the present Mercies he received yet undoubtedly it is a Prophetick Praising of God for the glorious Ascension of
used instead of that as in Exod. 3. 14. Ehjeh ero is instead of sum and accordingly the 70 Interpreters render that Place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we after them I am that I am The like Enallage you will find in Isa. 30. 32. And sometimes the Praeterit is used where the Present Time is understood as in Rev. 3. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have stood which therefore we rightly translate I stand Nothing is more common than this way of speaking in the Old and New Testament insomuch that I need not have taken notice of so frequent a thing unless I had undertaken to give a short Specimen of all or most of the Observables relating to the Scripture-Stile And as one Person Number and Tense is put for another in the Holy Writings so it might be remark'd that one Bodily Sense is mentioned instead of another especially the Use of the Sight is frequently put for Hearing as in Isa. 2. 1. The Word that Isaiah the Son of Amos saâ— i. e. the Prophecy which he immediately heard from God's Month and which he delivers in express Terms in the next Verse To see the Voice Rev. 1. 12. is to hear it unless you will say that seeing of the Person whose Voice it was is meant Other Places might be produced where these two Senses are exchanged but I will only here note that this is common among Profane Writers Sex etiam septem loca vidi reddere voces Unam cùm jaceres And another Nec quae sonitum det causa videmâ—â— And visa loqui is instead of audita loqui in Claudian Sometimes you will find a Change of the Comparative for the Positive as in Matth. 18. 8. according to the Greek It is good for thee i. e. it is better thee to enter into Life hâ—lt and maimed than having tâ—o Hands c. And in Mark 14. 21. Good i. e. Better were it for that Man if he had never been born So in 1 Tim. 3. 13. They that have used the Office of a Deâ—con well purcâ—ase to themselves a Good Degree i. e. a Better or Greater Degree viz. of a Fresbyter or Bishop Sometimes the Positive or Comparative is mentioned when the Superlative is understood as in Matth. 22. 36 38. The great Commandment i. e. the greatest and is explained there by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first Those Words in Luke 7. 28. are generally reduced by Expositors to this Head and therefore our English Version is He that is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he but I do not see any Reason to bring it under this way of speaking For according to the Greek it should be he that is lesser and this is the true and natural Translation the meaning of our Saviour's Words being this I am lesser i. e. in Age I am Younger than Iohn the Baptist and am Lesser in the Estimation of the People than he is but yet I am far Greater than he for he was but my Forerunner my Messenger as he saith in the foregoing Verse So Theophylaâ—â— interprets the Words and our own Translators in another Place favour this Exposition when those Words in Rom. 9. 12. which according to the Greek are the greater shall serve the lesser are rendrâ—d by them thus the elder shall serve the younger So that you see the lesser is interpreted the younger and there seems to be good Ground to understand it so in this Place And indeed this is according to the Stile of the best Latin Authors among whom major and minor natu are the elder and younger Nay minor absolutely and without any Addition is as much as junior But in Phil. 1 23. Having a Desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better it is not to be questioned I think that the Superlative is changed for the Comparative far better is instead of best of all And so in Matth. 13. 32. the lesser of all Seeds according to the Greek for the least and accordingly we translate it so Other Examples of this you have in Luke 9. 46. Iohn 10. 29. These are the Grammatical Changes which are observable in the Holy Book and any one that hath perused the Writings of Other Authors especially of the Greek and Latin Poets is not ignorant that the very same occur in them and that very often so that I thought it needless to present you with Parallels out of those Writers But among the several Enallages i. e. Changings of one thing for another in the Stile of Scripture I will in the last Place mention this viz. that a Negative oftentimes is put for a Comparative The due observing of this will help us to reconcile many Places of Scripture which seem to jar with some others I will begin with Numb 23. 21. He hath not beheld Iniquity in Jacob neither hath he seen Perverseness in Israel Which is a Text that the Antinomian Party lay great Stress upon for hence they say 't is evident that God sees not any Sin in his own People and consequently that he is not displeased with them for it whence it will follow that they need not be displeased neither their Sins be they never so great and flagitious are not to be the matter of their Sorrow seeing God is not offended with them which Doctrine soon opens a Door to all Licentiousness and Profaneness but it is easily shut again by applying this Rule that Scripture oftentimes and here particularly speaks Absolutely but is to be understood in a Comparative or Limited Sense God beholds not Iniquity in Jacob in his Chosen as he doth in profligate Persons and such as are given up to their Lusts i. e. he beholds it not so in them as to reject them utterly and to punish them eternally for their Misdoings Thus if we compare God's beholding Sin in the one with his beholding it in the other he may be said not to behold it in the former i. e. in his own People and Servants But God hates and punisheth Sin in both sorts of Persons and more particularly in those that are his according to what he declares in Amos 3. 2. You only have I known of all the Families of the Earth therefore I will punish you for all your Iniquities Thus God did not behold Iniquity did not see Perverseness in Israel for we are assured by the Prophet Habakkuk that he is of purer Eyes than to behold Evil and cannot look on Iniquity He cannot look on it long without punishing it as well as he hated it always Why then do some confidently aver that God neither punishes nor hates Sin in his People nor is displeased with them for it Thus by making use of the foregoing Rule we see what is the plain and natural Meaning of the Words In a Comparative Sense not in an Absolute and Unrestrained one it is said He beholds not Iniquity in Jacob which is so far from favouring the Antinomian
many other Hebrew Modes of Speech the Vse of God's Name to augment and inhanse the Sense the Vse of the word Sons or Children not only applied to Persons but Things the Import of the word first-born or first-begotten and of those Expressions the Son of Man a Weight of Glory are chiefly insisted upon There are no Soloecisms in Scripture St. Jerom Erasmus Calvin Beza Castellio Dr. Hammond censured for asserting the contrary Sir Norton Knatchbull salves the Grammatical Part of the New Testament and olears it of Soloecisms The same things which some call Soloecisms and undue Syntax are found in the best Classical Authors There are Chasms Expletives Repetitions and at other times unexpected Brevity seeming Inconsistencies and Incoherencies in the best Greek and Latin Authors The Propriety and Excellency of the Sacred Stile may be justiâ—ied from the Writings of the most celebrated Moral Philosophers Orators Poets c. 4thly I Further offer this to your Observation that there is in the Scriptures a great and delightful Variety of Tongues and Languages There are in the Old Testament besides the Hebrew of which it is composed many Chapters written in Chaldee as in Ezra part of the 4th Chapter all the 5th and 6th with part of the 7th in Daniel the greatest part of the 2d Chapter and all the rest that follow till the 8th in Ieremiah one single Verse viz. the 11th of the 10th Chapter And besides these greater Portions there are many Chaldee Words dispersed up and down in several Places as Chartummim Magicians Astrologers Gen. 41. 24. used also in Dan. 1. 20. ch 2. 2. Nishtevan an Epistle or Letter Ezra 4. 7. Pithgam a Word or Decree Esther 1. 20. Sethav Winter Cant. 2. 11. Saga to magnify Iob 36. 24. Tiphsar a Captain Ier. 51. 27. and some think Macha Numb 34. 11. is a Chaldaick Verb. Other Words are of Persian Extraction as Pardes and Pardesim Eccles. 2. 5. Cant. 4. 13. Orchards or Gardens whence the word Paradise for so the Persians call'd their Orchards Gardens and Parks saith Philostratus and we read the like in Iul. Pollux Partemim Nobles or Princes Esther 1. 3. is a Word borrowed from the Persians and is proper to that Country So is Pur a Lot Esther 3. 7. and Achashdarpanim Lieutenants or Governours of Provinces Esth. 3. 12. ch 9. 3. and Chiun Amos 5. 26. passes for a Persian Name among some Learned Men. From Egypt with which the Hebrews had great Commerce several Words are borrowed as Zaphnath Paaneah Gen. 41. 45. the Title of Honour which King Pharaoh conferr'd on Ioseph which some interpret a Revealer of Secrets as both Ionathan and Onkelos render it and most of the Rabbies but others with St. Ierom translate it the Saviour of the World But whatever the meaning of it is 't is not to be doubted that 't is Egyptian for a Title given by an Egyptian King was certainly such And some think the same of the word Abrech Gen. 41. 43. the Term of Applause and Acclamation which the Egyptian People made use of when Ioseph was advanced to be the Second Man in the Kingdom and rid in Royal State through the Streets Zephardegnim Frogs Exod. 8. 3. and Zephardeang a Frog Psal. 78. 45. are of Egyptian Race and such is Ob an Inchanter Deut. 18. 10. if we may credit the Learned Kircher and Manor a Weaver's Beam 1 Sam. 17. 7. and Sarim an Eunuch 2 Chron. 18. 8. and Sarisim Eunuchs 2 Kings 20. 18. and several other Words were brought with the Israelites out of Egypt or were learn'd by Converse Totaphoth Frontlets Exod. 13. 16. Deut. 6. 8. is a compound Word as Scaliger thinks from Tot and Photh the first an Egyptian Word the second used in some other part of Africa Atad a Thorn Psal. 58. 9. is also reckon'd an African or Punick Word From Arabia others are fetch'd as Raphelingius and Golius and other great Linguists have observ'd especially in the Book of Iob they find several Arabick Words for he was of that Countrey Leviathan is of this fort saith Bochart and signifies a Dragon and any Great Fish Seranim Lords 1 Sam. 6. 18. and Cabul 1 Kings 9. 13. and many others are look'd upon as Phoenician Zamzummim Giants Deut. 2. 20. is purely an Ammonitish Word Gnerabon a Pledg Gen. 38. 17. is Syriac and Sharbit a Scepter Esth. 4. 11. ch 5. 2. used here and no where else is such rather than a pure Hebrew Word The Names of the Months among the Hebrews several of which occur in the Old Testament are generally taken from other Languages And many other foreign Words are brought into the Hebrew Tongue and mix'd with it which was caused by Correspondence with other Nations of whom they were taught these Words and particularly by Traffick and Importing of foreign Goods as Avenarius has observed the Things and the Names being brought at the same time from foreign Parts and accordingly we find them in the Writings of the Old Testament Here that of the Rabbies is true though they applied it as I have shewed before in another Sense The Scripture oftentimes speaks in the Language of the Sons of Men it hath Words which are used in other Tongues and borrowed from other Nations Thus likewise it is in the New Testament there is a Variety of Languages in it For though the main of it be Greek yet there are sundry Words there of a different Original Some Hebrew ones are made use of by the Holy Ghost as Allelujah Rev. 19. 1 3 4 6. Sabaoth Rom. 9. 29. Iam. 5. 4. Amen Rom. 1. 25. Eph. 3. 21. and in several other Places and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 14. 16. and often used in the Gospels and in 1 Cor. 5. 7. Heb. 11. 28. is originally Hebrew These Words were so much in use among the Faithful that the Apostles thought fit not to translate them but to retain them as they are Again some Words in this Part of the Bible are Persian as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 2. 7 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 8. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 5. 41. Mark 15. 41. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paradise Luke 23. 43. 2 Cor. 12. 4. Rev. 2. 7. is of Persick Extract Remphan Acts 7. 43. is thought by some to be Egyptian It is certain that there are a great many Latin Words Grecized as Quadrans Matth. 5. 26. Legio Matth. 5. 9. ch 26. 53. Census Matth. 17. 25. Praetorium Matth. 27. 27. Acts 23. 35. Phil. 1. 13. Custodia Matth. 27. 65. ch 28. 11. Spiculator Mark 6. 27. Centurio Mark 15. 45. Opsonium Luke 3. 14. Rom. 6. 23. Modius Luke 11. 33. Sudarium Luke 19. 20. Colonia Acts 16. 12. Semicinctium Acts 19. 12. Sicarius Acts 21. 38. Macellua 1 Cor. 10. 25. Membrana 2 Tim. 4. 13. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the same Verse is a Greek Word made out of the Latin one Penula with
in part with the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Septuagint Version and in the New Testament Sometimes it is Conversive as they call it it changes the Tense and sometimes it is Interrrogative At other times it is Adversative and is equivalent to but or although Not unusually it hath the Force of an Adverb of Time and is as much as when then now It is also a Comparative Particle and is the same with so Oftentimes it is put for the Relative Pronoun asher which Sometimes it is Emphatical as the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is and is of the like Signification with even in English Again it seems to be Redundant as when it begins a Chapter or some New Matter without reference to any thing before Thus not only some of the Books of Moses but those of Ezra and Ionah begin with a Vau. But it is certain that this Particle is not merely Expletive here as the Learned Jews acknowledg Lastly Many times in the Hebrew Stile it is not Copulative but Disjunctive and it is accordingly rendred or and nor by our Translators as in Gen. 26. 11. He that toucheth this Man or his Wife and in Exod. 21. 15. He that smiteth his Father or his Mother and in Exod. 1. 10. and in several other Places of Scripture the Hebrews acknowledge that the Conjunctive Particle is a Disjunctive as the Aspect of Conjunction in the Sun is sometimes among Astronomers call'd Opposition Thus this Vau is of great Latitude which causes Variety of rendring many Places but those that are very Observing and Curious as it was intended by Providence that we should be in reading the Bible will soon know how to make a Difference and to discern the proper meaning of this Particle Likewise the Hebrew Praâ—positions are of various Signification and one is put for another very often which makes the Sense not a little difficult Who sees not that these Praefixes or Praepositions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are differently used and at one time are applied one way and another another And who knows not that sometimes they seem to be unnecessary and to signify nothing at all though even then without doubt they are of some Significancy and Use. But to know this aright is not easy a great Learning in the Tongue is requisite to discover it The Hebrew Verbs also are very Equivocal and have very Different meanings In their divers Conjugations they have divers Significations whence it proves a very hard thing sometimes to know which of them is meant A word in Kal may bear one sense in Piel another in Hiphil a Third c. But if we apply our selves with that Care and Industry to the searching into the Scriptures which are required of us we shall either be able to discern which Particular Sense is meant in the places before us or where we cannot attain to this we shall find that our Ignorance is not prejudicial to us because the Controversy is not about any thing which we ought necessarily to know The Verb Chalal signifies to begin and to profane according to its different Conjugations Of the former Signification there are Instances in Gen. 6. 1. Num. 17. 11. and many other places Of the latter in Num 30. 3. Ezek. 39. 7. and abundance of other Texts whence there is some dispute about Gen. 4. 26. some rendring the word Huchal Men began others Men profaned Both the Chaldee Paraphrasts understand it in the latter sense and so do the Hebrew Rabins generally They take the meaning of the place to â—e this Then the Name of God was profaned then Religion began be corrupted then they call'd on God's Name so as to dishonour and pollute it viz. by their Oaths and Blasphemies R. Soloman Iarchi Maimonides and other Jewish Doctors understand it of the rise of Idolaâ—ry they tell us that Moses gives us an account here of the first beginning of the setting up of New Gods And from this Text Mr. Selden who always adheres to the Circumcised Doctors endeavours to prove that Idolatry was in those days But it is more reasonable to believe that this was not of so early a Date and that there was no such Vile Defection at that time in the World This is the Judgment of the famous Jewish Historian and Antiquary and most of the Antient and Learned Fathers of the Christian Church give their Suffrage to it and that with good reason because if at this time that Generation had been guilty of this most Abominable Crime it would certainly have been mention'd and that plainly as you see afterwards that as soon as this Horrid Sin began to be practis'd in the World the Holy Scriptures record it and at the same time decry it But it is not to be question'd that Impious Cain and his Party corrupted the True Religion and Worship of God and labour'd to bring in Universal Profaneness Wherefore the Family of Holy Seth and Godly Enoch and his Associates zealously resisted their Attempts and took a course to suppress the prevailing Corruption Accordingly now they began in a peculiar manner to meet together and to join their Devotions mor solemnly and to call upon God They more especially exercis'd themselves in Prayer that indispensible act of Divine Worship They began more signally and openly to be Religious Thus Men began to call upon the Name of the Lord or as it may be rendred to call themselves by the Name of the Lord to entitle themselves after the Name of Iehovah as we call our selves Câ—ristians after Christ's Name They profess'd themselves to be the People of God and Worshippers of the Most High Thus to call on the Name of the Lord and to be call'd by his Name amount to the same and signify that at that particular time the Faithful invoked God and worship'd and serv'd him in a more solemn manner than before and they publickly own'd themselves to be the Sons of God and the Servants of the Great Iehovah Thus Men began to call on God's Name and thus Aben Ezra and other Modern Rabbies who have better consider'd of it understand this Text in the plain Sense of it And it is likely it had never been otherwise understood if the ambiguity of the Verb Chalal had not given occasion for this in the Conjugation Niphal signifies to profane and to be profaned but in Hiphil and Hophal as here to begin which some took no notice of and so mistook the Sense To proceed the Hebrew word Pathah signifies to enlarge and perswade whence there is some difference in the Translation of Gen. 9. 27. God shall enlarge others read it God shall perswade Japheth But yet if you take either of the Readings with the following Words the Sense is not varied the meaning is the same for the whole Verse contains God's Promise that Iapheth should dwell in the Tents of Shem that is that the Gentiles who sprang from Iapheth should be converted to Judaism and
As it is with the Hebrew Verbs so it is with the Nouns there are many of them that have different Senses and those such as have no Agreement or Affinity one with another which oftentimes occasions Diversity of Readings in those Places where they are found Not but that the Hebrew Tongue is copious as is evident from that Variety of Names which is for one thing There are seven Words for Gold as St. Ierom long since observed Zahab Phez or Paz or Ophaz Charutz Kethem Ophir Baser Segor though some think that Kethem is the more general Name and the rest are several kinds of Gold There are six Words to express Giants as Nephilim from falling or falling on Emim because they are Terrible Gibborim from their Strength Anakim Zamzummim Rephaim There are as many Words to signify a Lion as Buxtorf reckons them up distinctly with the Places of Scripture where they occur Yea Mercer adds a seventh A Son in Hebrew is Ben Nin Manon Bar though indeed this last be rather a Chaldee or Syriac Word Anger hath these Denominations Aph Charon Zagnaph Chagnas Sleep is either Tarmedah or Shenah or Tenumah Three Words there are for the Sun as Cheres Shemeth Chammah and as many for the Earth Eretz Tebel Adamah A Virgin is called Almah or Gnalma◠Naarah Bethulah To fear is expressed by three Verbs viz. Gur Iare Pachad The same Hill is call'd Horeb and Sinai and Zion and Hermon are two Names of another Hill but of these afterwards Thus the Hebrew Tongue hath many Synonimous Words But that which is more usual and remarkable and which we are concern'd to observe at present is that one Name or Word serves for Different things which often renders the Interpretation doubtful Thus Iob 4. 18. we read thus his Angels he charged with Folly but it may as well be read be put Light into his Angels and so Tremellius and the Gallick Version have it for Toholah which is the Word here used and comes from a Hebrew Verb which sometimes signifies to shine denotes both Light and Folly And accordingly Expositors to whom I refer the Reader labour to defend either of these Senses But so far as I can discern the Meaning of this Place the Hebrew Word hath a third Signification which seems to be peculiarly designed here For this Noun is derived from Halal the primitive and known Signification of which is laudare gloriari and so Tohalah is as much as Tehillah laus gloriatio Accordingly I render the foresaid Clause thus Nec in Angelis suis ponet laudem seu gloriationem for the Vau in this Place as in several others which I have hinted before is Disjunctive and is the same with nec And you see the Words run this way i. e. in the Negative He putteth no Trust in his Servants nor doth he put Praise or Boasting in his Angels i. e. those Glorious Spirits who now inhabit the Celestial Regions for I do not think as some do that the Fallen Angels are here spoken of even these in comparison of God who is infinitely pure and perfect are blame-worthy and guilty So that this rendring of the Words amounts to the Sense of the English Version but I do not see any Reason to translate the Hebrew word Folly for the Verb from whence it comes directs us not to it and we have Instance of it in Scripture It is well known that the Noun Dabar signifies both a Thing or Action and a Word and for that reason the rendring of it in Scripture is sometimes uncertain The like may be observed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek Testament which is applicable to Actions as well as Words in imitation of the use of the word Dabar But both in the Old and New Testament the Matter spoken of will direct us sufficiently unto the peculiar Acception of the Word Shephattaim are either the Lots and Portions of a Man's Life and especially his ill Lot and Misfortune or the Word signifies those Pots some say those Ranges which are used about the Fire and are covered over with Dust and Smoke Accordingly Psal. 68. 13. may be translated thus Though ye have lain in those evil Lots i. e. though you have been in great Distress or thus Though ye have lain among the Pots or Ranges which amounts to the same Sense with the former and expresseth the Distressed Condition of the Persons spoken of The word Belial which is often used is of a double Signification for some derive it form Boli non and Guol jugum and then it denotes one without a Yoke that is impatient of Discipline one that casts off all Laws and Restraints Others deduce it from Beli non and Iagnal profuit so that it should regularly be Belijagnal but the middle Letter being struck out it is Belial which way of Contraction is not unusual as we see in the word Hosanna corruptly from Hosignanna so Path is a Contraction of Pathah frangere Rab of Rabab multiplicari El of Ejal potentia Iordan of Ieordan as some think from Ieor a River and Dan a City because this River had its Rise about that Place and there are almost innumerable Instances of this Abbreviating of Words both in the Bible and other Hebrew Authors If we thus shorten the word Belial it is equivalent to Inutilis homo nequam nullius frugls but both this and the former Derivation of the Word acquaint us that it is well applied in the Scripture to very Lewd and Profligate Persons yea even to the Internal Spirit himself Marphe in Prov. 14. 30. may be derived either from Rapha sanare or Raphah lenem esse and accordingly is both sanitas and lenitas and so that Text may be read a sound Heart a Healthful Constitution or a mild Heart a placid and sedate Temper is the Life of the Flesh is a Procurer of long Life to a Man Both the Senses are coincident Netseach signifies Victory and Eternity as the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 also doth and therefore Isa. 25. 8. admits of this double Version He will swallow up Death in Victory he will conquer and bafflle its Force or in Eternity i. e. Death shall be absorp'd destroy'd for ever The Sense is alike The Signification of Bochal is probatio and munitio thence Eben bochal Isa. 28. 16. may be rendred a tried Stone or Stone of Trial or else a Stone of Fortification Migreshoth may denote either Suburbs as the word in the singular Number Migrash often doth in Scripture or Waves and therefore in Ezek. 27. 28. we cannot certainly tell which Word to render it by nor is it material whether we do or no. Whether Hamon Ezek. 7. 11. should be translated a Tumult or a Multitude is not to be decided because if the Word comes from Hamah tumultuatus est then the former Version is the genuine one but if from Haman multiplicavit then the latter Whether Chajil Ezek. 37. 10. is to be translated an Army
as we english it or People cannot be determined because the Word signifies both in several Places of Scripture Because Zaba denotes both a determinate Time and military Order that of Iob 7. 1. may be rendred either thus Is there not an appointed time to Man or Is there not a Warfare to Man And so in ch 14. 14. you may read it All the Days of my appointed Time or all the Days of my Warfare In all these Places there is no point of Religion endanger'd if you take the Words in either Sense There must needs be a double Reading in Iosh. 11. 20. because the word Techinnah signifies Grace or Favour and likewise Prayer or Supplication so that we may translate it either that there might be no Favour for them or that there might be no Supplication for them Both which Senses may be united thus that there might be none to pray for Grace and Favour for them And so both the Translations meet There is a great deal of Difference between the Rain filleth the Pools and the Teacher is fill'd or cover'd with Blessings and yet Psal. 84. 6. the latter part of the Verse may be read either of these ways because the word Moreh is pluvia and doctor and Beracoth is both piscin◠and benedictiones These two have but little Affinity he hath given you the former Rain moderately and he hath given you a Teacher of Righteousness and yet the Hebrew Words in Ioel 2. 23. are capable of being rendred either ways and accordingly our English Translators imbrace the former and the Vulgar Latin the latter Sense The Reason is because Moreh is a Teacher and Rain The word beged is perfidia Ier. 12. 1. and also vestis in above a hundred Places 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an Isle Job 22. 30. a Region or Province Isa. 20. 6. a Bird or other Animal that frequents Islands Isa. 13. 22. Cir signifies a Laver Exod. 20. 18. a Hearth Zech. 12. 6. a Scaffold or Pulpit 2 Chron. 6. 13. Chajah is the Soul Life a Beast a Company a Village wherefore 't is no wonder that the Word in these Places admits of different Constructions Psal. 68. 30. Psal. 74. 19. Isa. 57. 10. but the Scope of the Texts will conduct a diligent Enquirer to the proper Denotation of the Word in each Place Pagnam is a Blow a Stroke Judg. 5. 28. a Foot or Footstep Psal. 85. 14. an Anvil Isa. 41. 7. and moreover it hath the Force of the Latin vice or hac vice this once 1 Sam. 26. 8. How vastly different are the Senses of the Word Tsir viz. Grief Isa. 13. 8. a Hinge Prov. 26. 14. an Ambassador or Messenger Prov. 25. 13. Idols Isa. 45. 16. So the Word which we translate Frost Psal. 78. 47. is of a large Import and signifies not only Frost but vehement Hail and therefore in the Margin of our Bibles is rendred great Hail-stones Avenarius renders it Thunder or Thunder-bolts R. Chasen understands by it not a Meteor but an Infect and reads the Place thus He destroyed their Sycomore Trees with the Locusts Tzitz hath five distinct Rendrings a Flower Isa. 28. 1. a Feather or Quill or Wing Jer. 48. 9. a Plate Exod. 28. 36. a Fringe Numb 15. 38. a Lock of Hair Ezek. 8. 3. The words Bad and Baddim signify Linen or Linen Cloth Ezek. 9. 3. Branches Ezek. 19. 14. Bars Exod. 27. 6. Greatness or Strength Job 18. 13. Members or Ioints Job 41. 3. Liars and Lies Jer. 50. 36. Isa. 44. 25. Iob 11. 3. Here are six different Senses of one Word and there is not any Affinity or Resemblance between any of them Basar to which answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek is subject in the Sacred Writings to as great a Multiplicity of Meanings as might easily be proved And to conclude the word Iad is of a vast Latitude I know none that equals it as to its wonderful Variety of Senses It is to be understood and applied at least twenty several ways in the Old Testament but yet though it is sometimes difficult it is never impossible to distinguish the Senses These Words and many more are Proofs of what I at first asserted that there is a great Number of Words in the Scripture of Different Significations and that the Hebrew Tongue especially abounds with such For the Hebrews have but few Words very few in comparison of what there are in other Languages but they make their small Stock go as far as it can by making one Word serve for diverse things so that oftentimes the subject Matter must determine the Signification I need say no more Look but into the Margins of the English Bible and there you may be fully satisfied from the Diversity of rendring the Texts that many Nouns as well as Verbs have different and unlike Meanings which we must needs apprehend to be the Cause why some Places are Obscure and Difficult CHAP. VIII Many Hebrew Nouns whereby the several sorts of Brute Animals are signified admit of different Interpretations which is one Reason why some Places of Scripture are obscure and difficult The Great Fish Ion. 1. 17. which devour'd Jonas was a Whale properly and strictly so called but perhaps the Belly of this Fish is not to be understood in a strict Sense of the Abdomen or Iower Venter but of the Wide and Capacious Mouth of that Animal The proper Names of some Birds and Insects are ambiguous The Author 's particular Opinion concerning Kirjonim 2 Kings 6. 25. the Doves Dung that was sold at so dear a rate at the Siege of Samaria What the Locusts were that John Baptist fed on in the Wilderness The Names of Flowers Trees Plants mentioned in the Bible are somewhat uncertain So are the Words for Minerals Precious Stones Musical Instruments Yet this is so far from being a Blemish to the Sacred Writings that it is a Commendation of them The Hebrew Measures whether of Longitude or Capacity are another Instance of the Difficulty which arises from our being ignorant of the exact Significations of some Words in the Bible The Words whereby the Hebrew Weights are express'd are something dubious And so are those whereby the Jewish Coins are denoted Likewise there is Vncertainty in the Greek and Roman Coins mentioned in the New Testament IN farther Prosecution of this I will observe that many Hebrew Words which signify Brute Animals whether four-footed Beasts and other Creatures on the Earth or Fishes and Birds and Insects admit of Different Interpretations and may be applied to Animals of divers kinds It is acknowledged both by the Antient and Modern Jews themselves that they have no certain Account of the Proper Names of divers of those Animals which are mentioned in the 11th Chapter of Leviticus some of which were forbidden others allowed to be eaten by that People When they come to speak of some of them particularly they exceedingly disagree about them and variously determine what they are Sus is
in the Catalogue of the Kings of Persia viz. Cyrus the First Cambyses the Second Darius Hystaspis the Third Xerxes the Fourth Artaxerxes Longimanus the Fifth c. Yet in the Book of Ezra we read that These five were successively viz. Cyrus Ahasuerus Artaxerxes Darius Artaxerxes How is this to be reconciled Both by saying that the same Persian Kings had different Names and also that several of them had one Name which are both very true One of them was call'd Cambyses and Ahasuerus another had the Name Darius and Artaxerxes a third was call'd Xerxes and Darius And besides this they were all call'd by one General Name that is Artaxerxes was a common Name of the whole Race of the Persian Kings Many of the Learnedst Jews were of this Opinion and it is the more probable because this hath been usual in other Kingdoms and Countries as we learn from the Sacred Records There we find that there was one Common Name for all the Kings of Philistia or Palestine and that was Abimelech as is clear from Gen. 20. 2. Ch. 26. 1 4. Ch. 34. 1. 1 Sam. 21. 11. and also from the Title of the 34th Psalm it appears that this was the Universal Name of the Kings of the Philistines So Agag was the Common Title of all the Kings of the Amalekites as may be inferr'd from Numb 24. 7. 1 Sam. 15. 8. It is probable that Hiram was the Catholick Name of the Kings of Tyre but that Pharaoh was so of all the Egyptian Kings of old is undeniably clear from Gen. 12. 15. which speaks of a Pharaoh in Abraham's time from Gen. 39. 1 c. where we read of another of that Name in Ioseph's days And in Exodus there is frequent mention of that Pharaoh that enslaved the Israelites and order'd all their Male-Children to be drowned and of another whose Heart was hardned and who was drown'd in the Red Sea There was a Pharaoh in Solomon's time 1 Kings 3. 1. and in Iosias's 2 Kings 23. 29. In Isaiah we read of a King of Egypt of this Name Ch. 19. 11. Ch. 30. 2 3. So in Ieremiah Ch. 25. 19. Ch. 44. 30. Ch. 46. 17. and in Ezekiel very often That this was the constant Title of the Egyptian Kings is attested by Suidas Eusebius and Iosephus yea if we may believe this last Pharaoh in the Egyptian Tongue signifies a King Which seems truly to be confirm'd from that passage in Gen. 41. 44. I am Pharaoh which is as much as to say I am King I am Supreme Ruler I will not part with this Name i. e. I will not lose my Royal Dignity and Power And accordingly he retain'd this Name himself and gave Ioseph another as you read in the next Verse It might well then be the General Name of their Kings it signifying Royal Authority and Rule But after the time of Alexander the Great the Kings of Egypt were generally called Ptolomees and after the renouncing of the Greek Emperour they were a long time call'd Caliphs for the General of the Saracens whom the Egyptians took for their King was named Caliph whence the succeeding Kings were denominated after his Name To proceed in this Subject Attalus was a Standing Title to all the Kings of Pergamus though it is true some of them had a particular peculiar Name besides whence that King of Pergamus who was thought to be the Inventer of Parchment to write upon is call'd Attalus by Aelian and St. Ierom but Eumenes by others Antiochus was generally the Name of the Syrian Kings and Mithridates of those of Pontus All the Kings or Dynasts of Edessa in Syria had the Name of Abgarus Herod was the Name common to all the Successors of Herod the first as we learn from the Gospels and the Acts. Candace gave the Denomination to all the Queens of Ethiopia or of one part at least of that Country Arsaces to all the Kings of Parthia Sylvius to those of the Albans i. e. the Latin Kings of the Trojan Race Chagan was antiently the common word to express all the the Kings of the Hunns Caesar was the Title for all the Roman Emperours after Iulius Caesar. Cosâ—oe or Kosroes was the Appellation of the Kings of Persia heretofore after that of Artaxerxes as Sophi of late and Sultan is the distinguishing Title of the Turkish Empire and Miramolin or Miramomolin of all the Princes of Mauritania Thus briefly I have shew'd that it was usual for all the Kings of a Country to have the same Name for a very considerable time at least The observing of which may be of some use to us in reading the Sacred History when it refers to any of those Kings whom I first named and in reading Profane Authors who mention any of the others Lastly I could observe concerning Places in Scripture the same that I have concerning Persons viz. that sometimes they have different Names which we ought carefully to heed in reading this Holy Book One eminent Mountain in Palestine and the adjacent Parts hath several Denominations it is call'd Zion Psal. 2. 6. and frequently in other Books of the Old Testament It is also named Moriah 2 Chron. 3. 1. the same Mount where Moses saw the Burning Bush not consumed and where Isaac was offer'd and where the Temple afterwards was built This Name was so celebrated that from this the Land of Canaan is call'd the Land of Moriah Gen. 22. 2. The same Mountain is named Hermon as is evident from those express words Deut. 4. 48. Mount Sion which is Hermon It is also call'd Sirion Deut. 3. 9. which Name was given it by the Sidonians And in the same place it hath the Name of Shenir which was given it by the Amorites This Multiplicity of Names may I conceive be grounded on this that Sion or Hermon or call it by any of the other Names is properly speaking a long Ledg of several Hills that go through Palestine and a great part of Arabia Some add Gilead and Seir and Lebanon the famous Alpes of the Holy Land upon the North and East part of it noted for its snowy tops its lofty Cedars and other Trees and its fragrant Herbs and Plants Some I say add these to the foregoing ones and rightly determine that they were but one continued Mountain with divers Names as Mount Taurus though far greater is a ridg of Hills that hath several Names according to the different Parts of it Hence Psal. 133. 3. and some other places of Scripture mention some of those Names before spoken of as if they belong'd to different Mountains and the reason is because though they are the same Mountain yet those Names refer to the different parts of the same great ridg of Hills and so are accounted as it were different Hills and accordingly the great Mass of Dew which was in part distill'd on Mount Hermon one division of that great Mountain did partly also fall on Mount Zion a neighbouring part of
Infallible This is that more sure Word of Prophecy which St. Peter preferreth before Eye-Witnesses and Voices from Heaven 2 Pet. 1. 16 c. Yea though an Angel from Heaven should preach any other Doctrine than what the Apostles preach'd and afterwards committed to Writing St. Paul pronounceth him accursed Gal. 1. 8. These Infallible Records these undoubted Oracles of the Holy Ghost in Scripture are the standing Rule of Belief to all christians even to the End of the World On this they may rely with Confidence as on an Unerring Guide for it is not like other Books which are made by Men and therefore are not void of Errors and Mistakes but the Author of it is God who is Truth it self and can neither deceive nor be deceived Thus the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament are the Compleat and Absolute Rule of our Belief and of all Supernatural Truth 2. They are the Perfect Rule of Life and Manners they contain all things to be Done as well as to be Believed Here is the Decalogue the Sum of all our Duty towards God and Man and the Necessary Precepts of Life comprised in it are often repeated enlarged upon and explained through the whole Sacred Book To these are added the Evangelical Duties of Self-denial Mortification Poverty of Spirit Purity of Heart Brotherly Love Heavenly-Mindedness Circumspect Walking Redeeming the Time Abstaining from all appearance of Evil Giving no Offence to any and many others of the like Nature The Writings of the Gospel forbid us to be Carnal Sensual and Earthly and call upon us to converse with Spiritual and Celestial Objects to to set our Affections on things Above and to work our Minds to such a Temper that we may desire to depart out of this Body and to be with Christ which is far better than groveling here below And Christianity promotes this Heavenly-mindedness by giving us a Power over Our selves by restoring us to a Government of our Bodily Appetites and Passions so that the Soul thereby becomes Pure and Defecate purged from all mundane Dross and Filth fitted for Heavenly Joys and therefore most earnestly breathes and longs after them Here we learn that Christianity is repugnant in all things to Satan's Kingdom and designedly promotes the Kingdom of God it bids us not seek our selves and aim chiefly at worldly Respects but it enjoineth us to Humble and Debase our selves and to Glorify God in all to advance his Honour in the World and next to that to look after the Salvation of our own and others immortal Souls These are the Noble and Worthy Designs of Christianity and the Laws of it their Business is to take us off from those low and mean Projects which Men of the World carry on and to set the Soul of Man in a right Posture and to fix it on right Ends. The Christian Precepts reach to the Hearts of Men they restrain the secret Thoughts and inward Motions of the Mind they curb the inordinate Desires and Wishes they temper the Affections and Passions especially they forbid Revenge Malice Hatred and they direct us to love God and to bear Love to all Men for his Sake The Christian Laws give Rules for our Words and Speeches and will not allow them to be Idle and Vain much less Prophane and Impious but they command our Discourse to be always with Grace season'd with Salt to favour of Goodness and Piety and to be for the Edifying of those we converse with The Commandments of the Gospel do also govern the Outward Actions of our Lives and bid us be Holy in all manner of Conversation They enjoin Chastity and Continence Temperance and Sobriety they forbid Lust and Luxury Pride and Sensuality They teach Courtesy Affability Meekness Candour Gentleness towards our Brethren They bid us be Kind and Charitable to all and even to love our Enemies Christianity is a Religion that is exactly Just and gives the strictest Rules of dealing Honestly and Uprightly with our Neighbours Even Morality which is the very Foundation and Ground-work of All Religions is most Illustrious here Christianity hath the Impress of Reason Civility and all Acceptable Qualities It forbids nothing that is Fitting and Decorous it countenances all that is Manly and Generous it is agreeable to the Law of Nature and the Reason of Mankind In these Sacred Writings the Duty of Christians is set down not only as they are Single but as they stand in relation to others and as they are Members of the Community There are Peculiar Lessons for Persons in every Condition for Husbands and Wives for Masters and Servants for Parents and Children for Superiours Equals and Inferiours They are all provided here with Instructions and Directions proper to that State they are in They are very Remarkable Words which a Reverend Divine of our Church uttered Would Men apply their Minds saith he to study Scripture and observe their own and others Course of Life Experience would teach them that there is no Estate on Earth nor humane Business in Christendom this Day on foot but have a Ruled Cafe in Scripture for their Issue and Success This is a Great Truth and is no mean Demonstration of the Excellency of these Holy Writings which I am speaking of Here are also the most Notable Instances of all those Vertues and Graces which adorn the Life of Man Here is the Example of Abel's sincere and acceptable Devotion of Enoch's walking with God of Noah's untainted Faithfulness amidst the Temptations of the corrupt World of Abraham's Faith and Self-denial when he offered his only Son on the Altar of Ioseph's Resolved Chastity when he once and again resisted the lustful Solicitations of his Mistress Here is the Example of Moses's Publick Spirit who desired his Name might be blotted out of the Book of Life rather than that Nation should perish Here you read of Aaron's submissive Silence of Reuben's fraternal Commiseration of Rohab's Seasonable Wisdom which was the Effect of her Faith in concealing the Spies that were search'd for Here we may observe Phineas's Active Zeal Eli's Entire Submission to the Divine Pleasure Iob's Invincible Patience Iosiah's Early Piety his and Iehosaphat's Care to reform the Church Ionathan's entire Friendship Manasses and Peter's Repentance Iohn Baptist's Austerity the Centurion's Faith Stephen's Charity to his Enemies at his Death Briefly here is commemorated the Religious and Holy Demeanour of all Ranks and Degrees of Persons whether in Prosperity or Adversity whether in Youth Manhood or Old Age or in whatsoever Condition of Life they were placed Where can we find such glorious Atchievements as the Sacred History recounts unto us Where are there such Perfect Paterns of Vertue Where do you meet with such Noble Acts as some of the Holy Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles are celebrated for The Great Heroes spoken of in the Writings of the Pagans are generally but Ideas of Vertue and a kind of Harmless Romances to preach Goodness to Men. Virgil's Aeneas Xenophon's
Alteration he is still the same Man Some Learned Doctors among the Hebrews as R. Kimcâ—i Aben Ezra Levi produce another Meaning of the word Margemah telling us it is the same with Argemon Purpura and then understand the Proverb thus As he that laps up one of the Stones in the Street in a Purple Vest so is he that gives Respect and Honour to a Fool a woâ—thless Perâ—on But the Sense is the same with what was proâ—ounded in one of the foregoing Interpretations All these Expositions are congrâ—ous enough and â—e need not be very solicitous which of them we â—dhere to No Man can say of any one of them This is the Interpretation and there is no other â—â—tended by the Penman It is enough that the Sense we pitch upon is consistent with the Scope of the Place and the other Parts of God's Word So those Words in Prov. 1. 17. where the Wise Man having in the foregoing Verses spoken conâ—erning the mischievous and bloody Designs of wicked Men uses this Simily Surely in vain the Not is spread in sight of any Bird admit of liverâ—â— Interpretations and all of them very â—it and apposite First some render the word Chinnam without Cause and so indeed it is englished in the 11th Vâ—rse of this Chapter and then the Senâ—â— is this As the Fowler spreads Nets for the harmleâ—s Birds that he may feed himself with their Flem or make Proâ—it of them by selling them to others so Thieves and bloody Men lay wait for the Innocent those that never injured them and merely to gratify their Covetousness and to fill their Houses with Spoil The same Simily is made use of in Tereâ—â—e Non rete aâ—â—ipitri â—enditur neque milvio Qui maâ—â— faciunt nobis illis qui nihil faciunt tenditâ—â— Quia enim in illis â—ructus est in istis opera luditur So that this Proverb may then be used when we see Snares laid for Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the LXX translate the Hebrew Word here without Cause when they are Innocent And what Solomon expresses here by the Similioude of Birds is by the Prophet 〈◊〉 set forth by another Comparison from Fishes Hab. 1. 13 14. But the Generality of Interpreters â—ead the first Word as our Translators render it viz. in vain and then the Text is capable of several Senses â— Somâ— think that as some of the foregoing Verses so this is spoken by way of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Language of Thieves and Bloody Men who entice others to their Company and to partake with them in their Villany by laying before them the Hopes of Impunity as if they had said You need not fear and be solicitoâ—s we wilâ— cunningly carry our Business though Justice seeks after us and would bring us to Punishment yet we have our Eyes about us we shall be able to foresee their Snares and to fly from them as Birds are wont to do from a Net spread wide before them Quaeque nimis pandunt retia vitat avis Or 2. This may be spoken of those that are enticed by these Men and fall under their Charmâ— and Allurements They could never do thus unless they were blinded and infatuated It is in vain to these besotted Creatures that they see the Net that they know the Danger for notwithstanding this they venture upon it and wilfully run into it as a Bird hastneth to the Snare as the same Author speaks ch 7. v. 23. Or 3. if we take these Words as spoken concerning the Evil and Lewd Enticers themselves then there is this different Interpretation from what was assigned before either the Similitude runs thus As foolish Birds being greedy of Food and allured by the Balt take no notice of the Net that is spread to catch them and so â—â—â—awares are taken in it and because the Not that is laid makes not the Birds more wary and cauâ—â—ous but notwithstanding this they fly to the Bait therefore in respect of these silly Creatures the Net may well be said to be spread in vain so the Wicked Men whom the Royal Penman here speaks of and whose Enticements he warns us to beware of being led with desire of Prâ—y do not obsâ—rve the Net laid to take them or if they be forewarned yet they are not frighted by the Danger but are resolv'd to satisfy their greedy Appetite and then when they are most secure they are suddenly surprized and overtaken by the Judgments of God Or else which I take to be the plainest and most obvious Meaning we are to understand the Words thus Although Villanâ—â—â— Complotters think themselves sure of their Prey yet they are no more certain of it than Fowlers are of catching those Birds which carefully observe the laying of the Net and by beholding the Spreading of it are admonish'd to fly away from it In vain is the Net spread in the Eyes of every one that hath Wings so the Hebrew Which may be applied first of all to these Flying Inhabitants of the Air who have sometimâ—â— been in a wonderful manner employed to bring to Light the secret Perpetration of Murder and Bloodshed A Bird of the Air hath carried the Voice and that which hath Wings hath told the Matter Eccles. 10. 20. In vain hath the Net been spread in the Sight of these winged Creatures Secondly 〈◊〉 Application of these Words may be made to thosâ— Innocent Persons whom these bloody Conspiratâ—â—â— intend to entrap They oftentimes are extraordinarily furnish'd with Eyes and Wings they are enâ—bled to discern and foresee their Contrivances and they have Power given them to avoid them Saul seeks the Life of David but his cursed Purposes are discover'd to this latter by Ionaâ—han The secret Counsels and Plots of the King of Assyria are disclosed by Elisha The â—ews bind themselves with a Vow to murder St. Paul but a Youth frustrates their Conspiracy It may be applied also to the Angels who are represented as Winged in Scripture and full of Eyes These oftentimes discover and frustrate the bloody Designs of the Enemies of the Church These Ministring Spiritâ— seasonably fly to the Succour of the Righteous they kindly hover over them hide and protect them with their Wings And as Men and Angels so God himself who is All Eye in a more signal and eminent manner discovers and defeats the Machinations of bloody Men against the Innocent He is pleased to resemble himself to an Eagle the Prince of Birds that fluttereth over her Young spreadeth abroad her Wings taketh them beareth them on her Wings Deut. 32. 11. The Eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole Earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose Heart is perfect towards him 2 Chron. 16. 9. And in all Ages of the World he hath rais'd up Instruments to help and succour his Servants Thus in vain is the Net spread in the Sight of every one that is bagnal canaph Master of the Wing
and twenty after the number of the Hebrew letters And Cyril of Ierusalem hath these express Words Read these two and twenty Books but have nothing to do with the Apocryphal ones Study and meditate only on these Scriptures which we conâ—idently read in the Church The Apostles and first Bishops were true Guides and were more wise and religious than thou art and these were the Men that delivered these Scriptures to us Thou then being a Son of the Church do not go beyond her Bounds and Orders but acknowledg and study only the two and twenty Books of the Old â—â—â—stament And other Fathers of the Churâ—â— as Melito Bishop of Sardis Athanasius Amphiloâ—â—us Epiphanius Eusebius Gregory Nazianzen Gâ—â—gory the Great Basil Chrysostom testify that 〈◊〉 Books and no others of the Old Testamâ—â—â— which we receive now were the Canonical Booâ—â— of old and received so by the first Christiâ—â— Those eminent Lights of the Latin Church Râ—t Ierom Hilary disown as Uncanonical 〈◊〉 Books of Apocrypha The two latter especially 〈◊〉 very positive Ierom expresly tells us that 〈◊〉 Canonical Books of the Old Testament are but 〈◊〉 and twenty just the number of the Hebrew Alâ—phabet and no more and he enumerates the particular Books which constitute the whole 〈◊〉 saith indeed that some make them four and twâ—â—ty but 't is the same Account for they reckâ—â— Ruth and Lamentations separately But as for 〈◊〉 others he saith they are not part of Inspired Scripture and the Church doth not receive theâ— among the Canonical Writings So Hilary givâ— us the just Catalogue of the Books of the Old Tâ—stament and peremptorily affirms that there 〈◊〉 but two and twenty Canonical Books of it in all which are the same with the thirty nine according to the reckoning in our Bibles To Fathers wâ— might add Synods and Councils as that antieâ—â— one of Laodicea conven'd A. D. 364. which drew up a Catalogue of the Books of Scripture and makes mention only of these which we now râ—ceive but leaves out the Apocryphal ones This Canon was received afterwards and confirmed by the Council of Chalcedon one of the first four General Councils And the sixth General Council held at Constantinople A. D. 680. expresly ratified the Decrees of that old Laodicean Council and particularly this that the Canonical Books of the Old Testament were but two and twenty There is another Reason also besides the Universal Suffrage of the Christian Church why the Apocryphal Books are ejected out of the Canon viz. because some things in them are false and contrary to the Canonical Scriptures as in Ecclesiasticus 46. 20. 2 Esdras 6. 40. and some things are vitious as in 2 Maccab. 14. 42. After all this it is easy to answer what the Romanists say on the other side They quote the third Council of Carthage which they tell us received the Apocryphal Books into the Canon And among the Fathers St. Augustin they say owns them besides that two Popes viz. Innocent the First and Gelasius took those Books which we stile Apocryphal into the Canon As for the Council which they alledg it was but a Provincial one and therefore is not to be set against those more Authentick and General Councils which I produced Nor must that one single Father whom they name stand out against that great number of Greek and Latin Fathers whom I mentioned The Popes bear a great Name among our Adversaries but they are but two and must not be compared with those Councils and that multitude of Fathers who are on our side Or if they lay such great stress on a Pope I can name them one and he one of the most eminent they ever had viz. Pope Gregory the Great who declares that the Book of Maccabees a main Piece of the Apocryphal Wrâ—â—tings is no part of the Canon of Scripture Wâ— may set this One Pope for he is Great enough against the other Two Besides their own 〈◊〉 are against them the Apocryphal Books are 〈◊〉 received as part of holy Inspired Scripture by Iâ—â—dorus Damascen Nicephorus Rabanus Maurus Hâ—go Lyranus Cajetan and others who are of greâ—â— Repute in the Church of Rome We regard 〈◊〉 what the pack'd Council of Trent hath decreed viz. That besides the two and twenty Books 〈◊〉 the Hebrew Canon those also of Tobias Iuditâ— the Wisdom of Solomon Ecclesiasticus Maccabeâ—â—â— Baruch are to be received as Canonical and thâ— they are of equal Authority with the Canon oâ— the Old and New Testament What is this to the general Suffrage of the Primitive Councils Fathers and Writers who have rejected the Apocryphal Books and received but twenty two into the Canon of Scripture belonging to the Old Testament You see what Ground we have no other than the Vniversal Church We reject some Books as Apocryphal because they were generally rejected by the antient Primitive Church and we receive the rest as Canonical because they were believed and owned to be so by the universal Consent of the Church See this admirably made good in Bishoâ— Cousins's History of the Canon of Scripture Yet aâ—ter all that hath been said we count the Apocryphâ— Writings worthy to be read and perused The there be some things amiss in them yet we give great Deference and Respect to them as containing many Historical Truths and furnishing us witâ— Matter of Jewish Antiquity as likewise because there are many Doctrinal and Moral Truths in them especially in the Books of Wisdom and Ecâ—lesiasticus For this Reason I say we bear great Respect to them and rank them next to the Holy Canon and prefer them before all Profane Authors This was done by the antient Fathers who frequently alledg'd them in their Sermons and Discourses which is one Reason I question not why these Apocryphal Books came to be made Canonical by some of the Church of Rome namely because they were so often quoted by the Fathers and in some Churches read publickly But this is no Proof of their being Canonical but only lets us know that these Books were in their Kind useful and profitable as indeed they are Therefore St. Ierom saith the Church receives not these Books into the Canon of Scripture though she allows them to be read And concerning these Writings our Church saith well quoting St. Ierom for it She doth read them for Example of Life and Instruction of Manners but yet doth not apply them to establish any Doctrine Which gives us an exact account of the Nature of these Books namely that they contain excellent Rules of Life and are very serviceable to inform us of our Duty as to several weighty things but they being not dictated by the Holy Ghost as the other Books of Scripture are they are not the infallible Standard of Divine Doctrine and therefore are not to be applied and made use of to that purpose This and the other Reasons before mentioned may prevail with us to think that these Writings ought not to be
numbred among the Books of Canonical Scripture And thus we have argued from the Tradition and the Testimony of the Church And if this be done as it ought to be done it is valid for the Truth of the Copies the Canonicalness of the Books and the like are not decidable by Scripture it self but in the Way that all other Controversies of that nature are As you would prove any other Book to be Authentick so you must prove the Bible to be viz. by sufficient and able Testimony There is the same reason to believe the Sacred History that there is to believe any other Historical Writings that are extant Nay the Testimonies on behalf of the Holy Scriptureâ— are more pregnant than any that are brought for other Writings Besides all that can be said for the Sacred Volume of the Bible which is wont to be said for other Writings I have shewed you that there are some things peculiar to this above aâ—â— others The main thing we have insisted upon is this that the Books of the Old and New Testament have been faithfully conveyed to us and that they are vouched by the constant and universal Tradition both of the Jewish and Christian Church and that these Books and no others are of the Canon of Scripture for to be of the Canon of Scripture is no other than to be owned by the Universal Church for Divinely Inspired Writings The Church witnesseth and confirmeth the Authority of the Canonical Scriptures for she received them as Divine and she delivers them to us as such Yet I do not say that the Church's Testifying these Books to be the Holy Scriptures gives an Absolute and Entire Authority to them A Clerk in the Parliament or any other Court writes down and testiâ—ies that such an Act or Decree or Order was pass'd by the King Magistrate or People and he witnesses that he hath faithfully kept these by him and that they are the very same that at such a time were made by the foresaid Authority but the Authority of this Act Decree or Order rests not in the Clerk but wholly in the King Magistrate or People So the Church recordeth and keepeth the Sacred Writings of the Bible and bears witness that they have been faithfully preserved and that they are the Genuine Writings of those Persons whose Names are presixed to them bâ—t the Divine Authority of the Scriptures depends not on the Church but on the Books and Authors themselves namely their being Inspired And indeed this Authority of the Scriptures cannot depend on the Church because the Church itself depends on the Scriptures These must be proved before the Church can pretend to be any such thing as a Church We cannot know the Church but by the Scriptures therefore the Scriptures must be known before the Church It follows then that the Papists are very unreasonable and absurd in making the Ultimate Resolution of Faith to be into the Testimony and Authority of the Church This we disown as a great Falsity but yet it is rational to hold that the Church's Testimony is one good Argument and Proof of the Truth of the Sacred Scripture according to that known Saying of St. Augustine I should not believe the Gospel if the Authority of the Church did not move me Not that he founds the Gospel i. e. the Doctrine of Christianity and the Truth of it on the Testimony of the Church as the Papists are wont to infer from these Words and frequently quote them to this purpose No the Father's meaning is this that by the Testimony and Consent of the Church he believed the Book of the Gospel to be verily that Book which was written by the Evangelists This is the Sense of the Place as is plain from the Scope of it for he speaks there of the Copies or Writings not the Doctrine contained in them The good Father relies on this that so great a number of knowing and honest Persons as the Church was made up of did assert the Evangelical Writings to be the Writings of such as were really inspired by the Holy Ghost and that they were true and genuine and not corrupted And the whole Body of Sacred Scripture is attested by the same universal Suffrage of the Church i. e. the unanimous Consent of the Apostles and of the First Christians and of those that immediately succeeded them several of which laid down their Lives to vindicate the Truth of these Writings This is the External Testimony given to the Holy Scriptures It is the general Perswasion and Attestation of the Antient Church that these are the Scriptures of Truth that they were penn'd by holy Prophets and Apostles immediately directed by the Spirit who therefore could not err It was usual heretofore among the Pagan Lawgivers to attribute their Laws to some Deity tho they were of their own Invention intending thereby to conciliate Reverence to them and to commend them to the People But here is no such Cheat put upon us God himself is really the Author of the Holy Scriptures these Sacred Laws come immediately from Him they are of Divine Inspiration There is no doubt to be made of the Divinity of the Scriptures and consequently there is assurance of the Infallibility of them CHAP. III. The Authority of the Bible manifested from the Testimonies of Enemies and Strangers especially of Pagans These confirm what the Old Testament saith concerning the Creation the Production of Adam and Eve their Fall with the several Circumstances of it Enoch's Translation the Longevity of the Patriarchs the Giants in those Times the Universal Flood the building of the Tower of Babel I Have propounded some of the chief Arguments which may induce us to believe the Truth and Certainty of the holy Writings of the Old and New Testament I will now choose out another for the sake chiefly of the Learned and Curious which I purpose to inlarge upon yea to make the Subject of my whole ensuing Discourse I consider then that we have in this Matter not only the Testimony of Friends but of Enemies and Strangers and it is a Maxim in the Civil Law and vouched by all Men of Reason that the Testimony of an Enemy is most considerable The Iewish and Christian Church as I have shewed already give their Testimony to the Scriptures but besides these Witnesses there are Others there is the Attestation of Foreigners and Adversaries These fully testify the Truth of what is delivered in the Holy Bible we have the Approbation of Heathen Writers to conâ—irm many of the things related in the Old Testament and both Professed Heathens and Iews for we must now look upon these latter as profess'd Enemies when we are to speak of the Christian Concern attest sundry things of the New Testament and vouch the Truth and Authority of them Here then I will distinctly proceed and first begin with the Old Testament and let you see in several Particulars that even the Pagan World gives Testimony to this Sacred Volume