at that time to teach them the true and real Attributes of his Essence because he then revealed none to them but to break and subdue their rebellious and stubborn humor and draw them to Obedience and therefore he did not set upon them with Arguments and Reason but with Tempest Noise Thunder and Lightning as is recorded Exod. 20. 20. I am now to prove that between Faith or Theology and Philosophy there is no commerce or affinity which no Man can deny who knows how much the Foundation and End of these two faculties differ for the end and design of Philosophy is Verity and the intention and end of Faith is nothing but Obedience and Piety The fundadamentals of Philosophy are common notions which are to be drawn only from Nature it self but the principles and fundamentals of Faith are to be derived from Scripture-History Scripture-Language from the Scripture it self and from Revelation as we have shewn in the 7 th Chapter Faith therefore allows every Man such a freedom and liberty of Reasoning or Philosophizing that he may think what he will of any thing provided he do nothing that is wicked and condemns only those for Hereticks and Schismaticks who broach Doctrines that are the causes of disobedience hatred contention and wrath esteeming only such to be Believers who use their utmost endeavours to perswade and practise Justice and Charity Lastly Because what I have said in this and the former Chapter was what I chiefly intended in the whole Treatise I earnestly request the Reader before I proceed further that he will again and again carefully read and seriously consider the Contents of these two Chapters and that he will have Charity enough to believe that I have written nothing with design to introduce new Doctrines but only to rectify what is amiss which I hope e're long to see done CHAP. XV. Theology or Divinity is no Handmaid to Reason nor Reason to Divinity Why we believe the Authority of the Holy Scripture AMongst those that know not how to distinguish and divide Philosophy from Theology there is very great dispute whether the Scripture ought to be subservient to Reason or Reason to Scripture that is whether we are to judge of the Sense of Scripture by Reason or whether Reason ought to submit to Scripture The Scepticks who deny the certainty of Reason maintain one of these Opinions and the Dogmatists who judge all things by Reason the other but both as appears by what I have said are extremely mistaken for whoever follows either of the two Opinions must necessarily deprave either Reason or Scripture We have shewn that the Scripture doth teach us no Philosophy but only Piety and all things contained in it are fitted to the Capacity and Opinions of vulgar people Whoever then goes about to apply it to Philosophy must father upon the Prophets many things whereof they did never so much as dream and interpret that to be their meaning which never was He on the other side who makes Reason or Philosophy a Handmaid to Divinity will be necessitated to let the mistaken Opinions of old times pass for Divine Truths possessing and blinding his Understanding with Error and Prejudice and both run mad together without Reason The first among the Pharisees who openly declared that Scripture was to be accommodated to Reasons was Maimonides whose Opinion we have hinted and refuted in the 7 th Chapter but tho' this Author were of great Authority among the Pharisees yet the greatest part of that Sect did not agree with him in this point but generally maintained the Opinion of Rabbi Iehuda Alpakhar who endeavouring to avoid the Error of Maimonides fell into the clean contrary Opinion holding that Reason ought to be a Handmaid to Scripture and wholly subjected to it and would have nothing in Scripture metaphorically interpreted because the literal sense was contrary and repugnant to Reason but because it was so to the Scripture it self that is to the positive Doctrines of Scripture and laid it down for a general rule that whatever the Scripture did in plain and express words affirm and teach that upon the account of its Authority was to be admitted for Truth if no other Position were found in the Bible which did only consequentially but not directly contradict it for there are some Scripture expressions which seem to imply contradiction to what hath been positively and expresly declared and therefore those places only are to be metaphorically taken For example Deut. 6.4 it is plainly and positively declared That there is but one God or that God is but one but there are many places where God speaking of himself and the Prophets of God speak in the plural number which manner of speaking supposeth and implies more God's than one tho' that doth not clearly and directly appear to be the intention of the words All those places therefore are to be metaphorically interpreted not because it is repugnant to Reason that there should be more Gods than one but because the Scripture it self directly declares that there is but only one So likewise because the Scripture Deut. 4. 15. doth in the Rabbi's Opinion directly declare that God is Incorporeal therefore upon the Authority only of this Text and not upon any account of Reason we are bound to believe God hath no Body and consequently all places of Scripture are to be metaphorically taken which ascribe to God Hands Feet or which seem to suppose God Corporeal This was the Opinion of this Author whom I commend for explaining Scripture by Scripture but I wonder that a rational Man should endeavour to destroy Reason It is very true that Scripture ought to be expounded by Scripture so long as there is doubt of the sense of the words or of the meaning of the Prophets but when we have found out the true sense 't is absolutely necessary to make use of our Reason and Judgment to gain our assent and consent to it for if we must submit to Scripture tho' our Reason be not at all convinced by it must we submit with Reason or like blind Men without any Reason at all if we submit without Reason we do it foolishly without Judgment if we submit with Reason then 't is by the command and dictates of Reason that we believe and embrace the Scripture which we would not do were it contrary to Reason Who can in his Mind believe or consent to any thing which his Reason flatly opposeth Denying a thing with a Man's Heart is nothing else but the gainsaying and dissent of a Man's Reason I extreamly wonder some Men should subject that excellent gift and Divine Light Reason to Dead Letters which humane Malice may corrupt and mis-interpret and yet account it no offence to speak unworthily against Reason and the Mind of Man whereon God hath engraven his Word saying Our Reason is blinded and lost but in the mean time declare 't is abominable wickedness to think any such thing of the Letter which they
to things relating to honesty and good manners we ought to think otherwise I will more exactly and fully prove because 't is a matter of greater moment and from thence will conclude that Prophesy never left the Prophets more Learned but left them in the Opinions wherewith they were prepossest and for that reason in things meerly Speculative no Man is obliged to believe them Many men have very unadvisedly perswaded themselves that the Prophets knew all things within the compass of Human Understanding and tho' some places of Scripture tell us plainly that the Prophets did not know some things yet they are rather willing to confess they do not understand those places of Scripture then yeild the Prophets were Ignorant of any thing or else they endeavour so to wrest the Words of Scripture that they would have it say that which it doth not mean. If either of these be lawful then Farewel to all Scripture for in vain do we endeavour to prove any thing by Scripture if those things which are most clear in it shall be reckon'd amongst those that are obscure and unintelligible or else shall be interpreted as we please For example nothing is more plain then that Iosuah and perhaps he that wrote the Book of Iosuah did belive that the Sun moved about the Earth that the Earth had no motion and that the Sun for some time stood still Yet many because they will not allow of any mutation in the Heavens so expound that Place that it shall not seem to imply any such thing but others who think themselves better Phylosophers because they believe the Eatrh moves and the Sun stands still or at least moves not about the Earth do with might and main endeavour to wrest the Proof of their Opinion out of the same Scripture against its plain Words Indeed at these Men I much wonder is any Man obliged to believe that Iosuah a Souldier was perfectly skill'd in Astronomy and that a Miracle could not be revealed to him or that the Light of the Sun could not remain longer above the Horizon then ordinary unless Iosuah understood the Cause thereof both seem to me ridiculous and I had rather plainly say that Iosuah did not know the true Cause of that continuing Light and that all the Army with him did think that the Sun had adiuvrual motion about the Earth and that it 's standing still that particular Day was the true Cause of its longer shining but did not understand that the great abundance of Hail which the 11 th Verse of the 10 th chap. of Iosuah says was then in the Region of the Air might cause a greater refraction of Light then ordinary or some other thing of like Nature which is not our Business here to inquire In like manner according to the Capacity of Isaiah a Sign was given by the Shadow 's going back upon the Dyal of Ahaz because his Opinion was that the Sun moved and not the Earth and for Parhelij perhaps he never dreamt of any such thing which we may without any scruple maintain for the Sign might really happen and be foretold to the King though the Prophet were ignorant of the true Cause thereof The same may be said of Solomon's Building that if all the measures and Proportions of it were revealed by God they were revealed according to Solomon's Capacity and Opinion for seeing we are not bound to believe that Solomon was an exact Mathematician we may lawfully affirm that he knew not what proportion the Diameter of a Circle ought to bear to the Peripheria or Circumference but thought with the common sort of Workmen that it should be as three to one but if it be lawful to say that we do not understand the Text in the 1 st Book of Kings chap. 7. v. 23. Truly I know not what we can understand from Scripture since there the Building is simply and historically related if it be lawful to suppose the Scripture meant otherwise but for some Reason to us unknown would write in that manner what can follow but a total overthrow of all Scripture and then there is nothing so absurd or wicked which Malice can invent that may not under Scripture Authority be countenanced and committed but what we maintain savors not of Impiety for Solomon Isaiah Ioshua c. tho' Prophets were Men subject to Human Infirmities The drowning of all Mankind by a Deluge was revealed to Noah according to his capacity for he thought no Part of the World was inhabited but Palestine and the Prophets without any prejudice to their Piety might be yea were Ignorant not only of things of this Nature but also of Matters of greater consequence for they discovered very little of the Divine Attributes but had mean and Vulgar Opinions of God to which their Revelations were accommodated as by many Testimonies of Scripture shall be proved so that we may plainly see they were not so much commended for the Excellencies and Sublimity of their Knowledge as for their Piety and constancy of Mind Adam was the first Man to whom God revealed himself Yet he knew not that God was Omnipresent and Omniscient for he hid himself from God and endeavour'd to excuse his Sin to God as if he had been before a Man therefore God was revealed to him according to his Opinion and Capacity that is as one who was not every where and as one Ignorant of Adam's Sin For Adam heard or seemed to hear God walking in the Garden calling and asking Adam where art thou Asking likewise because Adam was ashamed whether he had eaten of the forbidden Tree Adam therefore knew no other Attribute of God then that he was the maker of all things God was revealed to Cain according to his Capacity that is as one ignorant of Human Actions nor did he need any higher Knowledge of God to repent of his Sin. To Laban God revealed himself as the God of Abraham because Laban believed that every Nation had a peculiar God as appears Gen. chap. 31. v. 29. Where he saith to Iacob the God of your Father spoke to me Yesternight Abraham was ignorant of God's Vbiquity and Prescience for as soon as he heard the Sentence against Sodom he prayed that God would not execute it till he knew whether all deserved the Punishment Gen. chap. 18 th v. 24. Peradventure there may be found Fifty righteous within the City Nor was God otherwise revealed to him for in Abraham's imagination God said verse 21 th I will go down now and see whether they have done according to the Cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know God's Testimony of Abraham in Gen. chap. 12. v. 19. Speaks of nothing but Abraham's Obedience and that he would command his Children and his Houshold after him to keep the Way of the Lord and to do Judgment and Justice but says nothing of any extraordinary knowledge or Conceptions that he had of God. Moses did not perfectly
always particularly exprest yet we ought to believe that miracles were not wrought without them Which appears by the 14 th chap. of Exod. v. 27. where it is said that only upon the stretching out of Moses's hand the Sea returned again to its full strength without making mention of any Wind yet in the 15 chap. of Exod. called Moses's Song v. 10. it is said thou didst blow with thy Wind that is a strong Wind and the Sea covered them So that this Circumstance was omitted in the Story to make the miracle appear the greater but some will urge that we find many things in Scripture which cannot in appearance be explain'd by natural causes as that the sins of Men may be the cause of the Earths Barrenness and Mens Prayers the cause of its Fertility that Faith may give sight to the Blind with other things of the like kind recorded in the Old and New Testament but to this I have already given Answer in shewing that the Scripture doth not give us the knowledge of things by their next immediate causes but only relates things in that order and expresseth them in such Words and Phrases as are most likely to stir Men up especially the multitude to Devotion and for that reason speaks many times very improperly of God and the things it treats of not so much to convince our reason as to affect and possess our minds and our imaginations if the Scripture should relate the destruction of any Empire in the same manner that Historians and Politicians use to do it would not at all affect the Common People but when the overthrow of a Kingdom is poetically described and declared to be the immediate Work of God's own hand how strangely are Men moved with it When the Scripture saith that for the Sins of Men the Earth is barren or that blind Men are restored to sight by Faith it signifies no more then do those other Sayings that God is angry or grieved with our Sins that he repents of the good he hath done or intended and that God by seeing a Sign called to mind his promise all which Expressions are spoken poetically or according to the Opinions and Prejudices of the Writer so that we absolutely conclude that all things which the Scripture relates to have happen'd did happen as all things do according to the Laws of Nature and if in Scripture there be any thing recorded which by plain and evident Demonstration may be proved to be repugnant to the Laws of Nature or impossible to follow from them we ought to believe it was inserted by Sacrilegious Men for whatever is against Nature is against Reason and whatever is against Reason ought to be rejected as absurd Nothing now remains but only to say somewhat of interpreting Miracles or rather to recollect what hath been already said and illustrate it by some Example which is the fourth Particular I promis'd to treat of That no body by mistaking a Miracle may think there is something in Scripture which is contrary to the Light of Nature It seldom happens that Men relate any thing that comes to pass so nakedly and truly but that to their Relations they add somewhat of their own conceits yea when they see or hear any thing unless they beware of their own preconceived Opinions they will be so far prepossest that they will never rightly understand what they see or hear especially if what hath happen'd be above the Capacity of the Spectator or Relator and it be for his advantage that the thing should happen in that very manner hence it is that Men in their Histories and Chronicles rather vent their own Opinions then make faithful Relations and one and the same Matter of Fact related by two Men of different Opinions shall be so diversly represented that it shall seem two different Cases so that oft times it is not very difficult by the very Histories to discover what were the Opinions of the Historians to Evidence this I might cite many Philosophers who have Written Histories of Nature as well as Chronologeis but I will make use of only one mention'd in Scripture and leave the Reader to judge of the rest In the time of Ioshua when the Iews believed that the Sun was carryed about the Earth by a Dyurnal Motion and that the Earth did not move at all they fitted the Miracle which happen'd when they fought against the five Kings according to this their preconceiv'd Opinion and did not say simply that the day was longer then ordinary but that the Sun and Moon stood still or ceased from motion which at that time served as a very good Argument to convince the Heathen who Worshipped the Sun that their God the Sun was under the Power of another Deity who could at his pleasure make him change his Course and therefore partly out of Religion and partly from the Opinion wherewith they were prepossest they apprehended and related the thing much otherwise then indeed it was therefore to explain Miracles and to understand by their relations how things did truly and really happen it is necessary to know the Opinions of those who first reported the Miracles or left them in Writing and to distinguish their Opinions from that which was represented to them by their Sences else we may confound their Judgments and Opinions with the Miracle it self It is likewise necessary to know their Opinions that we may not confound the things which really happen'd with the things which were only imaginary and but Prophetical Revelations for many things in Scripture are related and believed as things real which were but representations and meer imaginations as that God the first and highest of all Beings descended from Heaven Exod. chap. 19. v. 18. Deut. chap. 5. v. 23. upon Mount Sinai and that the Mountain smoaked because God came down upon it in the midst of Fire we are likewise told of Eliahs going to Heaven in a Fiery Chariot with Horses of Fire all which were but representations suted to the Opinions of them who delivered to us those things for realities when in truth they were but meer representations whoever is but little wiser then the Multitude knows that God hath neither Right or Left Hand that he neither resteth nor moveth that he is comprehensively in no place but is infinite and in him are contain'd all perfections These things I say are known to Men who judge of things by the perceptions of a pure understanding and not as their Fancy is affected by their outward Sences as is usual with the Vulgar who believe God to be Corporeal and imagining he Exerciseth Kingly Dominion fancy his Throne to be in Heaven above the Stars at no great distance from the Earth to which and the like Opinions many Cases in Scripture are Accommodated but yet ought not to be thought real by Wise Men. Truly to understand how Miracles happen'd it concerns us to know the Phrases and Figures of the Hebrew Language for he that is
is most likely to incline him most religiously and heartily to serve God and of this mind was Iosephus for he concludes his Second Book of Antiquities with these words Neither ought any Man to marvel at this so wonderful discourse that thorow the Red Sea a passage should be found to save so many Persons in times past and they rude and simple whether it were done by the Will of God or that it chanced of it self since not long time ago God so thinking it good the Sea of Pamphilia divided it self to give way to Alexander King of Macedons Souldiers having no other passage to destroy the Empire of the Persians and this all acknowledge who have Written the Acts of Alexander and therefore of these things let every one think as he pleaseth Chap. VII Of the Interpretation of Scripture MOst Men acknowledge the Holy Scripture to be the Word of God which teacheth Mankind the way to true Happiness and Salvation but this Opinion hath so little influence upon Mens Lives that the common People take no care to regulate theirs according to the Doctrines of Scripture and every Man believing himself divinely inspired would under pretence of Religion compel all others to be of his Opinion We often see those whom we call Divines very solicitous to father their own Fancies upon Scripture and the Divine Authority thereof making no scruple with great boldness to interpret it and tell us what is the mind of the Holy Ghost When they meet with any difficulties they do not so much fear mistaking the Holy Spirits meaning and the right way to Salvation as to be found guilty of Error and by loosing their Authority to fall into contempt but if Men did heartily believe that which they profess concerning the Scriptures they would lead other kind of Lives there would not be half so much contention and hatred in the World as now there is nor would Men with so much Blind Zeal and boldness venture upon expounding Scripture and introduce so many novelties into Religion but on the contrary would be very cautious of maintaining any thing for Scripture Doctrine which is not manifestly contained in it and the Men who have not been affraid to adulterate Scripture in so many places would never have commited such impious Sacriledge But ambition and wickedness have so far prevailed that Religion doth now consist not so much in obeying the dictates of the Holy Spirit as in defending Mens own fantastical opinions Charity is now no part of Religion but discord and implacable hatred pass under the masque of Godly Zeal To these evils superstition hath joyned it self teaching Men to despise reason and nature and to admire and reverence that only which is repugnant to both 't is no wonder that Men to be thought the greater admirers of Scripture should Study so to expound it that it may seem contradictory both to nature and reason and therefore dream of profound misteries hidden in it which misteries that is their own obsurdities they labour and weary themselves to find out and neglecting things which are of most use ascribe to the Holy Spirit all the Dotages of their own imagination and with much heat and passion endeavor to defend their own idle conceits Whatever is the result of Mens understanding that Men endeavor to maintain by clear and pure reason but all opinions derived from their passions and affections must be defended by them to avoid these troubles and to free our minds from all Theological prejudices that we may not rashly receive the Foolish inventions of Men for the Doctrins of God I will now treat of a right method of interpreting Scripture of which method whoever is ignorant he can never certainly know the true Sense and meaning either of the Scripture or the Holy Ghost I say in few Words that the method of interpreting Scripture doth not differ from the method of interpreting nature for as the method of explaining nature cheifly consists in framing a History thereof from whence as from undeniable concessions shall follow the definitions of natural things so likewise to expound Scripture it is absolutely necessary to compose a true History thereof that thence as from sure Principles we may by rational consequences collect the meaning of those who were Authors of the Scripture that every one who admits of no other Principles or concessions in expounding Scripture or in reasoning of the things therein contain'd but such as are fetcht from the Scripture it self or the History of it may proceed without danger of Erring and be able to discourse and reason as securely of things which exceed human capacity as of any thing we know by natural light Now that it may evidently appear that this is the only sure way and agrees with the method of explaining nature we are to observe that the Scripture very often treats of things that cannot be deduced from Principles known to us by natural light because Revelations make up the greatest part of Scripture History which Principaly contains Miracles that is as we have already shew'd in the foregoing Chapter narrations of things not common or usual in nature suted and fitted to the judgment and opinions of the Historians that wrote them Revelations also as we have shew'd in the Second Chapter were accomodated to the opinions of the Prophets and exceed human capacity wherefore the knowledge of all these things that is of almost every thing contained in Scripture ought to be derived only from Scripture as the knowledge of natural things ought to be from nature as for moral Doctrins contained in the Bible tho' they may be demonstrated from common and general Notions yet it doth not appear by those Notions that the Scripture teacheth those Doctrins nothing but the Scripture it self makes out that and to give a clear demonstration of the Scripture's Divinity we must from the Scripture it self prove the Truth of the Moral Doctrins which it teacheth because in that Truth only the Divine Authority of Scripture appears for as we have already shewn the certainty of the Prophets consisted in their being just and vertuous which to make us believe them ought likewise appear to us We have already shewn that Miracles cannot prove the Divine Nature of God and that they might be wrought by false Prophets the Divine Authority of Scripture appears then in its teaching us what is true and real Vertue and that can be proved only by Scripture it self if not we could not without a great deal of prejudice believe the Scriptures and think them to be of divine inspiration the Scripture indeed doth not give us any definition of the things whereof it treats so neither doth Nature and therefore as from several Actions of Nature we make definitions of natural things in the same manner from several narrations of all things contained in Scripture are conclusions to be drawn The general rule then of interpreting Scripture is that we conclude nothing to be Doctrine which doth not manifestly
for us to interpret Scripture for most of the things we meet with in it cannot be deduced from Principles known by natural reason as we have already shewn and therefore the Truth of them cannot be made manifest by the strength of natural reason and consequently the true Sense and meaning of the Scripture cannot appear to us without some other light Moreover if this opinon were true the common People who are ignorant of or at least do not mind Demonstrations would entertain no Scripture but what they received from the Authority or Testimony of Philosophers and consequently ought to suppose Philosophers cannot Err in the interpretation of Scripture which truly would be a new Ecclesiastical Authority and a kind of Priesthood which the vulgar would rather scorn then reverence And tho' our method require the knowledge of the Hebrew Tongue which the vulgar have no time to Study nothing can upon that Score be objected for the common People of the Iews and Gentiles to whom the Prophets and Apostles Preached understood the Language of the Prophets and Apostles and by it understood the meaning of the Prophets tho' not the reasons of the things they Preached which according to the opinion of Maimonides they ought to have known to make themselves capable of understanding the Prophets meaning It doth not follow from the rule of our method that the common People must necessarily rely upon the Testimony of interpreters for I have given an instance of a People that knew the Language of the Prophets and Apostles but Maimonides can never shew me a common People that knew the causes of things which he says was the knowledge whereby the mind of the Prophets was to be understood and as for the common People of these days we have already shewn that all things necessary to Salvation tho' the reasons of them be not known may be easily understood in any Language because they are so common and ordinary and for this knowledge the vulgar do not depend upon the Testimony of interpreters in other things they follow the Fortune of the Learned But to return to a stricter examination of Maimonides opinion first he supposeth that the Prophets did in all things agree one with another and that they were most excellent Philosophers because as he will have it their conclusions were drawn from the Truth of things but this I have proved in my Second Chapter to be false Next he supposeth that the Sense of Scripture cannot be made out by Scripture for as much as it doth not Demonstrate any thing nor doth it prove the things of which it Treats by definition and Primary Causes wherefore according to the opinion of Maimonides the true Sense of Scripture can neither appear or be deduced from Scripture But I have likewise proved this to be false in the present Chapter For I have made it appear both from reason and examples that the Sense of Scripture is found out only by Scripture and to be derived thence even when it speaks of things unknown to us by natural light Lastly Maimonides supposeth that it is Lawful for us according to our preconceived opinions to expound and wrest the Words of Scripture and to deny or change the litteral Sense thereof be it never so express and plain which Liberty is Diametrically opposite to what I have Demonstrated in this and other Chapters and Savors of too much boldness but should I grant him this Liberty what advantage will he get by it none at all for those things which cannot be Demonstrated make up the greatest part of Scripture we cannot by this way make out nor by this rule expound or interpret them when on the contrary by following our method we may explain many things of this kind and as we have already shewn safely dispute of them but those things which are in their own nature perceptible their Sense is easily drawn from the context and as Maimonides method is unprofitable so it takes from the common People all certainty which they and all that follow any other method can by diligent reading have of the Sense of Scripture and therefore we reject it as dangerous useless and absurd as for the forementioned Tradition of the Pharisees we know not that there is any such and as for the Popes Authority I for no other reason deny it but because it wants clear Proof for had they as much Scripture to shew for it as heretofore the Iewish High Priests had for theirs I should be as little concerned that some of the Popes of Rome have been Hereticks and wicked Men as that the High-Priests of the Iews were sometimes as bad and yet by the command of Scripture had still the Power of interpreting the Law as appears by the 17 chap. of Deut. v. 11 12. chap. 33. v. 10. and Mal. chap. 2. v. 7 8. But because the Popes can shew us no such Testimony their Authority is very much to be doubted and that no Man may deceive himself and think that according to the example of the Iewish High-Priests the Catholic Religion also wants a High Priest it is to be observed that the Laws of Moses were the public Laws of the Country and needed a public Authority to maintain them for if every Man have a Liberty of interpreting the public Laws as he pleaseth no Common-wealth can stand but presently dissolves and public Laws become private but in Religion the Case is quite different for seeing Religion doth not so much consist in external Actions as in Truth and Singleness of Heart it is of no Public Power or Authority for Truth and Sincerity of mind is not infused by the command of Laws or by public Authority and no Man can be compell'd by force or by Laws to be made holy nothing but good brotherly Council education and a mans own free judgment can do that Seeing then every Man hath right to think of Religion as he pleaseth and it cannot be imagin'd any Man can part with this right it is in every Mans Power to judge of Religion and consequently to expound and interpret it to himself for as the cheif Power of interpreting Laws and judging of Public Matters resides in the Magistrate upon no other account but because they are public so likewise for the same reason the Supream Authority of explaining and judging of Religion is in every particular Person because it is every private Mans right The Authority then of the Iewish High-Priest to interpret Laws is far from proving the Popes Authority to interpret Religion but rather the contrary that every particular Man hath right to do it So that it is evident our method of interpreting Scripture i. the best for seeing the supream Power of interpreting it ought to be that natural reason which is common to all Men and not any Supernatural light or external Authority this method ought not be so difficult and abstruse that none but acute Philosophers can make use of or Compose it but it must be
Men nevertheless blessed and happy Having shewed that the Scripture in respect of Religion only and the universal Divine Law is properly called Scripture It now remains to prove that in this respect and as it is properly so call'd it is neither maimed faulty or corrupted and here I call that thing faulty maimed and corrupted which is so falsely written and compos'd that the true sense of the words cannot either by the use of the Language or by the Scripture it self be found out for I do not affirm that the Scripture as it contains the Divine Law always observes the same letters points accents and words I leave that to the Masorites who so superstitiously adore the Letter but only that the signification and sense in respect of which only any Speech is to be called Divine is derived to us uncorrupted tho' the words whereby that sense was signified have been often changed that cannot as we have said detract from the Sacredness of Scripture for it would not have been one jot less Divine had it been written in other Words or in any other Language That we have received the Divine Law in this respect uncorrupted no body can question for by the Scripture it self without any doubt or difficulty we perceive that the summ thereof is to love God above all things and our Neighbours as our selves This cannot be adulterated nor written by a too hasty erring Pen for if the Scripture ever taught any other thing it must necessarily teach all other things otherwise seeing this is the Foundation of all Religion take away this Foundation and the whole Fabrick falls to the ground and if this were not so the Scripture were not Scripture but quite another Book It remains then without Controversie this was always the Doctrine of Scripture and consequently that no error could creep into it to corrupt its Sense which would have been quickly perceiv'd by every body and who ever had gone about to corrupt it his Malice would have presently appear'd If then this Foundation be immoveable and incorruptible the same must be concluded of other things which indisputably follow from it and which are also fundamentals as that God is that he provides for all that he is Omnipotent and that he hath decreed it shall go well with Good and ill with Wicked-men and that our Salvation depends only upon his Grace and Mercy These things the Scripture every where plainly teacheth and ought always to teach else all other things were vain and without any Foundation 'T is as impossible to corrupt any other Moral Doctrines which are built upon and evidently follow from this Foundation namely to do justice to succour those that are in want and distress not to kill not to covet and none of these moral Precepts can be mis-interpreted or corrupted by malice or obliterated by length of time If any of these things should be blotted out they would be again dictated to mankind by the first general Foundation and more especially by the Doctrine of Charity which is every where so much commended in the Old and New Testament Should it be granted that there is no wickedness which ever entred into the Heart of Man which some person or other hath not committed yet never was there any Man who to excuse or justifie his Crimes endeavour'd to blot out the Laws or to preach Impiety for good and wholsome Doctrine Tho' it be every Man's nature whether King or Subject when he hath done any thing that is evil to palliate the fact with such Circumstances as may make it appear as little as is possible dishonest or unjust We therefore conclude that the Universal Divine Law which the Scripture teacheth is deliver'd and derived to us pure and incorruptible There are other things also which have been faithfully deliver'd to us namely the general Collection of Scripture Histories because they are universally known The common people of the Iews were wont to sing the Antiquities and Ancient Facts of their Nation in Psalms or Songs The principal things done by Christ and his Passion were quickly publish'd through the whole Roman Empire and therefore 't is impossible to believe unless the greatest part of mankind should agree in that which is incredible that the principal things in Scripture Histories should be deliver'd to posterity otherwise than they were first receiv'd Whatever then is adulterated or faulty must happen only in this or that Circumstance of a Prophesie or History the more to move people to Devotion or in some Miracle to puzzle and nonplus Philosophers or lastly in matters Speculative after they were brought into Religion by Schismaticks abusing Divine Authority to support their own inventions But whether these things be or be not adulterated and corrupted doth not at all concern Salvation which I will expresly shew in the following Chapter tho' I think enough hath been already said to prove it in this and the second Chapter CHAP. XIII Shews that the Scripture teacheth nothing but what is very plain intending nothing but Mens Obedience neither doth it teach or declare any other thing of the Divine Nature than what a Man may in a right course of life in some degree imitate WE have already declared in the second Chapter of this Treatise that the Prophets did not so much excel in perfection of Mind and Understanding as in a singular faculty and power of Imagination That God revealed to them no deep points of Philosophy but only things very plain and easie condesending and applying himself to their Capacities and preconceiv'd Opinions We have in the fifth Chapter shewn that the Scripture delivers and teacheth things in such a manner as may render them most easie to be understood by every Man and that it doth not prove deduce and link things together by maxims and definitions but only plainly relates and declares things and to make Men believe confirms what it says by Experience that is by Miracles and Histories making use of such a Stile and such Expressions as are most likely to move and prevail upon the Minds of the common people of which I have spoken in proving the third Particular of the sixth Chapter Lastly I have shew'd in the seventh Chapter that the difficulty of understanding the Scripture lies only in the Language wherein it was originally written and not in the sublimity and abstruceness of the Subject whereof it treats and moreover that the Prophets did not preach only to the Learned but in general to all the Iews and that the Apostles preached the Doctrine of the Gospel in Churches where there was a common and universal Assembly of all people by all which it evidently appears that Scripture Doctrine contains no high Speculations nor Philosophical Arguments but only things plain and intelligible by the meanest and dullest Capacities I strangely admire the accuteness of those Men who discover in the Scripture Mysteries so profound that 't is impossible for the Tongue of Man to unfold them and who have
Idolize for the Word of God they account it great Piety in a Man not to trust to his own Judgment and Reason but great wickedness to doubt their fidelity who communicated to us the Sacred Volumes Certainly such Men's Folly exceeds their Piety What troubles them What is it they fear Cannot Religion and Faith be defended unless Men be professedly ignorant and bid Reason farewell they that think so do rather fear than believe Scripture God forbid that Religion should be a Servant to Reason or Reason to Religion both may with great Peace and Concord preserve their own proper Dominion which I will presently prove after I have a little examined the Tenet and Opinion of our Rabbin Alpakhar he as I have said would have us receive every thing for truth which the Scripture affirms and reject every thing as false which the Scripture denies and maintains that the Scripture doth no where in express words affirm or deny any thing contrary to what in another place it hath positively affirmed or denied both which are very bold and rash Positions I will not press him with what perhaps he never took notice of that the Scripture contains several Books that it was written by several Authors in several Ages for the use of divers people and seeing upon his own Authority only he maintains what neither Reason or Scripture ever said he ought to shew that all those places of Scripture which do but by consequence contradict others may from the nature of the Language and in respect of the place conveniently bear a metaphorical interpretation and he ought likewise to prove That the Scripture is derived down to us without any corruption or adulteration To come close to the business I ask him concerning his first Position Whether we are bound to believe every thing to be true which the Scripture affirms and reject every thing as false which it denies tho' both be contrary to our Reason If he answer that nothing can be found in Scripture contrary to Reason I press him with this instance In the Decalogue Exod. 34. 14. Deut. 4. 24. and in other places it is said That Gâ—d is Iealous but that such a passion as Jealousie should be in God is contrary to Reason Now if there be other places in Scripture which suppose God not to be Jealous they must be metaphorically interpreted that they may not seem to suppose any such thing The Scripture expresly saith That God came down upon Mount Sinai Exod. 19.20 and ascribes to him other local motions no where expresly declaring that God is not moved so that all Men ought to believe it to be truth and therefore that which Solomon saith of God in 1 Kings 8. 27. That he cannot be comprehended or contained in any place tho' it do not expresly but only consequentially declare that God is not moved ought to be in like manner metaphorically understood The Heavens also must be taken for God's Throne and Habitation because the Scripture declares positively they are Many things of this kind are said in Scripture consonant to the Opinions of the Prophets and People which Reason and Philosophy but not Scripture say are false all which according to the Rabbi's Opinion who in such cases will allow no consulting with Reason must pass for Truths He affirms that which is not true in saying that no one place of Scripture expresly and directly contradicts another but only by consequence for Moses Deut. 4. 24. expresly declares That God is a consuming fire and directly denies that God is like any visible thing Deut. 4. 12. Now if the Rabbi will have this latter Text not directly but only by consequence to deny that God is Fire and therefore must be so interpreted that it may not seem to deny it let him have his Will and let us grant that God is Fire or rather not to be as mad as he we will let this pass and make use of another example Samuel directly denies that God ever repents of his Decrees 1 Sam. 15. 29. but Ieremy on the contrary affirms Chap. 18. v. 8 10. That God doth sometimes repent both of the good and of the evil that he purposed and decreed Do not these two Texts directly oppose one another Which of these two must be metaphorically interpreted both the Opinions are general and contrary to each other what one directly affirms the other positively denies so that the Rabbi by his own Rule is bound to believe one and the same thing to be true and false but what matter is it tho' one place do not directly but only by consequence contradict another If the consequence be clear and the nature and circumstance of the place will admit of no Metaphorical Explication of which many are to be found in the Bible we have spoke to them in the second Chapter where we have shewn that several Prophets had different Opinions and particularly of those contradictions which I in the 9 th and 10 th Chapter have made appear to be in several of the Scripture Histories they need not be repeated what I have said being sufficient to confute the Absurdities and Falsities which must necessarily follow from the Rabbi's Rule and to shew how unadvisedly and grosly the Author is mistaken The different Opinions of both Rabbies being confuted I do again positively declare That Divinity or Theology ought not to be a Servant to Reason nor Reason to Theology but both ought to maintain their own Dominion Reason ought to rule in things which relate to Wisdom and Truth and Theology in matters which concern our Piety and Obedience The power of Reason doth not so far extend it self as to determin that Men only by Obedience without the true knowledge of things may be blessed and happy but Theology dictates nothing else and commands nothing but Obedience not intending or being able to do any thing against Reason as we have shewed in the preceding Chapter Theology determins Doctrines of Faith no further than is necessary to Obedience but how those Doctrines are precisely in respect of Verity to be understood it leaves Reason to resolve which is the light of our Mind and without which we see nothing but Dreams and Fancies But here by Theology I mean only Revelation so far as it declares the scope and end to which the Scripture aims namely the reason and manner of living obediently or the Doctrines of Faith and Piety This is that which is properly the word of God and doth not consist in a certain number of Books as we have shewed in the 12 th Chapter Theology taken in this sense if we consider its Precepts and Instructions perfectly agrees with Reason and if we consider its End and Design in nothing contradicts it and therefore universally concerns all mankind As for the whole Scripture in general the sense thereof as we have shewed in the 7 th Chapter is to be determined by Scripture History and not by the History of Nature which is the
Foundation and proper Subject of Philosophy Nor ought we to be troubled or concerned if after we have found out the true sense of the Scripture the Scripture in some places seem repugnant to Reason for whatever of that kind we meet with in the Bible and of which Men may without any breach of Charity be ignorant doth not at all concern Theology or the Word of God and consequently of such things a Man may without sin think what he pleaseth and therefore we positively conclude that Reason is not to be accommodated to Scripture nor Scripture to Reason But seeing the fundamental point in Divinity of Mens being saved only by Obedience cannot be demonstrated by Reason to be true or false it may by way of Objection be then asked Why then do we believe it If we do it blindly without Reason we act like Fools without Judgment if on the other side we say this Fundamental Tenet may be proved by Reason then Divinity is a part of Philosophy and cannot be sever'd from it To this I answer That I do clearly confess this Fundamental Doctrine of Theology cannot be made out by Natural Reason at least no Man that I know hath ever done it therefore Revelation was absolutely necessary in the case but yet we may make use of our Judgment and Reason that what hath been revealed may with a moral certainty be believed by us I say with moral certainty for it is not to be expected that we can have any greater assurance than the Prophets themselves had to whom the Revelation was first made and who had no more than a moral certainty as we have shewed in the second Chapter of this Treatise They therefore are in a very great error who endeavour to prove the Authority of Scripture by Mathematical Demonstration for the Authority of the Bible depends upon the Authority of the Prophets and consequently can be proved by no stronger argument than the Prophets made use of to perswade the people of theirs Our certainty of the Scriptures Authority can be grounded upon no other Foundation than that whereon the Prophets founded their Certainty and Authority and we have already shewn the certainty of the Prophets consisted in three particulars First In a clear and lively imagination Secondly In a Sign Thirdly and principally in a Mind inclined and devoted to Justice and Vertue nor could they give any other evidences of their Authority either to the people to whom they spake in their own persons by word of mouth nor can any other be given to us to whom they speak by their Writings the lively imagination of the Prophets was an Argument only to themselves and therefore all our assurance concerning Revelation doth and must consist only in the other two particulars namely in a Sign and in the Doctrine The eighteenth Chapter of Deuteronomy commands the people to obey that Prophet who in the name of the Lord gave them a true Sign but if he prophesied any thing that was false tho' it were in the Name of the Lord he was to be put to death as he was who endeavoured to seduce them from the true Religion tho' he confirm'd his Prophesie with Signs and Miracles as appears in the 13 th Chapter of Deuteronomy whence it follows that a true Prophet was to be known from a false by his Doctrine and by a Miracle both together for such a one only Moses declareth to be a true Prophet and commanded the people to believe him without any fear of being deceived But he declared those to be false Prophets and guilty of Death who foretold any thing that was false tho' it were in the Name of God or he that preached false Gods tho' he wrought true Miracles We then are oblig'd to believe the Scripture that is the Prophets upon account only of their Doctrine confirm'd by Signs because we see the Prophets above all things commend Justice and Charity and intended nothing else because with a sincere Mind without any guile or deceit they declared that Men by Faith and Obedience should be made happy and confirm'd this their Doctrines with Signs We therefore conclude and perswade our selves that when they prophesied they did neither dote or speak unadvisedly in which Opinion we are the more confirm'd when we consider that all their Moral Doctrines did perfectly agree with Reason for it is very observable that the Word of God in the Prophets is exactly consonant to the Word of God within us so that I say again we are as much assured of these things by the Scripture as the Iews were by the Prophets preaching to them viva voce for we have proved in the end of the second Chapter that the Scripture as to its Doctrine and the principal Histories thereof is derived down to us uncorrupted and therefore this Fundamental Doctrine of Scripture and Theology ought with good reason to be embraced by us tho' it cannot be proved by Mathematical Demonstration It is very great folly not to believe a thing which hath been confirmed by so many Testimonies of the Prophets and which is so great a comfort to those who have but ordinary portions of Reason which is so beneficial to the publick and which may without any danger or loss be believed We can give no reason for our doubting or unbelief but our not having Mathematical Demonstration to prove it as if nothing could contribute to living vertuously and prudently but that which is absolutely and apparently true in which there is not the least shadow or doubt and as if there were nothing of chance and uncertainty in our Actions I confess they who think Philosophy and Divinity contradictory one to another and therefore conclude one of them ought to be dethroned and subjected to the other do very well to build Divinity upon a sure Foundation and endeavour by Infallible Demonstration to support it yet I cannot but condemn those that make use of Reason to destroy Reason and by Certain Reason endeavour to prove there is no certainty in Reason while they are demonstrating the Verity and Authority of Theology and strive to deprive Reason of its power they subject Theology to the Empire of Reason and allow it no other splendor than what it borrows from Natural Light If they boast of relying upon the Internal Testimony of the Holy Spirit and say they make use of Reason only to convert Infidels we ought not to believe them because 't is evident that the Holy Spirit beareth witness to nothing but good Works which Paul Galath 5. 22. therefore calls the fruits of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is nothing else but that Tranquility of Mind and Peace of Conscience which ariseth in us from doing good But of the truth and certainty of things meerly speculative no other Spirit but Reason beareth witness Reason only can challenge the power of judging what is true they that pretend to any other Spirit whereby to make themselves certain what is true maintain
that which is false and are either prejudiced with their own Passions and Affections or else fearing to be baffled and made ridiculous by Philosophers and Men of Reason fly for Shelter and Sanctuary to that which is Sacred but what Altar can protect him who offends the Sacred Majesty of Reason I need say no more to such Men having I hope sufficiently proved why Theology ought to be distinguish'd from Philosophy and in what each of them chiefly consists that neither of them ought to be a Servant to the other and that both of them may exercise their own peculiar power without offending one another Lastly I have shew'd where there was occasion what Absurdities Mischiefs and Inconveniencies follow from Men's confounding these two faculties not knowing how exactly to distinguish and divide one from the other Before I proceed I desire notice may be taken that I declare the benefit and necessity of Sacred Scripture that is Revelation to be exceeding great for seeing we cannot by Natural Light perceive that Simple Obedience is the way to Salvation and that God's special Grace and Favour hath by Revelation only and not by Reason made it known unto us the Scripture must certainly be a great help and consolation to all mankind because tho' every Man may obey yet in respect of the whole there are very few who by the dictates and conduct of Reason live vertuously so that were it not for the Testimony of Scripture we might doubt of most Men's Salvation CHAP. XVI Of founding Commonwealths Of every Man's Natural and Civil Right Of the Right of Supreme Powers HItherto I have carefully endeavoured to distinguish and divide Philosophy from Theology and have shewed the liberty of reasoning which Theology allows every Man it is now time to enquire how far this liberty of thinking and speaking a Man's Thoughts may in the best governed Commonwealths extend it self And that we may orderly examin the matter we will discourse of the Foundations of Commonwealths and in the first place of every Man 's Natural Right without any relation either to Government or Religion By the Law and Institution of Nature I mean nothing else but those Rules of Nature according to which every individual Being is naturally appointed and ordained in such a certain manner to be and to act for Example Fishes are by Nature ordained to swim and the greater to eat the less therefore by the Sovereign Right or Law of Nature they possess and enjoy the Water and the greater eat the less For it is certain that Nature considered absolutely hath Sovereign Right to all things within its own power that is the Right of Nature may extend it self so far as its Power can extend for the Power of Nature is the Power of God who hath Sovereign Right to all things But because the universal Power of the whole frame of Nature is nothing else but the Power of every individual Being joyned together it follows that every individual Being hath Sovereign Right to all things within the compass of its Power or the Right of every Individual may extend it self so far as its determinate Power will reach And because the supremest Law of Nature is that every thing should endeavour as far as it is able to preserve it self in that state wherein it is without having regard to any thing else but it self it follows that every individual Being hath Sovereign Right to this self-preservation that is to continue its existence and to operate as it was naturally ordained And in this respect there is no difference between Men and other Individual Beings in Nature nor between Men endued with Reason and others who know not the use of it nor between Fools and Men in their right Senses for what every thing doth by and according to the Laws of its own Nature that it hath in the highest degree right to do because it acteth as it was by Nature appointed and can do nothing otherwise amongst Men therefore considered living only under the Power of Nature he that knows not what Reason is as well as he who knows not what Vertue is hath as much right to live according to the Laws of his Appetite as he who directeth his life by the Rules of Reason My meaning is That as a wise Man hath right to all things which Reason dictates or that lives according to the Laws and Rules of Reason so likewise an ignorant or meer sensual Man hath right to all things whereto his Appetite leads him or that liveth according to the Law of his Appetite which is the same thing that Paul declares who acknowledgeth that before the Law that is so long as Men were considered living in the State and under the Power of Nature there was no sin The Natural Right therefore of every Man is determin'd not by Reason but by Appetite and Power for all Men are not naturally ordain'd to act and operate according to the Rules and Laws of Reason but on the contrary all Men are born actually ignorant of all things and before they can know the right of living and acquire the habit of Vertue a great part of their Age tho' they be well educated is spent and passeth away yet in the mean time they are bound to live and as much as in themselves lies to preserve themselves by the impulse of their Appetite seeing Nature hath given them nothing else wherewith to do it and hath denied the actual use of right Reason so that they are no more obliged to live by the Rules of it than a Cat is bound to live like a Lion whatsoever then every Man as he is considered under the Power and Laws of Nature shall either by the dictates of Right Reason or by the impulse of his Appetite think convenient and profitable for him that by the Law of Nature is lawful for him to desire and either by force deceit intreaties or any other way he thinks most easie to get it and may consequently take any one for an Enemy that endeavours to hinder him from having his desires From whence it follows that the Law and Institution os Nature under which all Men are born and for the most part live prohibits nothing but what no body desires or is in no bodies power nor doth it forbid Contention Hatred Wrath Deceit or any thing absolutely to which a Man's Appetite inclines him Nor is this any wonder for Nature is not bounded and shut up within the Laws only of Human Reason which designs and intends nothing but the real good and preservation of mankind but acts according to an infinite number of other Laws and Rules which regard the whole frame and eternal course of Nature whereof Man is but a small Particle and all Individual Beings are by the necessity and Laws of Nature only ordained in such a certain manner to exist and operate so that if there be any thing in Nature which seemeth to us absur'd and rediculous or evil 't is because we
supreme Magistrates on one side or other concern themselves in the Dispute the Controversie never ends and there is a necessity of dividing into Sects In the Second place it may be observed That the Prophets who were but private persons sometimes by the great Liberty they used in admonishing reproving and reproaching the People did rather provoke than make them better who notwithstanding would with much greater patience receive correction and instruction from their Kings Yea the Prophets were sometimes intolerable to very pious good Kings by arrogating a Power of judging what was well and what ill done and sometimes by reproving Kings to their faces if they suffer'd any thing to be publickly or privately done which was contrary to their Judgment Asa who was by the Testimony of Scripture a good King imprison'd Hanani the Prophet see 2 Chron. chap. 16. for too boldly reproving and reproaching him for the League he made with the King of Syria Beside this Example there are others which shew That the Liberty the Prophets took did sometimes more hurt than good I need not instance the Civil Wars which were occasioned by the Prophets pretending to the Supream Power A Third thing fit to be observed is That during the time the People governed there happened but one Civil War which being ended the Victors had so much compassion for the Conquer'd Party that their whole care and study was how to restore them to their former Power and Dignity But after the People not accustomed to Kings had changed the Form of their Government into Monarchy there was no end of their Civil Wars they fought such fierce and bloody Battels as almost exceed Belief for in one Battel which is hardly credible Fifty Thousand Israelites were slain by the men of Iudah and in another the Israelites slew a very great number though not specified of the men of Iudah took the King himself Prisoner demolish'd a great part of the Walls of Ierusalem and to shew that the Rage of War hath no Moderation they destroy'd the Temple sack't the City laden and glutted with the Spoils and Blood of their Brethren taking Hostages they leave the King in his almost ruin'd Kingdom and more secured by the Weakness than the Faith of the King of Iudah's Subjects laid down their Arms. The men of Iudah in a few years after recovering strength come again into the Field and fight another Battel wherein the Israelites were again Victors killing an Hundred and Twenty Thousand of the Men of Iudah and carried away Captives Two Hundred Thousand of their Wives and Children with a very great Booty so that consumed by these and other Battels mention'd in Scripture they at last fell a prey to their Enemies Before they had Kings they sometimes lived in perfect peace Forty Years together and once which is scarce credible Fourscore Years without any Forreign or Domestick War but after they were governed by Kings and fought not for Peace and Liberty but the Glory of their Monarch we find them continually embroil'd the Reign of Solomon only excepted whose Wisdom and Vertue better appear'd in Peace than in War the desire of reigning at last became so excessive that their Kings sometimes waded to the Throne in Blood. Lastly During the Government of the People the Laws remain'd in their first purity and were constantly observed for before Kings came in there were very few Prophetsâ— but after the Election of Kings the Prophets grew very numerous We read Obadiah hid at one time an Hundred in a Cave to save their Lives We likewise find the People were often deceived with False Prophets the People before Kings had the Government being as there was occasion sometimes haughty and sometimes humble did when they were in Calamity forsake their evil ways sought God restored the Laws and by these means freed themselves from danger and distress but their Kings whose haughty Minds cannot without shame stoop obstinately persisted in their Sins and Vices till the Commonwealth was utterly destroyed By all this it clearly appears First How dangerous it is both to Religion and Government to put the Power of making Laws and governing into the hands of Priests and that it is much safer to restrain them from medling in any Business till their Counsel be ask'd and to keep them from preaching and teaching New Doctrines and Opinions Secondly It is very dangerous to judge and determine of things meerly speculative by Scripture or to make any Laws concerning Opinions which are or may be in themselves disputable That Government is very Tyrannical where Opinions are counted Crimes 't is a sign the angry Multitude are Masters Pilate to gratifie the incensed Pharisees commanded Christ to be crucified It was usual with the Pharisees when they had a mind to put Worthy Persons out of their Places and Offices of Dignity to ask Questions concerning Religion this made them accuse the Sadduces of Impiety According to the Example of the Pharisees base and abominable Hypocrites under pretence of Zeal for Religion persecute and traduce honest worthy vertuous men whom for that Reason they envy and by publickly inveighing against their Opinions stir up the People against their Persons This unworthy Practice because it is cloaked with Religion can hardly be restrained where the Supreme Powers have introduced any Sect whereof they themselves were not Authors for then the Sectaries not the Supream Powers are accounted Interpreters of the Divine Law that is the Supream Power makes Sectaries Interpreters of Scripture and then the Magistrates Authority signifies little with the People who have great Veneration for their Teachers to whose Doctrine and Decisions they think even Kings ought to submit To avoid all these Mischiefs nothing can be safer for a Commonwealth than to place all Religion and Piety only in Works that is only in the Exercise of Justice and Charity and for Matters of Opinion to leave every Man free to his own Judgment But of this Particular more largely hereafter Thirdly We see how necessary it is for the good both of Religion and Government to fix the Right and Authority of determining even in things pertaining to God and Religion and of judging what is right and what is wrong in the Supream Powers for if the power of judging Mens Actions could not without great danger to Religion and Government be allow'd to the Prophets much less ought it to be granted to Men who can neither prophesie or do Miracles But of this Particular I will speak expresly in the next Chapter Fourthly and lastly We see how dangerous it is for People never accustomed to Kingly Government and have Laws accordingly framed to chuse a Monarch for as the People cannot endure such a Government so Kingly Authority cannot brook Laws or any Rights and Priviledges of the People Establish't by any others of less Authority and a King will have very little mind to maintain Laws wherein the Peoples Interest was more intended and provided for than his own for
Multitude as Superstition Whence it happens that the common People under colour of Religion are sometimes easily induced to adore their Kings and at other times to curse and abhor them as the common Plagues of Mankind Therefore to avoid this mischeif great Pains are taken to adorn and attire Religion whether true or false that it may appear very Grave and Solemn and all Persons pay unto it the highest degree of respect and veneration This hath so luckily succeeded amongst the. Turks who count it a Crime so much as to dispute and have their understandings possest with so many prejudices that there is no place in their Minds left for Reason no not so much as doubt But if it be as indeed it is the great Arcanum and concern of Monarchical Government to deceive the People and to cover Fear by which they are kept in Subjection under the specious name of Religion that so they may fight for Slavery as for their own Safety and think it no Shame but their greatest Honour to spend their Bloud and Lives for the Glory of one single Person so on the contrary in a free Commonwealth nothing can be more mischeivously devised or attempted than to possess Mens Judgments which are free with Prejudices or in any manner to restrain or compel them it being utterly repugnant to Common Liberty As for Seditions stir'd up under pretence of Religion they arise from enacting Laws concerning things meerly speculative and because Opinions are many times Condemned for Crimes and the maintainers and followers of those Opinions seldom Sacrific'd to the public Safety but to the Hatred and Cruelty of their Adversaries But if the Laws of Government would take no Notice of Words and only punish Mens Actions there could never be any lawful pretence for such Seditions nor could Controversies be turn'd into Quarrels Seeing therefore that Men are seldom so happy to live in a Commonwealth where every one is allowed the Liberty of Judging and Worshipping God according to his own Understanding or where nothing is esteem'd dearer and sweeter then Liberty I thought my Undertaking would be neither unpleasing or unprofitable if I could make it appear that such a Liberty may be granted without any danger to Religion or the Peace of a Commonwealth but that all three must stand and fall together And this is the chief thing which in this Treatise I intended to demonstrate to which purpose I thought it necessary in the first place to mark out the chief Prejudices concerning Religion I mean the Footsteps of Antient Servitude and in the next place those Prejudices which relate to the right of Sovereign Power which many with shameless boldness study to Usurp and then to secure themselves amuse the Minds of the Multitude still Subject to Superstition with specious shews of Religion that all may again run into Bondage In what order I make these things manifest I will presently in few words declare but first I will mention the Causes which moved me to write I have often wonder'd that Men who boast themselves Professors of the Christian Religion which consists in Love Peace Moderation and Dealing uprightly with all Men should so unjustly contend and cruelly hate one another by which their Faith is better known then by the forenamed Vertues There is now scarce any Man whatever he be Christian Iew Turk or Heathen that can be known by any thing but his habit and attire by frequenting such a Church by maintaining such an Opinion or by being the sworn Disciple of such a Master but in all other things Mens Lives and Conversations are all alike Searching into the Cause of this Evil I found it proceeded from the common Peoples being perswaded that a very great part of Religion consisted in setting a very high value upon the Service Dignities Offices and Benefits of the Church and in honouring Churchmen with all possible Reverence for so soon as this abuse crept into the Church every Knave had a mind to be a Priest and the desire of propagating Religion degenerated into sordid Avarice and Ambition so that the Temple it self was turn'd into a Theatre where Ecclesiastical Doctors did not Preach but like Orators harangued the People not to instruct but to be admired by them publicly reproaching their Adversaries and venting such new fangled Doctrines as they thought would best please the Multitude From hence necessarily arose those great Contentions Envy and inveterate Hatred which no length of time could asswage T is no wonder then that of the primitive Religion nothing remains but the external worship wherein the People seem rather to Flatter than Adore God Faith is become nothing but credulity and prejudice such as turns rational Men into Brutes by denying them the Liberty of their Judgment to distinguish Truth from Falshood and such as seems purposely invented totally to extinguish the Light of Human Understanding Piety and Religion O immortal God! now consist in absurd Mysteries and they that contemn and reject Human Reason and Knowledge as naturally depraved they forsooth which is strangely irrational must pass for Men divinely illuminated Truly if such Men had but one spark of Divine Light they could not be so superciliously Mad but would learn to Worship God with more Prudence and instead of hating as they now do would love those that differ from them in Opinion and forbearing to prosecute them with so much enmity would rather since they pretend to fear their Salvation more then their own Fortune have pity and compassion upon them Moreover if such Men had any Divine Light it would appear in their Doctrine I confess they pretend they can never enough admire the profound Mysteries of the Scripture yet I cannot perceive they teach any thing but the Speculations of Aristotle and Plato to which that they may not seem followers of the Gentiles they have fitted and accomodated the Scripture and as if it were not enough for these Men to run mad with the Greeks would have the very Prophets also to doat like themselves which clearly shews they never saw the Divinity of the Scripture no not so much as in a dream By how much the more they admire the Mysteries of Scripture so much the more they seem to flatter and sooth Scripture rather than believe it of which likewise another Evidence is that many Men as to the better understanding and finding out the true meaning of Scripture lay it down for a Principal and Fundamental position that the Scripture is of divine inspiration and in every part infallibly true which is the very thing that cannot be made out or proved by any other way but a strict examination and right understanding thereof and do likewise establish it for a rule that in interpreting Scripture which needs no human Glosses the Scripture it self is our best guide When I seriously considered that natural reason was not only contemned but also by many condemn'd for the Fountain of Impiety and human inventions past
for divine Doctrins that Credulity was accounted Faith and Philosophical Controversies were maintaned both in Church and State with so much animosity and heat of dispute from whence I perceived that not only cruel hatred and dissention by which Men are easily stir'd up to sedition but many other mischeifs too tedious to be here mentioned took their beginning I resolved diligently to examin the Scripture a new with a free and unprejudiced mind and neither to affirm any thing positively of it or admit any thing to be it's Doctrine which was not clearly Demonstrated by it Under this caution I Composed a method of interpreting the Sacred Volums and furnisht with it I began in the first place to inquire what Prophesy was why God revealed himself to the Prophets and whether they were acceptable to God because they had sublime thoughts and notions of God and Nature or only for their Piety These things being known I could easily determin that the Authority of the Prophets was of greatest weight in things relating to real vertue and to the use and benefit of Life but in other matters their opinions did very little concern us This being likewise known I further inquired what it was for which the Iews were called Gods chosen People and when I perceived it was only because God chose out for them a particular part and climate of the World where they might live conveniently and securely I thereby also learnt that the Laws revealed by God to Moses were nothing else but the Statutes of that particular government of the Iews and that none but the Iews were bound to receive them yea that the very Jews themselves were not bound by them any longer then their Government continued That I might know whether it can be concluded from Scripture that the understanding of of Mankind is depraved by Nature I inquired whether the Catholic Religion or the Divine Law revealed to all Mankind by the Prophets and Apostles were any other then that which natural Reason teacheth and Lastly whether Miracles happen contrary to the order of Nature and whether they do more certainly and clearly prove the Being and Providence of God then those things do which we clearly and distinctly understand by their first Causes but when I could find nothing in whatever the Scripture expresly teacheth disagreable or repugnant to human understanding and when I likewise saw that the Prophets taught nothing but what was plain and might easily be understood and that they adorn'd and confirm'd their Doctrin with such a Style and such reasons as they thought would most affect the minds of the multitude with Devotion towards God I was fully perswaded that the Scripture left reason perfectly free and had nothing to do with Philosophy but that each stood on its own basis But that I might plainly demonstrate these things and put an end to the whole matter I shew which way the Scripture is to be interprepreted and that all its knowledge of things Spiritual is to be drawn from it self and not from those things which we know by the light of nature Then I pass on to shew those prejudices which spring from thence and that the common People addicted to Superstition prizing the reliques of time above eternity do rather adore the Books of the Scripture than the very word of God it self After this I shew the revealed word of God not to be any certain number of Books but a simple knowledge of Gods will revealed to the Prophets that is to obey God with the whole heart by practising Justice and Charity I shew that the Scripture teacheth this according to the capacity and opinions of those to whom the Prophets and Apostles were sent to Preach this Word which they did that Men without any reluctancy might cordially embrace it The Fundamentals of Faith being discovered I Lastly conclude the object of revealed knowledge to be nothing else but obedience and so distinct from natural knowledge as well in respect of its object as its foundations and means that it hath nothing in common with it but each maintains its own proper dominion without any mutual disagreement and that neither ought to be subservient or a hand-maid to the other Moreover because the dispositions of Men are very different one being possest with this and another with that opinion and that which moveth one Man to Devotion provokes another to Laughter every one ought to have the Liberty of his own judgment and the Power of interpreting the Principles of Faith according to his own reason and that no Mans Faith is to be justified or condemned but only by his Works so that all Men may obey God with Freedom of mind and only Righteousness and Charity be in esteem After I have by these things shewed the Liberty granted by God's revealed Law to all Men I go on to the other part of the question which is that this Liberty may be allow'd without any prejudice to the Peace of a Common-wealth or to the Rights of the Supream Powers nor can it be taken away without great detriment and danger both to peace and the whole republick To demonstrate this I begin from every Mans natural right which reacheth so far as every Mans Desire and Power can extend it self and no Man by the Law of Nature is bound to live according to another Mans Will or Inclination but every Man is the assertor of his own Liberty Further I shew that no Man departs from this right but he that transfers the Power of defending himself to another and that he must necessarily and absolutely be the keeper of that right upon whom every one hath devolved his own natural right of living as he pleaseth together with the Power of Defending himself and from hence I prove that they who are possest of the Supream Power have right to all things within their Power and that they only are the Protectors of Law and Liberty all other Men being obliged to Act according to their determinations and Decrees but because no Body can so far deprive himself of his Power of defending himself as to cease from being a Man I thence conclude that no Man can be totally deprived of his natural right but that Subjects do still retain by the Law of Nature many things which cannot be taken from them without very great danger to Government Those things being granted to be their rights either by tacit implication or by express agreement and stipulation made between them and their Governours These things being considered I passon to the Commonwealth of the Iews which I fully enough describe shewing upon what Reason and by whose Decree Religion first began to obtain the force of a Law touching upon some other things by the By which seem worthy to be known After this I shew that they who have the supreme Power are not only Protectors and Interpreters of the Civil but also of the Divine Law and that in them only is the right of Judging what is
wrought upon his fancy for being thrice called Samuel still thought it was by Ely the voice which Abimelech heard was imaginary for it said Gen. chap. 20. v. 6 God said unto him in a Dream and therefore Abimelech not waking but in his sleep the time when the fancy is naturally most apt to imagin things that are not might have a strong Impression of Gods Will upon his Imagination It is the Opinion of some Iews that the words of the Decalogue were not vocally pronounced by God but that the Israelites only heard a noise which did not articulately form words but that the People during the noise mentally understood the Laws of the Decalogue which was once also my own Opinion because I found the words of the Decalogue in Exodus to differ from those of the Decalogue in Deutronomy whence it might seem to follow seeing God spake but once that the Decalogue is not the very words of God but only contains the Sence or signification of his Will. But unless we will wrest the Scripture it must be granted that the Israelites did hear a real and true voice for the 4 th vers of the 5 th chap. of Deut. saith The Lord talked with you Face to Face in the Mount that is as two Men use Personally and Corporally to communicate their conceptions one to another therefore it seems much more consonant to Scripture that God did really create a voice by which he revealed the Decalogue but the reason why the words of the two Decalogues vary may be seen in the 8 th following Chapter of this Book yet that neither fully solves the doubt for it seems very Irrational to conclude that any thing created by and depending on God as all other created Beings do should be able to express or expound the Essence or Existence of God Personally viz. by saying in the first Person I am the Lord thy God though where a Man says with his Mouth I understand yet no Body thinks 't is the mouth of that Man but his Mind that understands but because the mouth hath Reference to the Nature of the Man that said it and the Person also to whom it was said knows what is the Nature of the Intellect he easily understands the mind of the speaking Person by a Comparative consideration of himself but they who knew nothing of God but his mere name and desired him to speak that they might be certain of his Existence how could they be satisfyed in their Request by any Creatures saying I am thy God when that Creature which said so did no more resemble God nor belong to his Nature then any other Creature did what if God should have Framed the Lips of Moses yea of any Beast to have articulatly pronounced and spoken those words I am thy God doth it follow that the Israelites should thereby have understood the Being and Existence of God Moreover the Scripture seems plainly to declare that God himself spoke and for that end descended from Heaven down upon Mount Sinai and that not only the Iews heard him speak but also the Nobles and Elders as we read in the 24 th c. of Ex. Neither doth the Law revealed to Moses to or from which nothing was to be added or taken away and was the Establisht Law of the Country ever command that we should believe God to be Incorporeal and to have no Shape or Figure but only that we should believe there is a God and should Worship him only and that the Iews might not depart from his Worship he commanded that they should not fancy or make any likeness or Image of him for since they had never seen any likeness of God they could make no Image which would Resemble God but necessarily some other Creature which they had seen and so bestow the Worship and Honour of God upon that Creature The Scripture expressly declares God to have Figure and that Moses when he heard God speak happened to see it though indeed it was but his back parts in which there is a hidden Mistery of which we will hereafter speak more at large I will now go on to quote those places which declare the means whereby God hath revealed his Decrees to Men. That Revelation may happen only by Signs or Figures is plain by the 21 th chap. of the 1 st Book of Chron. where God declared his Anger to David by an Angel holding a drawn Sword in his hand in like manner to Balaam and though Maimonides and some others would have it thought that in this Story and all others which relate the appearing of Angels as to Manoah and to Abraham when he would have Sacrificed his Son the Apparitions were always in sleep not that any Man broad waking is able to see an Angel yet they talk to no purpose for they minded nothing else but straining Scripture to countenance Aristotle's and their own idle Figments than which nothing can be more ridiculous God revealed to Ioseph his future Dominion by Images that were not real and external but internal and depending only upon the Imagination of the Prophet By Signs and Words God revealed to Iosua that he would Fight for the Israelites by shewing to him an Angel with a Sword in his hand as Captain of the Host and by words also which Iosua heard from the Angel it was represented to Isaiah by Figures chap. 6. That God's Providence would desert the People by imagining the most holy God on a very high Throne and the Israelites polluted and plunged in the filth of their Sins and so at a great distance from God by which signs he understood the present miserable state of the People but their future calamities were revealed to him by words spoken as it were by God himself And of this kind I could bring many Examples out of Sacred Writ were they not so generally known to all but all these things are more clearly proved by the Text it self in the 12 th Chap. Numb v. 6 7. If there be a Prophet among you I the Lord will make my self known to him in a Vision that is by signs and hieroglyphics but as for the Prophesy of Moses it was vision without signs and will make my self known to him in a dream that is not in a true real voice and words But to my Servant Moses not so with him will I speak mouth to mouth even apparently and not in dark Speeches and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold that is beholding me as a Friend and Companion speaks to me without fear as it is in the 33. chap. of Exod. v. 11. Therefore without doubt the rest of the Prophets did not hear a true and real voice which yet more evidently appears out of the 34. chap. of Deu. v. 10. And there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knew face to face which must be understood by voice only for Moses himself as the 33. chap. of Exod. plainly declares did never
common The Psalms speak of the Cedars of God to express their extraordinary height in the First Book of Sam. Chap. 10. v. 7. it is said The fear of the Lord fell on the People which signifies a very great fear and in this sense all things which exceeded the Capacity of the Iews and whose natural Causes where not known to them were always referr'd and attributed to God. Tempests were called Gods Chiding and Threatnings Thunder and Lightning his Darts and Arrows they thought God kept the Winds shut up in the Caverns of the Earth which they called his Treasuries in which Opinion they differ'd from the Heathen only by believing God and not AEolus to be their Ruler upon this ground Miracles are also called the Works of God that is stupendious wonderful works tho' indeed all things in Nature are the Works of God and only by Divine Power act and subsist in the same Sence the Psalmist calls the Miracles done in Egypt the Powers of God because in the Iews greatest danger they open'd a way to their safety and deliverance when they least expected it and were therefore so much admir'd by them Seeing then the Works of Nature which are strange and unusual are called the Works of God and Trees of extraordinary height and magnitude the Trees of God it is no wonder that in Genesis Men very Valiant and of great Stature tho' impious Robbers and Fornicators were called the Sons of God the Ancient Heathen as well as the Iews used to attribute to God every thing in which any one excell'd other Men Pharaoh when he heard the Interpretation of his Dream said that the Spirit of the Gods was in Ioseph and Nebuchadnezzar said the Spirit of the Holy Gods was in Daniel nothing was more frequent among the Latines then to say things very curiously wrought were done by a Divine Hand which Expression if a Man would turn into Hebrew he must say done by the Hand of God. By these places I have quoted many other in Scripture where mention is made of the Spirit of God may be easily understood and explained the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Iehovah in some places signifie nothing but a vehement dry and destroying Wind as Isa. Chap. 40. v. 7. The Grass withereth the Flower fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it Also Gen. Chap. 1st v. 2. and the Spirit of God that is a strong Wind moved upon the Waters It also signifies a great Mind or Courage the Courage of Gideon and Sampson are stiled in Scripture the Spirit of God that is a bold daring Mind ready to undertake and attempt any thing So also any particular vertue or skill more then ordinary is in Scripture called the Spirit of God Exod. Chap. 31. v. 3. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God in Wisdom and Workmanship speaking of Bezaleel so Isa. Chap. 11. v. 2. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him that is as the Prophet more fully explains himself the Vertue of Wisdom Councel and Might in like manner Sauls Melancholy is called an Evil Spirit of God or from God that is deep Melancholy for Sauls Servants who called his Melancholy the Melancholy of God were they that sent for Musick to recreate him which shew'd that they did not think his Melancholy to be any more than Natural sometimes by the Spirit of God is signified the Life of Man Iob Chap. 27. v. 3. The Spirit of God is in my Nostrils alluding to what is said Gen. Chap. 2. v. 7. God breathed into Mans Nostrils the Breath of Life so Ezek. Chap. 37. v. 14. saith Prophesying to the Dead and I will put my Spirit in you and ye shall live that is I will restore Life to you in the same Sense speaks Iob Ch. 34. v. 14. If he gather unto himself his Spirit and his Breath so likewise is to be understood the 3 Verse of the 6 th Chap. of Gen. My Spirit also shall not always strive with Manfor that he also is flesh that is Man hereafter shall do according to the dictates of his Flesh and not of his Mind which I gave him to discern Good from Evil Psal. 51. v. 10 11. David says Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me cast me not away out of thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me because it was believed that Sins came only from the Flesh and that the Soul or Mind did incline Men only to good therefore the Psalmist implores Gods Assistance against his carnal Affections and prays that his Mind or Soul which God gave him may be preserved and kept by God now because the Scripture describes God like a Man and because the Common Peoples Capacity is weak doth attribute to God a Mind affections of Mind and likewise a Body and Breath therefore the Spirit of God is many times in Scripture taken for the Will the Mind the Power and the Breath of Gods Mouth Isa. Chap. 40. v. 13. the Prophet saith who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord that is who hath disposed the mind of God to will any thing which he himself hath not determin'd Likewise Chap. 63. v. 10. They rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit Hence it is that sometimes 't is taken for the Law of Moses because it doth as it were explain and unfold Gods Mind for Isa. in the 11 th V. of the 63. Ch. saith where is he that put his Holy Spirit within him that is the Law as is clearly Collected from the Context Nehemiah Ch. 9. v. 20. saith thou gavest also thy good Spirit to instruct them speaking of the time of the Law Deut. Ch. 4. v. 6. Moses speaking of the Law saith This is your wisdom and understanding so David Psal. 43. v. 11. saith Thy good Spirit leadeth me into the Land of Vprightness that is thy mind revealed to us leadeth us into the right way the Spirit of God also signifies the Breath of God which is as improperly attributed to God as is Body or Mind Psal. 33. v. 6. And all the Host of them by the breath of his Mouth it signifies the power and might of God Iob Chap. 33. v. 4. The Spirit of God hath made me that is the Power of God or rather his decree for the Psalmist speaking poetically saith by the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the Host of them by the Breath of his Mouth Also Psal. 139. v. 7. It is said whether shall I go from thy Spirit where Spirit signifies Gods Power and presence Lastly the Spirit of God is used in Scripture to express the affections of Gods Mind namely his Benignity Mercy c. Michah Chap. 2. v. 7. Is the Spirit of the Lord straightned are these his doings so Zachary Chap. 4. v. 6. not by might not by power but by my Spirit that is only by my Mercy and in this Sense I think ought to be understood
the 12 th Verse of the 7 th Chapter of Zachary They made their Hearts as an Adamant Stone least they should hear the Law and the Words which the Lord of Hosts hath sent in his Spirit by the former Prophets where Spirit must signifie mercy in this Sense speaketh also the Prophet Haggai Chap. 2. v. 5. Loe my Spirit that is my Grace and Mercy remaineth among you fear ye not Isa. Chap. 48. v. 16. It is said the Lord and his Spirit hath sent me there Spirit may be understood to signifie the Will and Mercy of God or his mind revealed in the Law for the Prophet saith from the beginning that is when he first came to declare Gods Wrath and Judgments against them he spake not in secret from the time that it was published there was I but now I am a Messenger of Joy sent by the Mercy of God to proclaim your restauration it may also as I have already said be taken for the mind and will of God revealed in the Law that is he by the Command of the Law Levit. Chap. 19. v. 17. came to admonish them therefore under the same conditions and in the same manner he warns as Moses did and at last like Moses ends with predicting their restauration but in my Opinion the first Exposition seems the best To return to what was first intended by all these Quotations it is evident that these following plain Phrases of Scripture The Prophets had the Spirit of God. God poured out his Spirit upon Men. Men were filled with the Spirit of God and with the Holy Ghost signifie nothing more then that the Prophets had some particular extraordinary Vertue above other Men and were Persons very Eminent for their constant piety Moreover that they understood the Mind and Will of God for we have shewn that the Spirit in the Hebrew Language signifies both the mind and the purpose and resolutions of the mind yea the Law because it makes known Gods Mind is called the Spirit and Mind of God so that the imagination of the Prophets forasmuch as by it the decrees and purposes of God were revealed may likewise be called the Mind of God and the Prophets may be said to have the Spirit of God now though the Mind and Will of God be Written in our minds and his Eternal purposes and decrees be Engraven on our Hearts and consequently to use the Scripture Phrase we also understand the Mind of God yet because natural Knowledge is common to all Men it is very little esteem'd and the Iews who valued themselves above all other Nations extreamly despised it because it was common to all Mankind Lastly the Prophets were said to have the Spirit of God because Men were altogether ignorant of the Causes of Prophetical Knowledge and did not only admire it but as they did all other strange and unusual things ascribed it to God as the immediate Author of it We may then without any scruple affirm that the Prophets did no other way understand the revelations of God then by the help of imagination that is by the means of words or signs and these either real or imaginary for seeing we find in Scripture no other means beside these it is not lawful to suppose or fancy any other but by what Laws and Rules of Nature it was done I confess I am utterly ignorant I might with others say it was done by the Power of God but it would be little to the purpose and no more then if I should by some unintelligible terms express the form of any thing all things are done by the Power of God for the Power of Nature is nothing but the Power of God and 't is certain that we therefore do not understand the Power of God because we are ignorant of natural Causes and we very foolishly have recourse to the Power of God when we know not the natural Cause of any thing that is when we are ignorant of Gods Power but we have now no need of knowing the cause of prophetical Knowledge for as I have already intimated we only endeavour to find out what the Scripture teacheth us that from thence as from the precepts of Nature we may know our Duty but with the Causes of Scripture-Doctrines we have nothing to do Seeing then the Prophets by the help of imagination understood those things which God revealed there is no doubt but they perceived many things which were beyond the extent of natural understanding for from words and signs many more Ideas may be formed then can be only out of those Principles and Notions upon which all our natural Knowledge is founded Hence it is evident why the Prophets perceived and declared all things parabolically and in dark Speeches and exprest all spiritual things after a corporal manner because that doth better sute with the nature of the imagination neither can we now wonder why the Scripture or the Prophets spake so improperly and obscurely of the Spirit or Mind of God as Numb Chap. 11. v. 17. I will come down and talk with thee there and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee and put it on them Likewise in the 1 st Book of Kings chap. 22. v. 11. and Zedekiah the Son of Chenaanah made him Horns of Iron and he said thus saith the Lord with these shalt thou push the Syrians till thou hast consumed them Michah saw God sitting Daniel saw him like an Old Man cloathed in white Garments Ezekiel like fire and they who were with Christ descending like a Dove the Apostles like Cloven Tongues and Paul before his Conversion like a great light all which Visions agree with those fancies and imaginations which the vulgar have of God and of Spirits Lastly because the imagination is wandring and unconstant Prophesy did not long continue with the Prophets nor was it frequent but very rare and as there were but very few that had it so likewise 't was very seldom we are now to inquire how the Prophets could be sure of those things which they perceived only by the strength of imagination and not by the certain Principles of mental Knowledge but whatever may be said concerning this Particular ought to be fetcht from Scripture tho' as we have already confest we have no true knowledge of the thing and cannot explain it by its first Causes however what the Scripture declareth concerning the truth and certainty of the Prophets I will shew in the following Chapter wherein I resolve to treat of Prophets CHAP. II. Of Prophets IT appears by the preceding Chapter that the Prophets were not endued with perfection of mind above other Men but only with strength and vivacity of imagination which Scripture-Histories abundantly testify Solomon excell'd all others in Wisdom but not in the gift of Prophesy Heman Darda Kalcoll tho' Men very Wise yet were no Prophets when plain Countrymen who had no Learning yea Women as Hagar Abrahams Maid had that gift which is agreeable both to
Reason and Experience for they who most excel in fancy and imagination are less apt to understand things clearly and they that have excellent understandings have their fancy and imagination not so strong but better kept within compass that it may not be confounded with the intellect those Men therefore who endeavor out of the Books of the Prophets to find the true knowledge of Natural and Spiritual things are extremely mistaken which I purpose to shew at large because the Times Philosophy and the matter it self requires it I will not at all value what superstition babbles to the contrary which hates nothing more then such Men as live good Lives and are lovers of true solid knowledge with shame be it spoken 't is now come to that pass that they who freely confess they have no particular Idea of God and only know him by created Beings of whose Causes they are Ignorant are presently branded with the Name of Atheists To proceed orderly in proving the Point I will shew that there was a difference between the Prophets not only in respect of imagination and temperament of Body but also in respect of the Opinions wherewith they were prepossest so that they never became the more Learned by Prophesy which I will presently more fully make out but I must first speak of the Prophets certainty because it belongs to the Subject of this Chapter and because it contributes somewhat to the Proof of what I design to demonstrate Because simple imagination doth not in its own Nature include certainty as every clear and distinct Idea doth there must necessarily some other thing accompany imagination to make us sure of the things we imagin and that is reasoning whence it follows that Prophesy of it self doth not include certainty because it depends only upon the imagination and therefore the Prophets themselves were not certain of what God revealed by the Revelation it self but by some sign as appears by Abraham Gen. chap. 15. v. 8. And he said Lord God whereby shall I know that I shall Inherit it asking a Sign after he heard the promise without doubt he believed God and did not ask the sign that he might believe but that he might be sure the promise came from God. The same thing more plainly appears by Gideon Judges chap. 6. v. 17 and he said unto him if I have found Grace in thy sight then shew me a Sign that thou talkest with me God said to Moses let this be a sign unto thee Ezechiah who well knew that Isaiah was a Prophet asked a sign of him when he foretold his recovery which shews that the Prophets had always some sign by which they were certain of the things they Prophetically imagined and therefore Moses Deut. chap. 18. v. 22. bids the People ask a sign of any that pretend to Prophesy which sign was to be foretelling some future event Prophesy therefore in this particular gives Place to Natural knowledge which needs no sign but in its own Nature includes certainty but the certainty of Prophesy was not Mathematical but only Moral which also appears by Scripture Deut. chap. 13. Moses warneth the People that if any Prophet should teach them to Worship any other God tho' he confirmed his Doctrine by Signs and Miracles yet the Prophet was to be put to death for Moses goes on and says that God did by Signs and Miracles prove the People whether they loved the Lord with all their heart Christ in like manner warneth his Disciples telling them Math. chap. 24. v. 24. there should arise false Christs and false Prophets and should shew great signs and wonders Ezechiel chap. 14. v. 9. plainly declares that God sometimes deceives Men with false Revelations And if the Prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing I the Lord have deceived that Prophet which Michaiah also testifies of the Prophets of Ahab 1 st Book of Kings chap. 22. v. 21. 22 23. And tho' this shews Prophesy to be a thing somewhat doubtful and uncertain yet it had a great deal of certainty in it for God never deceiveth the Godly and Elect but according to that saying in the 1 st Book of Sam. chap. 24. v. 13. As saith the Proverb of the Ancients wickedness proceedeth from the wicked but my hand shall not be upon thee and as it likewise appears by the History of Abigal and her discourse God useth pious Persons as Instruments of his goodness and wicked Men for Executioners of his wrath this likewise is made Evident by the Case of the Prophet Michaiah for tho' God had decreed Ahab should be deceived by the Prophets he made use of false Prophets but to a good Prophet revealed the Truth of what was to happen and did not hinder the Prophet from foretelling the Truth but still the certainty of the Prophet was but Moral because no Man can justify himself before God nor boast that he is the Instrument of God the Anger of God led David to Number the People whose Piety the Scripture sufficiently declares all Prophetical certainty was founded upon three Particulars First the Prophets did as strongly and with as much vivacity imagin the things revealed as Men waking use to do the things they see Secondly the certainty of the Prophets was confirm'd by a Sign and Thirdly because their Minds were continually inclin'd to Vertue and Justice tho' the Scripture doth not always make mention of the sign yet we ought to believe the Prophets still had a sign for the Scripture doth many times leave out circumstances and conditions and relates things as supposed to be known Moreover it is to be granted that the Prophets who Prophesied nothing new but what was contain'd in the Law of Moses had no need of a sign for example the Prophesy of Ieremy concerning the destruction of Ierusalem needed no sign because 't was confirm'd by the Prophesies of the rest of the Prophets and by the threatnings of the Law but for the confirmation of Hananiahs Prophesy who against all the Prophets foretold the sudden Restauration of the City there was necessity of a sign till the coming to pass of what he predicted should make it good Ierem. chap. 28. v. 9 10. Seing then the certainty of Prophesy which depended upon signs was not Mathematical that is such as necessarily follow'd from the thing apprehended or seen but only Moral and that signs were given to satisfy and convince the Prophet himself it likewise follows that signs were given according to the Opinion and Capacity of the Prophet so that the sign which made one Prophet confident and certain of his Prophesy could not assure another as the signs were different and various so also Revelation it self did vary in every Prophet according to the disposition of his imagination the temper of his constitution or the Opinions wherewith he was prepossest for example if a Prophet were chearful and merry to him were revealed Victories and Peace which cause Mirth and Gladness such things using
shall his Kingdom stand here Christ convinceth the Pharisees from their own Principles and Opinions who said he cast out Devils by Belzebub the Prince of Devils but we ought not to conclude that Christs Words are an absolute proof that there are Devils and a Kingdom of Devils So also when he said to his Disciples Matth. Chap. 18. v. 10. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little Ones for I say unto you that in Heaven their Angels do always behold the Face of my Father which is in Heaven by these Words Christ taught nothing more then that they ought not to be proud or despise any one whatever else was faid was only the better to perswade his Disciples the same may be said of the Signs and Discourses of the Apostles nor need we say more of this Subject because it would be extreamly tedious to Quote all those places of Scripture which are Writen only Ad hominem or according to Mens Capacity and with a great prejudice to Philosophy are maintain'd to be Divine Doctrines 'T is sufficient to have mention'd these few general ones the Curious Reader may himself examine the rest but seeing all those things which I have spoken concerning Prophets and Prophesy do directly concern the thing I aimed at which was to divide Philosophy from Theology yet because I have only touched upon the question generally I will now in the following Chapter inquire whether the Gift of Prophesy were peculiar only to the Iews or common to all Nations And also what is to be understood by the calling of the Iews CHAP. III. Of the calling of the Jews and whether the Gift of Prophesy were peculiar only to the Jews EVery Mans prosperity and true happiness consists only in the fruition of good but not in the glory that he alone and no other Person enjoys that good for whoever thinks himself the more happy because it is well with him when it is not so with other Men or because he is more fortunate and prosperous then others is ignorant what is true felicity and beatitude and the joy which ariseth from such a conceit is Childish and savors of an envious Evil Mind for example Mans true beatitude and felicity consists only in Wisdom and the knowledge of Truth but not in his being wiser then other Men or that other Men want true knowledge for that adds not at all to his Wisdom which is his true happiness he therefore that rejoyceth in being happyer then other Men takes Pleasure in their misfortune and is an envious Evil Man and he that is so never knew true Wisdom or the Peace of a good Life seeing therefore that the Scripture for the better perswading the Iews to obey the Law saith Deut. chap. 10 v. 19. that God chose them above all People and was nigher to them then to all other Nations Deut. chap. 4. v. 7. that he gave them Statutes and Laws more righteous and just then he did to other Nations as it is in the 8 th Verse of the same chap. and lastly that God made himself more known to them then to other People as it is in the 32 th verse of the 4 th chap. All this was spoken according to the capacity and understanding of those that did not know what was true blessedness as we have shewn in the foregoing Chapter and as Moses himself testifies in Deut. chap. 9. v. 6 7. for the Iews had not been less blessed tho' God had equally called all Men to Salvation nor had God been less gracious to them tho' he had been as nigh to other Nations their Laws had not been less righteous nor they less wise tho' the same had been prescribed to all other People and the Miracles done among them had not less declared Gods Power tho' the like had been wrought for other Nations nor had the Iews been the less obliged to serve and Worship God tho' God had equally given to all other Men the same Gifts which he bestow'd on them God's saying to Solomon in the 1 st Book of Kings chap. 3. v. 12. that none after him should be ever like him for understanding seems to be only a manner of speaking to declare the excellency of Solomons Wisdom what ever the words mean yet we ought not to believe that to increase Solomons happiness God promis'd never to make any Man so wise as he for that would not at all have made Solomons Wisdom greater neither would a wise King have given God the less thanks tho' God had said he would bestow as much Wisdom upon all other Men. But tho' we say that Moses in the forecited places of the Pentateuch spake according to the Capacity of the Iews yet we cannot deny but that God prescribed those Laws of the Pentateuch to the Iews only that he spoke only to them and that no other Nation ever saw such miracles as were wrought amongst them all that I intend is that Moses spake after such a manner and made use of such arguments the better to convince their Childish understandings and bind them the faster to the service and worship of God. Lastly we will shew that the Iews did not excel other Nations in knowledge or Piety but in some other thing or that I may with Scripture speak to their Capacity God did not make choise of the Iews above other Nations that their knowledge might be more sublime or their Lives more righteous then other Peopl's but for another end and purpose and what that was we will in order declare But before I begin I will in few words explain what I mean in that which follows by Gods disposing and direction what by Gods external and internal assistance what by Gods calling or Election And Lastly what I intend by fortune I take Gods disposing or direction to be the fixed order and immutable course of Nature or the Concatenation of Natural things and causes for we have already shewn that the universal Laws of Nature whereby all things are done and determin'd are nothing else but Gods eternal decrees which imply eternal verity and necessity therefore whether we say that all things are done and brought to pass according to the Laws of Nature or by the ordination and decree of God we say but one and the same thing because the Power of all Natural beings is nothing else but the Power of God by which all things were ordered and done it therefore follows that whatever Man who is a part of Nature doth for the preservation of his being or whatever Nature without any indeavour of his offers him for that end it is offered by the divine Power operating either by human Nature or by things without it so that whatever human Nature can perform by its own Power for self preservation that may be truly called Gods internal assistance and that benefit and advantage which Man receives from the Power of external causes may be justly termed Gods external help which fully explains what is
happen to them in time to come all which fully proves that he had been always a Prophet or had often Prophesyed and what is further to be observed that he likewise had that which made the Prophets certain of the truth of their Prophesy namely an honest and good Mind for he did not as Balaack thought curse and bless whom he would but only those that were to be blessed or curst as God pleased therefore he answered Balaack if Balaack would give me his House full of Gold I cannot go beyond the Commandment of the Lord to do either good or bad of mine own Mind but what the Lord saith that will I speak as for Gods being angry with him it was no more then happen'd to Moses when by Gods Command he went into Egypt Exod. Chap. 4. v. 24. where it is said the Lord met him and sought to kill him his taking Mony to Prophesy was no more then was done by Samuel 1 st Book of Sam. chap. 9. v. 7 8. St. Peter in his 2 d Epistle Chap. 2. v. 15 16. and Iude in the 11 th Verse of his Epistle tells us in what Balaam sinned but what saith the 20 th Verse of the 7 th Chap. of Ecclesiastes No Man so just upon Earth who always doth good and never Sins certainly the Prayers of Balaam were very prevalent seeing 't is so often recorded in Scripture that for a Testimony of God's Mercy to the Israelites he refused to hear Balaam and turned his Curses into a Blessing as we may see Deut. Chap. 23. v. 5. Iosh. Chap. 24. v. 10. and Neh. Chap. 13. v. 2. So that without question he was a Person very acceptable to God who is never moved with the Prayers or Curses of wicked Men. Seeing therefore that Balaam was a true Prophet and that notwithstanding Ioshua Chap. 4. v. 22. calls him a Southsayer yet that name was sometimes taken in a good Sense and those that the Gentiles called Augurs or Diviners were true Prophets and those whom the Scripture Condemns for false Diviners were they that deceived the Nations as the false Prophets did the Iews which clearly appears out of other places of Scripture We therefore conclude that the Gift of Prophesy was not peculiar to the Iews but common to all Nations but the Pharisees zealously maintain the contrary and say that the Iews only had that Divine Gift and that other Nations did foretel future Events what will not Superstition invent by I know not what Diabolical Power and Arts the place of greatest Authority in the Old Testament which the Pharisees quote for the Confirmation of their Opinion is Exod. Chap. 33. v. 16. where Moses saith to God Wherein shall it be known here that I and thy People have found Grace in thy sight is it not in that thou goest with us so shall we be seperated I and thy People from all the People that are upon the face of the Earth Hence the Pharisees infer that Moses Petitioned God to be present with the Iews that he would prophetically reveal himself to them and that he would not grant that Favour to any other Nation certainly it is very ridiculous to think Moses envyed the presence of God to other Nations and People or that he durst desire any such thing but the truth of the Case was that after Moses knew the obstinate disposition and Rebellious Mind of his Nation he clearly saw that without very great Miracles and the particular external Assistance of God he should never perfect what he had begun but that they must all necessarily perish without such Assistance and therefore that it might appear God would preserve them he prayed for that extraordinary external Aid from God for he saith Exod. Chap. 34. v. 9. If now I have found Grace in thy sight O Lord let my Lord I pray thee go among us for it is a stiffnecked People the reason therefore why Moses desired that particular external help from God was because the People were stubborn and disobedient and that Moses desired no more then this external Assistance appears evidently by Gods Answer v. 10. of the same Chapter Behold I make my Covenant before all thy People I will do Miracles such as have not been done in all the Earth nor in any Nation So that Moses here treateth of the Election of the Iews only in that Sense I have explain'd it and requested no other thing of God but I find another Text in Paul's Epistle to the Romans Chap. 3. v. 12. which much more satisfies me tho' he seem to be of a disserent Opinion from mine for he saith what Advantages hath the Jew or what profit is there in Circumcision much every way chiefly because unto them were Committed the Oracles of God. But if we carefully consider the Doctrine which Paul chiefly design'd to maintain we shall find it so far from contradicting mine that it perfectly agrees with it for he saith v. 29 th of the same Chap. Is he the God of the Jews only is he not also of the Gentiles And chap. 2. v. 25 26. he saith if the Circumcised break the Law Circumcision is made Vncircumcision and if the Vncircumcised keep the Righteousness of the Law shall not his Vncircumcision be counted for Circumcision He further saith v. 9. of the same Chapter that both Iews and Gentiles were all under Sin but there can be no Sin where there is no Commandment or Law. 'T is evident that the Law was absolutely reveal'd to all Mankind as I have already shewn by the 28 th v. of the 28 th Chap. of Iob under which all Men lived namely that Universal Law which obligeth all Men to live a virtuous and good Life and not that particular Law which was ordain'd for the Constitution and Advantage of any single Government and was suited to the disposition of only one particular People Lastly Paul concludes because God is the God of all Nations that is equally good to all Mankind and because all were equally under the Law and Sin therefore God sent Christ to all Nations that he might free all from the Bondage of the Law that for the future they might do well not by the compulsion of Law but by their own free will So that Paul makes good my Doctrine to a tittle by his saying that the Oracles of God were Committed to the Jews we are to understand that the Laws which were given to other Nations by Revelation and internal Communication to their Minds were delivered to the Jews in Writing or we must say that seeing Paul endeavour'd to confute that which only the Iews could Object he answer'd according to the understanding and the then received Opinion of the Jews the better to insinuate those things which he had partly heard and seen because with the Grecians he became a Greek and to the Jews a Jew Nothing now remains but answering the Objections of some Men who perswade themselves that the Election of the Jews was not temporal
the Scripture saith that God did command Adam that he should not eat of that Tree and yet notwithstanding he did eat of it it must necessarily be said that God only revealed to Adam the Evil that would follow upon it but did not reveal the necessity of the Evil's following whence it came to pass that Adam understood that Revelation not as an eternal verity and necessary Truth but as a Law or Ordinance upon which Gain or Loss was to follow not in respect of the Necessity and Nature of the Action done but only in respect of the Absolute Will and Command of a Prince The Revelation therefore in respect of Adam only and only for want of Knowledge in him was a Law and God a Law-giver and Prince For the like defect of Knowledge was the Decalogue a Law to the Iews because they knew not the Being of God to be an Eternal Verity therefore that which was revealed to them in the Decalogue namely that there was a God and that he only was to be worshiped was received by them as a Law but had God spoken to them immediately and not by Corporeal means they had taken it for an Eternal Verity and not for a Law and what we say of Adam and the Israelites may be said of all the Prophets who writ Laws in the Name of God that they did not rightly understand God's Decrees to be Eternal Verities For Example Moses by Revelation or by Principles revealed to him understood the means whereby the People of Israel might be best united in a particular Place of the World form a Common-wealth and erect a Government and also the best way to compel that People to obedience but yet he did not know nor was it revealed to him that those means or that Way was best neither that from the common Obedience of the People in such a Climate of the World that end would necessarily follow to which those means were directed and therefore all those things were not understood by him as Eternal Verities but as Precepts and Institutions which he prescribed as the Laws of God and this was the Reason that he imagined God was a Governour a Lawgiver a King merciful and Just when all these are only the Atributes of Human Nature and not any Part of the Divine Nature but tho' we say this of the Prophets who writ Laws in the Name of God we ought not to say the same of Christ for though he seemed to write Laws in the Name of God we are to believe that he understood things truly and perfectly for Christ was not so much a Prophet as he was the Mouth of God for God by the Mind of Christ as we have shewn in the first Chapter did reveal some things to Mankind as he did before by Angels that is a Created Voice And by Visions wherefore it would be altogether Irrational to think that God accommodated his revelations to the Opinions of Christ as that God fitted heretofore his revelations to the Opnions of the Visions and of the Angels that is created Voices that he might communicate the things which were to be revealed to the Prophets then which nothing can be more absurd especially since Christ was not sent to the Iews only but to all Mankind so that it was not sufficient his Mind should be fitted to the Opinion of the Iews but to the Opinions and Documents general to all Mankind that is those Notions which were common and True and from communicating himself immediately to Christ or to his understanding and not as he did to the Prophets by words and Signs nothing else can be concluded but that Christ did truly perceive and understand those things which were revealed for then a thing is clearly understood when it is clearly and mentally perceived without the help of Words and Signs Christ therefore understood things truly and plainly and if ever he prescribed them as Laws he did it because the People were ignorant and obstinate and acting God's Part applyed himself to the Nature and Dispofition of the People and therefore tho' he spoke somewhat plainer then the rest of the Prophets yet sometimes he spoke Obscurely and by Parables especially when he spoke to them to whom it was not given to know the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. chap. 13. v. 11. But without doubt all things which he taught those to whom it was given to know the Misteries of the Kingdom of Heaven he taught them as Eternal Verities and did not prescribe them as Laws and in this confideration he freed them from the Bondage of the Law and yet nevertheless did the more confirm it and deeply ingrave it on their Hearts which Paul seems to declare in the 7 th chap. of his Epist. to the Romans v. 6 th But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held that we should serve in Newness of Spirit and not in the Oldness of the Letter and in chap. 3. v. 8. Therefore we conclude that a Man is justified by Faith without the Deeds of the Law. But neither doth Paul speak very clearly for he saith Rom. chap. 3. v. 5. I speak as a Man which he expresly saith when he calls God just and righteous and without doubt because of the Frailty of the Flesh he supposeth Mercy Grace and Anger to be in God applying his Discourses to the understanding of the Common People as may be seen in his first Epistle to the Corinthians chap. 3. v. 1 2. Brethren I could not speak unto you as Spiritual but as unto Carnal Men. Rom. chap. 8. v. 18. He declareth that the Mercy and Wrath of God doth not depend upon Mens Works but on his own Will. Moreover no Man is justified by the Works of the Law but only by Faith Rom. chap. 3. v. 28. And by Faith nothing is meant but a full consent of the Mind Lastly Paul declares that no Body is Blessed who hath not in him the Mind of Christ Rom. chap. 8. v. 9. Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his by which Mind and Spirit he may understand the Laws of God to be Eternal Verities We conclude therefore that God was described as a Prince and Law-giver and stiled Just and Merciful only in regard to the Capacity of the Vulgar and their want of Knowledge but that God from the necessity and perfection of his Nature doth act and govern all things and his Will and Decrees are Eternal Verities and imply Eternal Necessity which is the thing I purposed in the first Place to explain and prove passing now to the Second Particular let us run through the whole Scripture and see what it saith of this Natural Light and Divine Law. The first thing we meet with is the History of the first Man where we are told God commanded Adam he should not eat of the Fruit of the Tree of good and evil which seems to signify that God commanded Adam to do and seek
benefits which he promised they should receive from Heaven The Laws which he establisht were not very severe as will appear to any Man that considers how many circumstances were required to the condemning of any offender that the People who could not govern themselves might absolutely depend upon the verbal commands of the supream Magistrate he did not permit them being accustomed to Bondage to do any thing of their own accord but whatever they did was to be done according to the prescript of the Law no Man could at his own Pleasure Plow Sow or Reap no Man could eat what he pleased nor could he cloth himself shave his Head and Beard or make merry but according to certain Rules set down in the Law nor was this all for they were to have upon the Posts of their Doors upon their Hands and their Fore-heads certain Signs which were to put them in continual mind of their obedience the end and design then of Ceremonies was that the People might do nothing by their own will and determination but only by the command of another and by continual Action and meditation confess they were not Masters of themselves but wholly Subjected to the will of another by all which 't is evident that Ceremonies conduce nothing to true felicity and that those of the Old Testament yea the whole Law of Moses concerned only the government of the Iews and consequently had respect to nothing more then Bodily conveniences as for Christian Ceremonies namely Baptism the Lords Supper Holy-days public Forms of Prayer or any others common to Christianity if they were ever instituted by Christ or his Apostles which doth not clearly appear they were only appointed as marks and signs of the Universal Church but not as things that contain any Sanctity in themselves or contribute any thing to eternal happiness and therefore being ordain'd not in reference to government but only in respect to mutual Society he that liveth alone or he that liveth under a government where the Christian Religion is forbidden is not oblig'd to the Observation of these Ceremonies and yet may live happily an example whereof we have in the Kingdom of Iapan where the Hollanders by the command of their East-India Company abstain from all outward Worship and that their so doing is justifiable I think is not difficult to prove from the Fundamental Principles of the New Testament But I hasten to the Second particular which I purposed to treat of in this Chapter namely why believing the Histories contained in Scripture is necessary and to find out this by Natural reason I thus proceed Whoever will perswade or disswade Men to or from any thing which is not in or by it self known must deduce that thing from Principles generally granted and allowed and must convince those Men either by reason or experience that is by things which Men by their Sences know to have happen'd in Nature or else by maxims which the understanding can neither doubt or deny but unless experience be such as is clearly and distinctly understood tho' it may convince a Man yet it cannot equally affect the understanding and disperse the Clouds thereof as will that which is proved by intellectual Principles that is orderly deduced from Notions certain and intelligible especially if the question be of any thing that is meerly Spiritual and falls not under sense but because to prove things only by intellectual Propositions requires a long Chain of Notions much Circumspection Sharpness of Wit and great Temper all which are seldom found together therefore Men had rather be taught by experience then put themselves to the trouble of linking together all their perceptions deduced from a few maxims so that he that would teach a whole Nation I need not say all mankind any particular doctrine and would be clearly understood in all things by all Men he must confirm his Doctrine by experience and must accomodate his reasons and the definitions of what he teacheth to the capacity of the vulgar who make up the greatest part of Mankind and must not think of giving such definitions as he thinks fittest for tying his reasons together because he would then write only to the Learned and would be understood but by a very few Seeing then the Scripture was revealed first for the use and instruction of a whole Nation and afterwards of all Mankind it was absolutely necessary that the things therein contain'd should be suited to the capacity of the common People and confirm'd only by experience to make my meaning yet more clear I say that all things taught in Scripture which are only Speculative are cheifly these First that there is a God or a being which made all things and by infinite wisdom governeth and sustaineth all things who taketh great care of Mankind and particularly of those that live honestly and Religiously but for those that live wickedly he separates them from the good and afflicts them with greivous Punishments But all those things the Scripture confirms only by experience namely by the Histories which it recites nor doth it plainly define any of these things but fiteth all its reasonings and expressions according to the capacity and understanding of the vulgar and tho' experience can give a Man no true and plain knowledge of things nor teach a Man what God is in what manner he orders and upholdeth all things or how he takes care of Mankind yet it gives Men so much light and knowledge as is sufficicient to Imprint in their Minds Piety and Obedience So that now I think 't is very plain to what Persons and for what reasons the belief of Scripture Histories is necessary that is to the common People by whom things cannot be clearly and distinctly understood and whoever denies these Histories because he neither believes the being or Providence of God is impious but he that is ignorant of these Histories and yet by natural reason concludes there is a God who made and preserveth all things if he live a vertuous life that Man is blest yea more blessed then the vulgar because beside the Truth of his Opinions he hath a clear and distinct understanding Lastly he that is ignorant of Scripture History and knows nothing of God by the light of natural reason if he be not impious and obstinate yet he may well be accounted a Beast rather then a Man and to have no Gift of God in him but 't is to be observed that when we say the knowledge of Scripture History is very necessary for the common People I do not mean all the Histories contain'd in the Bible but only the cheif and those that give the clearest Evidence of the before mentioned Doctrins and have the greatest influence upon the minds of Men for if all the Histories in the Scripture were absolutely necessary to prove its Doctrine and no conclusion could be made but from the consideration of all the Histories together contain'd in it then the demonstration and proof of its Doctrine
would not only exceed the capacity of the vulgar but the understanding of all Mankind for who could possibly retain and comprehend so great a Number of Histories and so many circumstances and parts of Doctrine as might be collected from so many and different Histories truly I cannot be perswaded that those Men who left us the Scripture as we now have it abounded with so much Wit as to be able to find out such a demonstration of its Doctrine much less do I believe that the Doctrine of the Scripture could not have been understood unless we had been told of Isaacs strivings about the digging of Wells of Achitophels Council to Absalon and the Civil Wars between the Children of Iudah and Israel with other Chronicles of like kind or that the Iews who lived in the time of Moses were not so capable of understanding the Doctrine of Scripture by Histories as were the Iews who lived in the time of Esdras of which more hereafter the common People are therefore obliged to know only those Histories which stir up their minds to Devotion Piety and Obedience but they are not competent Judges of those Histories because they are more pleased with the narrations and the unexpected events of things then with the Doctrine it self and for this reason beside the reading of Histories they need Pastors and Ministers in the Church to instruct their weak understanding But not to digress from what we principally design'd to prove we conclude that the belief of Histories whatever they be doth not belong to the Divine Law nor doth of it self make Men happy or blessed nor are Histories profitable except it be in point of Doctrine which is the only thing that makes some Histories therefore contain'd in the Old and New Testament excel those that are profane and common and Scripture Histories mutually compared are more excellent one then another for sound and wholsom Doctrine He then that reads Scripture Histories and in all things gives intire credit to them yet if he follow not their Doctrine and amend his Life it is all one with him as if he read the Alchoran a Comedy or any vulgar History but as we have already said he that never heard of Scripture if his Opinions be true and his Life righteous he is truly blessed and the Spirit of Christ is in him but the Iews are of a contrary Opinion for they say let a Mans Opinions be never so Orthodox and his Life never so vertuous yet if he be guided only by natural Light and not by the Doctrins which are Prophetically revealed to Moses he can never be blessed and happy which Rabbi Maimonides boldly affirms in his Eighth Chapter and Second Law concerning Kings He that receiveth the Seven Commandments and diligently performeth them is one of the Pious among the Nations and Heir of the World to come that is if he receive and Practise them because God in his Law commanded and revealed them by Moses and because those precepts were also given to the Sons of Noah but if he Practise them by the guidance and dictates of natural reason he is none of us nor is he to be thought one of the Pious and Learned of the Nations It was an opinion among the Iews that God gave to Noah seven Commandments and that all Nations were obliged to observe only those seven but that God gave many more Commandments to the Iews that he might make them much happier then other Nations Rabbi Ioseph the Son of Shem Tob in his Book called Kbod Elohim or the Glory of God likewise saith that tho' Aristotle whose Book of Ethicks was in his opinion the best that ever was written had omitted nothing which belonged to that Subject and he himself had diligently Practised all he Writ yet he could not be saved because he embraced those Doctrins he taught as the dictates of reason and not as divine and Prophetical Revelations But these conceits are meer Fopperys grounded neither upon reason or Scripture and need no more confutation then doth the opinion of some Men who maintain that by natural light and reason we cannot know any thing belonging to Salvation a Tenet that cannot be rationally prov'd by Men who do not allow themselves any reason but what is corrupted and depraved and if they boast of any thing above reason 't is meer Folly and far beneath reason as sufficiently appears by their manner of living so that of this we need say no more I will only add this that no Man can be known but by his works and therefore they that abound in the Fruits of Love joy peace long suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance c. against whom saith Paul Galat. chap. 5. v. 22. there is no Law whether they be taught by reason or Scripture they are certainly taught of God and are truly blessed CHAP. VI. Of Miracles AS Men use to call that knowledge Divine which exceeds human capacity and understanding so when any thing is done in nature of which the common People know not the cause that they call the Work of God for the vulgar believe Gods Power and Providence do most plainly appear when they see any thing strange and unusual happen in nature contrary to the customary opinion they have of Nature especially when that which happens is for their benefit and advantage and they think the being of a God never more clearly proved then when nature seems not to keep its constant course and therefore conclude that those Men deny the Being and Providence of God who endeavour to explain and understand what they call Miracles by their natural causes They indeed think that while Nature goes on in her wonted course God doth nothing and on the contrary when God Acts the Power of Nature and Natural Causes are idle and at a stand so that they imagin two numerical distinct Powers namely the Power of God and the Power of Nature appointed and directed or as most Men now believe Created by God but what they mean by either or what they understand by God and Nature they know not but fancy Gods Power to be like that of a great King. And the Power of Nature nothing but blind force and violence the Common People therefore call the extraordinary Works of Nature Miracles or the Works of God and partly out of Devotion partly out of a desire to contradict those that love the Study of Natural Sciences they affect being ignorant of Natural Causes desiring to hear of things they do not know and those things which they least know they most admire by taking away Natural Causes and by imagining things out of the order of Nature they think God is most adored when all things are immediately referr'd to his Power and Will neither do they think the Power of God at any time so wonderful as when according to their fancy it conquers and subdues the Power of Nature Which Opinion was first brought into the World by the Iews who to
which the Pharisees affirm they have or such as have a high Priest who cannot err in expounding Scripture and that the Roman Catholics boast of their Popes but seeing we cannot be sure of such a Tradition or the Authority of such a Priest or Pope we cannot build upon either because the Primitive Christians deny the one and the most Antient Sects of the Iews the other And if we consider the Series and Succession of Years which the Pharisees received from their Rabbies by which they carry their Tradition as high as Moses himself we shall find it false as I have proved in another place such a Tradition therefore ought to be much suspected and tho' in our method we are forced to suppose some kind of Iewish Tradition to be sincere and uncorrupt namely the Signification of words in the Hebrew Tongue which we have received from the Iews yet we need not much doubt this tho' we very well may the other for it can be of no Advantage or Use to any Man to change the Signification of any Word tho' it often may be to alter the Sense of a Speech It is also very difficult to be done for he that should endeavor to change the Sense of any Word must necessarily construe all those Authors who have written in that Tongue and used that Word in its common acceptation according to the Genuine Sense of every Author or else must falsify them with a great deal of Caution The ignorant multitude as well as Learned Men are the keepers of a Language but the Learned only preserve the Sense of Speeches and Books and consequently tho' Learned men may change or corrupt the Sense of some scarce Book yet they cannot the Signification of Words beside if any man had a mind to alter the Signification of a Word to which he is accustomed he cannot without a great deal of difficulty do it either in speaking or writing For these and other Reasons I am perswaded it never yet came into any man's head to corrupt a Language tho' many have perverted the Sense of a writer either by changing or misinterpreting his sayings If our method which layeth this for a ground that the knowledge of Scripture is to be drawn only from the Scripture be plain and true then where it is not able to give us the true Sense and Knowledge of Scripture we may well despair of it what difficulty there is of arriving by this method to the true Meaning and Knowledge of the Sacred Volumes or what is further to be desired in it I will now declare The chiefest difficulty in this method is that is requireth a perfect Knowledge of the Hebrew Tongue but how is that to be had the Antient and most skilful Masters in the Hebrew Language have left little to posterity of the Elements and Learning of it we have from them neither Dictionary Grammar or Rhetoric The Iewish Nation hath lost all its Ornaments and Beauty which is no wonder having suffer'd so many Calamities and Persecutions and retains nothing but a few Fragments of their Language and of a few Books for all the names of Fruits Birds Fishes and many other things by the Injury of time are lost So that the Signification of many Names and Words in the Old and New Testament is unknown or very disputable Seeing then all these things and likewise a Dictionary of the Hebrew Phrases and manners of speaking in the Hebrew Language are very necessary to be had because all the Forms of Speech peculiar to the Iewish Nation are forgotten and lost we cannot as we would find out all the Senses of every Sentence in Scripture which according to the customary use of the Language it comprehends and there are many Sayings in Scripture tho' exprest in known words whose Sense nevertheless is obscure and inscrutable and as we have no perfect History of the Hebrew Tongue so the Nature and Constitution of the Language is such and so many Ambiguities spring from it that 't is impossible to frame such a method as shall direct a Man to find out the true Sense of all that is said in Scripture for beside the Causes of Doubt common to all other Languages there are some others in this from whence proceed many uncertainties which causes here to specify I think worth a Man's pains First Obscurity and ambiguity in Scripture is caused sometimes by using the Letters of the same Organ one for another The Iews divided all the Letters of their Alphabet into five Classes or Forms because there are five particular Parts or Instruments of the Mouth used in pronunciation the Lips the Tongue the Teeth the Palate and the Throat for Example Alpha Ghet Hgain He are called Guttural Letters and are without any difference known to us taken one for another El which signifies To is often taken for Hgal which signifies upon and so interchangebly whence it cometh to pass that all the Parts of a Speech are rendred doubtful or are like words which have no Signification The Second cause of ambiguity is the divers and manifold Signification of conjunctions and Adverbs for example Vau promiscuously serves to joyn and disjoyn signifying And but because indeed otherwise then Ki hath seven or eight Significations because although if when even as that burning and so almost all Particles The Third cause of many Ambiguities is because Verbs in the Indicative Mood want the Present the Preterimperfect the Preterpluperfect and the Future tense and others much used in other Languages In the Imparative and Infinitive Mood they want all the Tenses except the Present and in the Subjunctive have none at all and tho' all these defects of Moods and Tenses may with great Elegancy be supplyed by Rules and Principles deduced from the Language yet they have been wholly neglected by the Antient Writers who promiscuously used the Present and Preterperfect tenses for the Future and sometimes the Indicative Mood for the Imperative and Subjunctive which caused great Ambiguity in their Writings beside these three great Causes of uncertainty in the Hebrew Language there remain two other very observable and both of very great moment The first is that the Iews made no use those Letters we call Vowels The Second that they never used in their Writings to distinguish their Words or express their quantity by any Marks or Signs and tho' both Vowels and Marks use to be supplyed by Points and Accents yet we cannot trust to them seeing they were invented and brought into use by modern Men whose Authority is of no great Value The Antients wrote without Points that is without Vowels or Accents as appears by many Testimonies but some of later times brought in both to interpret the Bible as they thought fit so that the Points and Accents which we now have are only Expositions of Men of the present Age whom we ought not to reverence and believe above other Expositors they that are Ignorant of this know not the Reason why the
Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews is to be excused that in the 21 th Verse of the 11 th Chap. of that Epistle he explains the Text in the 31 th Verse of the 47 th Chap. of Genesis quite otherwise then it is in the pointed Hebrew Text as if the Apostle had been to learn the Sense of Scripture from the Punctists in my Opinion the Punctists are mistaken that it may appear they are and that the difference of the two interpretations ariseth from the want of Vowels I will give you both The Punctists by their Points render the Text in Genesis thus and Israel bowed himself Vppon or by changing hgain into Aleph a Letter of the same Organ towards the Beds Head but the Author of the Epistle saith Israel bowed himself leaning Vppon the top of his Staff by reading Mateh instead of the Word Mitah which difference cometh only from the Vowels Now seeing the forecited Chapter of Genesis speaketh only of Iacob's Age and not of his Sickness as doth the following Chapter it is much more probable the Historian meant that Iacob leaned Vppon the top of his Staff wherewith Men of very great Age use to support themselves and not that he did bow himself uppon or towards his Beds Head because in so rendring the Text there is no need to suppose any interchange of Letters By this Example I have not only reconciled that Place in the Epistle to the Hebrews with the Text in Genesis but have also shewn how little credit is to be given to our new Points and Accents so that he who will interpret Scripture without prejudice must with a great deal of doubting narrowly examin them To return to our purpose every one may easily conjecture that from such a Nature and Constitution of the Hebrew Tongue must proceed so many Ambiguities that 't is impossible for any method to resolve them all and there is little hope it can be done by the mutual comparing of one saying with another which we have declared to be a singular way of finding out the true of many Senses which every Sentence according to the common use of the Language will bear and admit Seeing this comparing of Places cannot explain one another but by meer chance because no Prophet wrote with express Intention to explain the Words of another Prophet or his own and also because we cannot know one Prophet's or Apostle's meaning by anothers unless it be in things that concern the use of Life but not when they speak of things Speculative and when they relate Miracles or Histories moreover I can give you many Instances of Speeches in Scripture that are inexplicable but at present I pass them by and proceed to observe what other difficulties yet remain in this method of interpreting Scripture and what is further to be wisht for in it Another difficulty attends this method because we have not such a History of all the Books of Scripture as is necessary for we know not the Authors or rather the Pen-men of many of the Books at least we doubt of them as I shall at large shew in the following Chapter neither do we know upon what Occasion or when those Books of whose Pen-men we doubt were written we are ignorant into what Hands all the Books fell nor know we in whose Copies so many various Readings are found and whether there be not some which have more various Readings what advantage it is to know all these things I have briefly declared in its proper place but I have there purposely omitted some things which come now to be considered if we read any Book that contains things incredible unintelligible or written in very obscure Terms and know not who was its Author or at what time or upon what occasion it was written in vain do we labour to find out the true Sense thereof for none of these things being known 't is impossible to understand what the Author did or could mean but when we are once satisfyed in these things our Thoughts demine without prejudice and give to the Author or to him in whose Favour the Author writ neither more or less then is his due nor do we think of any other things then were or might be in the Author's mind and such as the time and occasion requir'd and this is apparent for it often happens when in divers Books we read stories one like another we pass different Judgments on them according to the different Opinions we have of the Writers I remember I have read in a certain Book of a Man called Orlando furioso who rid upon a winged Monster through the Air into what Countries he pleas'd and slew a great Number of Men and Giants with abundance of other Fancies beyond all Reason and Sense A story like this I have read in Ovid of Perseus and another in the Book of Iudges and Kings of Sampson who single and unarmed slew Thousands of Men and of Eliah who with a Chariot and Horses of Fire mounted up to Heaven these stories I say are like one another yet we make different judgments of every one of them The first Author wrote nothing but Fables the Second matters Political and the Third Sacred and this for no other reason but the different opinions we have of the writers It is therefore evident that the knowledge of those Authors who have written things obscure and very difficult to be understood is absolutely necessary to interpret their writings and among several readings of obscure Histories that we may chuse the true 't is necessary to know in whose Copies those diverse readings are found and whether many other readings have not been met with amongst Men of greater Authority Lastly we meet with another difficulty in expounding some Books of Scripture by not having those Books in the same Language wherein they were first written for 't is the common opinion that the Gospel according to St. Mathew and the Epistle to the Hebrews were written in the Hebrew Tongue which Copies are no where extant In what Language the Book of Iob was written is a doubt Abenezra in his Commentaries affirms it was Translated out of some other Language into Hebrew which is the cause of its obscurity Of the Apocryphal Books I say nothing because they are of little or no Authority These are all the difficulties in this method of interpreting Scripture by such a History as might be had of it of which I promised to give an account and I think them so great that I may boldly say we cannot know the true sense of Scripture in many places or at most we can without any certainty but guess at it however this is to be observed that all those difficulties can only hinder us from knowing the mind of the Prophets in things imperceptible which we can only imagin but not in things intelligible of which we may form clear conceptions for things which in their own nature are easily conceived can never be spoken so
obscurely but that they may be quickly understood according to that usual saying a Word to the Wise. Euclyd who writ of nothing but what is very plain and obvious is easily understood by every Body in any Language and therefore to be sure of his Sense and meaning there is no need of a perfect but only a superficial knowledge of the Tongue wherein he wrote nor of knowing his Life Study Manners in what Language when or to whom he wrote neither knowing the Fate of his Book its various readings or how it came to be generally received what I say of Euclyd may be said of all Men who have written of things in their own nature easy to be understood so that we conclude the meaning of the Scripture and the true Sense thereof concerning moral Doctrins may be easily attained by such a History as might be composed of it For all Lessons of true Piety are given us in words of common and frequent use and are therefore plain and easy to be understood and because our happiness and the peace of our Lives consists in Tranquillity of Mind which we find only in things which we clearly understand it evidently follows that we may certainly find out the meaning of Scripture in things necessary to happiness and Salvation and therefore we need not be so Sollicitous about other matters which when they seem so difficult to our reason and understanding have more curiosity in them then profit I have now shewn what is the true method of explaining Scripture and sully declared my opinion concerning it I doubt not but every one sees this method requires nothing more then natural reason whose Nature and Vertue cheifly consists in deducing by right consequences things obscure from known and indisputable concessions and tho' we grant that this natural light is not sufficient to find out all things in Scripture it is not from any defect in this natural light but because the right way which it shews us was never observed and troden by Men So that in tract of time it is become painful and almost impossible to pass as in my opinion manifestly appears by the difficulties I have mentioned It now remains that I examin those Mens opinions who are not of mine the first to be considered is theirs who positively affirm that natural light is not sufficient to interpret Scripture and that only Supernatural light can do it but what they mean by Supernatural light I leave them to explain I suppose they do but in obscure terms confess that they are very doubtful of the true Sense of Scripture for if we diligently consider their expositions we shall find they contain nothing Supernatural yea they will appear to be meer conjectures if they be compared with their explanations who pretend to nothing more then what is natural they will be found like them to be human long Studied and Elaborate In maintaining that natural light is not able to explain Scripture they are mistaken what we have said makes it clear that the difficulty of expounding Scripture doth not arise from any defect of strength in natural light but only from Mens sloth I will not say malice who have neglected to Compose such a History of Scripture as might have been framed of it and also because all Men if I be not deceived confess that Supernatural light is a divine gift bestowed only upon believers but the Prophets and Apostles Preached not only to believers but to wicked unbelievers who were notwithstanding their impiety and unbelief capable of understanding the meaning of the Prophets otherwise they had Preached but to Children and Infants and not to Men endued with reason and Moses had in vain prescribed Laws if his Laws were intelligible only to believers who needed no Law. Wherefore they that seek after supernatural light to understand the mind of the Prophets and Apostles seem void even of natural light and such I think are far from having that Heavenly Gift of light supernatural Maimonides was not of these Mens Opinion for he thought most places of Scripture would bear several yea contrary Senses and thought likewise that we cannot be certain of the true Sense of any place unless we know the place as we interpret it to contain nothing but what is agreeable to reason or not contrary to it for if in its litteral Sense it appear repugnant to reason tho' the Sense appear clear yet he thinks the place ought to be otherwise interpreted and this he plainly declares in the 25 th Chapter of his Book called More Nebuchin where he saith know that I do not refuse to say the World is eternal because there are Texts in Scripture which say the World was created for the Texts which declare the World was created are not more then those that tell us God is Corporeal neither are the ways of expounding those Texts concerning the Creation of the World Shut up or barred against us but we could as well explain them as I did the other when I proved God to be incorporeal perhaps I could better and with more ease expound the Texts of the Worlds Creation and maintain the World to be eternal then I did those of Gods corporiety when I proved God to be incorporeal but for two reasons I will not do it or believe that the World is eternal First because it is evident by a clear Demonstration that God is not Corporeal for all places of Scripture whose litteral Sense is repugnant to a Demonstration require explication because it is certain they ought not to be taken litterally but the eternity of the World is not proved by any Demonstration and therefore it is not necessary to offer violence to the Scripture and wrest it by expositions to maintain an opinion that is but probable when we may with any reason maintain the contrary opinion The second reason is because believing God to be incorporeal is not contrary to the Fundamentals of the Law but to believe the eternity of the World as Aristotle did destroyeth the very Foundation of the Law. These are the Words of Maimonides from which that manifestly follows which I said before for if he were convinced by reason that the World was eternal he would not scruple to wrest the Scripture and make such expositions of it as might support that opiuion and he would be presently certain that the Scripture tho' it every where plainly say the contrary did declare the World to be eternal and consequently could never be certain of the true Sense of Scripture tho' never so plain so long as he doubted the Truth of the thing or that the Truth were not evident to him for so long as the Truth of a thing is not apparent we are so long ignorant whether the thing be agreeable or contrary to reason and consequently we know not whether the litteral Sense be true or false which opinion if it were true I would absolutely grant that some other light beside what is natural is necessary
confusedly gathered and laid together that they might afterwards be examin'd and put into order and not only those things which we find in the first five Books but the rest of the Histories contain'd in the other seven were also Collected in the same manner Who doth not plainly see that in the 2 d Chapter of Iudges from the sixth Verse a new Historian brought in who had Written the Acts of Ioshua and his very Words used For after our Historian in the last Chapter of Ioshua had spoken of his Death and Burial and promis'd in the beginning of the Book of Iudges to declare what happen'd after Ioshua's Death if he intended regularly to prosecute his own History why doth he again in the 2 d Chapter of Iudges tell us what Joshua did and speak again of his Death and Burial as he had before the 17 and 18 chap. of the 1 st Book of Sam. are in all probability taken out of another Historian who made the cause of David's frequenting Saul's Court to be quite different from that spoken of in the 16. chap. of the same Book for he did not understand that David by the Advice of Saul's Servants was called to Court as is declared in the said 16 th chap. but that his Father sending him to visit his Brethren in Saul's Camp David by his Victory over Goliah became known to Saul and afterward lived in his Court. I suspect the same thing of the 26 th chap. of the 1 st Book of Sam. and that the History of that Chapter and what is related in the 24 th chap. are one and the same but taken out of several Writers but of this enough I come now to examine the Computation of time It is said in the 6 th chap. of the 1 st Book of Kings that Solomon four hundred and fourscore Years after the Children of Israel came out of the Land of Egypt and in the fourth Year of his own Reign began to Build the House of the Lord but from the Histories themselves we can make it appear it was a much longer time till the Temple was Built Years For first Moses govern'd the People in the desert 40 Joshua who lived a hundred and twenty by the Opinion of Josephus and others govern'd not above 26 Kusan Risgataim kept the People in Bondage 08 Othonyel the Son of Kenaz Judged 40 Eglon the King of Moab kept the People in Bondage 18 Ehud and Samger Judged 80 Jachin King of Canaan kept the People under 20 The People afterward had rest 40 Were again in Subjection to Midian 07 Were again at Liberty under Gideon 40 Were under the Power of Abimelech 03 Tola the Son of Puah Judged 23 Jair Judged 22 The People were again in Bondage to the Philistines and Ammonites 18 Iephtah Judged 06 Absan the Bethlemite Judged 07 Elon the Zebulonite 10 Abdon the Pirathonite 08 The People again in Bondage to the Philistins 40 Samson Judged 20 Ely Judged 40 The People in Bondage again to the Philistines till delivered by Samuel 20 David Reigned 40 Solomon before he began to Build Reigned 04 All these Years added together make up the Number of 580. To which number are to be added the Years of that Age wherein the Common-wealth of the Iews flourished after the Death of Ioshua until it was subdued by Kusan Risgataim which I believe were many for I cannot be perswaded that all the People who had seen the wonders of Joshua's time should presently after his Death perish altogether neither that they who succeeded them should at once bid farewel to all their Laws and from a great deal of Vertue fall in an instant into the depth of Wickedness and Folly neither that Kusan Risgataim Conquer'd them at a blow but seeing all these things require almost an Age to bring them to pass it is not to be doubted but the Scripture in the 2 d. 7 th 9 th and 10 th Chapters of the Book of Judges doth comprize the Histories of many Years which it hath passed over in silence We are moreover to add the Years which Samuel Judged whose number we find not in Scripture and the Years also of Saul's Reign which are left out in the former Computation because by his History 't is not evident how many he Reigned indeed it is said in the 1 st Verse of the 13 th Chap. of the 1 st Book of Sam. that Saul Reigned two Years but that Text is maimed and we may from the History it self conclude his Reign was longer that the Text is defective no Man who hath but the least Knowledge of the Hebrew Tongue can doubt for it begins thus in the Latin Translation Annum natus erat Saul cum regnavit duos annos regnavit supra Israelem Which in our English Bible is thus render'd Saul Reigned one Year and when he had Reigned two Years c. but who sees not that the number of Years of Saul's Age when he began to Reign was omitted and that the time of his Reign was more then two Years any Man may gather from the History it self for in the 27 th Chap. of the same Book Verse the 7 th it is said that the time David dwelt in the Country of the Philistines was a full Year and four Months so that by this Calculation all things else which passed in Sauls Reign must happen in the space of eight Months which no Man can believe Iosephus in the end of his 6 th Book of Antiquities hath thus corrected the Text. Saul while Samuel lived Reigned eighteen Years and after Samuels Death two but the Story in the 13 th chap. doth in no wise agree with what went before for towards the end of the 7 th chap. v. 13. we are told that the Philistines were so subdued by the Israelites that they came no more into the Coasts of Israel and the Hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel and yet in the foresaid 13 th Chapter 't is said that in Samuels Life time the Philistins invaded the Israelites and reduced them to so great Misery and Poverty that they wanted not only Arms to defend themselves but also Smiths to make so much as a Sword or a Spear that Man must take pains enough who made it his business so to reconcile all the Histories of the first Book of Samuel that they should not appear to be Written and put in order by one Historian but I return to what I proposed the Years of Sauls Reign ought to be added to the foregoing Computation now how many were the Years of the Israelites Anarchy the Scripture doth not mention my meaning is that the space of time is not certain wherein those things happened which are related from the 17 th Chapter of Iudges to the end of that Book so that no exact calculation can be made from the Histories themselves neither do they agree in any but differ very much so that it must be granted they were
collected from divers Writers and were never examin'd or put into any order There is no less disagreement in computation of time between the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Judah and the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Israel for in the 2 d Book of Kings chap. 1 st v. 17. it is said Jehoram the Son of Ahab King of Israel began to Reign in the Second Year of the Reign of Jehoram the Son of Iehosaphat King of Judah but in the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah see the 2 d Book of Kings chap. 8. v. 16. it is said that Jehoram the Son of Iehosaphat King of Judah began to Reign in the fifth Year of Jehoram the Son of Ahab King of Israel he that will compare the Histories of the Books of Chronicles with those in the Book of Kings shall find many of the like differences which I will not here particularly mention nor trouble you with the shifts some Authors have used to reconcile them the Rabbines perfectly doat and some Commentators that I have read imposing upon us their own dreams and inventions plainly corrupt the very Language it self for example in the 2 d Book of the Chronicles c. 22. v. 2. it is said Ahaziah waâ— Forty and two Years Old when he began to Reign Some would have these Years to commence not from Ahaziah's Nativity but from the Reign of Omri if they can prove this to be the meaning of the Author of the Book of Chronicles I may in plain Terms say of him that he knew not how to speak Sense Commentators are full of the like conceits wherein were there any Truth a Man might pofitively aver that the Ancient Hebrews did not understand their own Language but were ignorant of all order in History and that there is no rule or any reason to be observed in expounding Scripture but every Man may phancy and forge what he pleases If any think I speak too generally and without ground I intreat that Man to shew me any such certain order in these Histories as Chronologers may without any gross mistakes follow and that while he is endeavoring to explain and reconcile the Histories he will so strictly observe the Pharses and Manners of speaking the disposing and contexture of the Narrations that another according to his explications may in Writing imitate them which if he can do I will throw away my Pen and take him for an Oracle I have been endeavoring but could never do any thing like it I have Written nothing which I did not often and long meditate and tho' from my Childhood I have been Seasoned with the common and general opinions concerning Scripture yet I could not possibly avoid confessing the things I have mentioned but I will no longer detain the Reader concerning this particular nor will I further provoke him to undertake that which I think is not feasible I only made the proposal the better to explain my own meaning and I now proceed to consider those things which concern the Fate or Fortune of the Books for we are to observe that they have not been so carefully kept by posterity as that no faults have crept into them the Ancient Scribes have taken notice of many dubious readings and many maimed Texts and yet not of all but whether the faults which have crept into those Books be of so great importance as to give the Reader much trouble I will not dispute I believe they are not considerable to those that Read the Scripture with any Freedom of judgment and I can positively affirm that I never observed any Error or variety of Readings concerning mere precepts or instructions which could render them doubtful or obscure but many will not allow of any faults at all in any thing throughout the whole Scripture but peremptorily maintain that God by a singular and special Providence hath kept the Bible free from all corruptions or adulteration and that the various Readings of it comprehend profound misteries and will have great Secrets lye hid even in Asterisms Spaces Points and Accents but whether this opinion proceed from folly and the dotage of Devotion or from their arrogance and malice allowing none but themselves to know Gods Secrets I cannot tell of this I am sure I never read any thing which came from such Men that seem'd mysterious but rather savor'd of Schoool-boy conceits I have met with some trifling Cabbalists whose Freaks and Folly a Man cannot chuse but admire That faults have crept into the Scripture no ingenuous Person can deny who reads that Text I have already mention'd concerning Saul in the 13 th chap. v. 1 st of the 1 st Book of Samuel and also that in the 2 d verse of the 6 th chap. of the 2 d Book of Sam. where it is said that David arose and went with all the People that were with him from Judah to bring from thence the Ark of God. Who doth not see that the name of the place to which they went to fetch the Ark is lest our viz. Kiriathjearim nor can any Man deny but that the Text in the 37 th verse of the 13 th chap. of the 2 d Book of Sam. is defective But Absolon fled and went to Talmai the Son of Ammihud and mourn'd for his Son every day It should have been and David mourned for his Son every day and therefore in our English Translation the Word David is put in but is not in the Latin. There are other such faults which do not at present occur to my memory That the marginal Notes found every where in the Hebrew Copies were dubious readings no Man will doubt who considers that many of them proceeded from the great likness which some of the Hebrew Letters have one to another namely from the similitude which is between the Letter Kaf and Bet the Letter Iod and Van the Letter Dalet and Res for example in the 2 d Book of Sam. chap. 5. v. 24. it is said in the Latin Translation in co tempore quo audies the margent hath it Cum audies and Iudges chap. 21. v. 22. the Latin Text is quando earum patres vel fratres in multitudine hoc est saepe ad nos venerint into the margent is put ad litigandum many different readings likewise come from the use of those Letters whose sound or pronunciation is in reading scarcely perceived and one is sometimes taken for another for example Levit. chap. 25. v. 29. it is Written in the Text that if a House were sold which was in a City that had a Wall the margent says that had not a Wall. But tho' these things are evident yet we will make answer to some arguments of the Pharises who endeavor to perswade the World that marginal Notes were by those that Copied out the Books of Scripture purposely placed there to signify some great mystery they ground their first argument which I think very slight upon the common use of reading the Scripture
some are more and others less in Nehemiah than they are in Ezra and amount in all to thirty one thousand eighty nine so that there is no doubt but that the errors as well in the Book of Ezra as of Nehemiah were in the particular numbers Commentators rack their Wits and Inventions to reconcile these apparent contradictions and while they adore the very Words and Letters of Scripture do nothing as we have already said but expose the Writers of the Bible to Contempt as if they knew not how to speak or put that which was spoken by them into any order yea they do nothing but make that part of Scripture which is plain obscure For if every Man should take a liberty of explaining Scripture as they do we could not be sure of the true sense of any part thereof I am perswaded those Commentators themselves tho' they with so much zeal excuse the Writers of the Old Testament would count any other Man a ridiculous Historian who should write as they have done and if they think him a Blasphemer who says the Scripture is in some places faulty what shall I say of those Men who bely the Scripture and so expose the holy Pen-men thereof as if they knew not how to speak and deny the plain and clear sense of Scripture What in it can be plainer than that Esdras and his fellow Priests in the second Chapter of that Book which is said to be his took a particular account of all that went up to Ierusalem seeing the number of them is set down who could not derive their Pedigree as well as theirs that could And what is more clear than that Nehemiah as appears by the 7 th chap. and 5 th verse of that Book only copy'd out the Register which Esdras had made Who ever makes any other Exposition thereof denies the true sense of Scripture and consequently the Scripture it self 'T is ridiculous Piety to pretend to rectify one place of Scripture by another when plain places are darkened by obscure and those that are right and true corrected and corrupted by those that are false and erroneous but God forbid I should call them Blasphemers who have no malicious intentions because there is no Man free from Error Beside the Errors which are in the particular numbers both of Esdras and Nehemiah's Genealogy there are divers in the names of the Families more in the very Pedigrees in the Histories and I fear likewise in the very Prophesies themselves for the Prophesie of Ieremy in the 22 th chap. against Iehoiachim which says He should be buried with the burial of an Ass drawn and cast forth beyond the Gates of Ierusalem doth not at all agree with the History of him in the last Chapter of the 2 d. Book of Kings no nor with what is related of him in the last Chapter of Ieremy especially in the last Verse neither do I see any reason why Ieremy should tell King Zedechiah that he should die in peace Ierem. chap. 34. v. 5. who was taken Captive and after he had seen his Children slain before his Face had his own Eyes put out If Prophesies may be interpreted according to events the names of those two Kings seem to be mistaken one for the other but that is too paridoxical to be maintain'd and I had rather leave the point under an impossibility of being determin'd seeing if there be any error in it it must be the fault of the Historian and not in the Original Copies from whence he wrote Of any other Errors I will take no particular notice seeing I cannot without troubling the Reader because they have been already noted by others Rabbi Solomon finding the manifest contradictions which are in the erroneous Genealogies doth in his Commentaries on the 8 th chap. of the first Book of Chronicles break out into these words Esdras whom he supposeth to have written the Chronicles called the Sons of Benjamin by wrong names and deriv'd his Pedigree otherwise than we find it in the Book of Genesis and describes the greatest part of the Cities of the Levites otherwise than Joshua did because he met with different Originals And a little after saith The Genealogy of Gibeon and others is twice and diversly repeated because Esdras found different Registers of each Genealogy and in copying them out follow'd those whereof the greater number did agree but when the number of differing Genealogies was equal he wrote after the Original of both So that it appears by Rabbi Solomon's own confession these Books were copied from uncertain and imperfect Originals The Commentators themselves many times do nothing more than shew the causes of the errors and I believe that no person of any sound Judgment can think that the Sacred Historians did write purposely to contradict themselves Perhaps it will be said I go about to overthrow the Scripture and give occasion to suspect that it is every where faulty but I have prov'd the contrary for I hereby vindicate the Scripture and provide against the adulterating and corrupting thereof in those places which are clear and true It doth not follow that because some places are faulty therefore all must be so because every Book is in some places false 't is no good ground to conclude it is no where true especially when the Stile of it is perspicuous and the meaning of the Author perfectly known So much for the Books of the Old Testament Now by what hath been said we may easily conclude that before the time of Iudas Macchâ—bâ—us no Books were esteemed Canonical but those which we now have from the Pharisees of the Second Temple who likewise instituted set forms of Prayer these Books being selected from many others and only by their Decree receiv'd into the Canon he therefore that will demonstrate the Authority of Holy Scripture is bound to prove the Authority of every particular Book the proving any one to be Divine is not enough to prove the Divinity of all unless it be granted that the Council of the Pharisees could not err which is impossible for any Man to make good the reason which inclines me to believe that none but the Pharisees chose the Books of the Old Testament and made them Sacred by Canon is because the last Chapter of Daniel declares That there shall be a Resurrection of the Dead which the Zadduces utterly deny'd Moreover in the Treatise of the Sabbath chap. 2. fol. 30. parag the 2 d Rabbi Iehuda says The learned in the Law endeavour'd to suppress the Book of Ecclesiastes because many expressions in it were contrary which observe to the Books of the Law of Moses but the reason why it was not suppress'd was because it begun and ended according to the Law A little after he saith They would also have conceal'd the Book of Proverbs and lastly in the first Chapter of the same Treatise fol. 13 th these are his words Truly I name the Man for kindness sake had it not been for
clearly shew that they were not by Divine Revelation and Command but were the dictates of their own natural Reason and contain nothing but brotherly admonitions full of gentleness and kindness no evidence of Prophetical Authority such as is that excuse in the 15. chap. to the Rom. verse 15. Brethren I have written the more boldly unto you and this Opinion may with the greater confidence be maintain'd because we no where read that the Apostles were commanded to Write but only to Preach where ever they went and to confirm their Doctrine by Signs for their Presence and Signs were absolutely requir'd to convert the Nations to Christianity and confirm them in it as Paul himself in his Epist. to the Rom. chap. 1. v 11. expresly declares I long to see you that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end you may be establish'd But here it may be objected that if we allow the Apostles did not write as Prophets then by the same reason it may be concluded they did not preach as Prophets for when they went hither and thither to preach they did it not by express Command as did the Prophets in time past We read in the Old Testament Ionah went to Nineveh to preach that he was expresly sent thither and that which he was there to preach was reveal'd to him We are told at large that Moses was sent into Egypt by God what he was commanded to say to the people of Israel and to King Pharaoh what Signs and Wonders also he was to do in their presence to make them believe Isaiah Ieremy and Ezekiel were expresly commanded to preach to the Israelites Lastly the Prophets never preached any thing but what the Scripture testifies they receiv'd from God but of the Apostles we very seldom read any such thing when they went hither and thither to preach but on the contrary we find the Apostles according to their own Will and Inclination chose what places they would preach in as appears by that contention even to separation between Paul and Barnabas Act. chap. 15. v. 39. and that the Apostles many times in vain attempted to go to some particular places whereof we have instances in Paul himself who says in his first Chapter to the Romans v. 13. I would not have you ignorant that oftentimes I purposed to come to you but was let hitherto and chap. 15. v. 22. For which cause I have been often hindred from coming to you And lastly in the 16 th chap. 1 st Epist. to the Corinth v. 12. he saith As touching our brother Apollos I greatly desir'd him to come unto you with the Brethren but his Will was not at all to come at this time but he will come when he shall have convenient time so that from such expressions as these from the Apostles contention and because when they went hither and thither to preach the Scripture doth no where testify as it did of the Ancient Prophets that they went by the express command of God we ought to conclude that the Apostles did not preach as Prophets but as Men who were only Teachers But this Objection may be easily answered if we take notice of the difference between the calling of Apostles in the New and of Prophets in the Old Testament for the Prophets were not called to Preach and Prophesie to all Nations in general but only to some particular people for which an Express and particular Command was necessary but the Apostles were called to preach to all Nations without exception and to convert them to Christ so that where-ever they went they executed his Commission nor was there any necessity before they went that which they were to preach should be reveal'd to them they being those Disciples to whom Christ said Matth. chap. 10. v. 19 20. When they deliver you up take no thought how or what ye shall speak for it shall be given unto you in that same hour what you shall speak We therefore conclude the Apostles had those things by particular Revelation which they personally preach'd and confirm'd by Signs but what they simply spake or writ without Signs to confirm it that proceeded only from their Natural Reason and Knowledge as you see in the forecited 14 th chap. of the 1 st Epist. to the Corinth v. 6. That all their Epistles begin with the Declaration and Approbation of their Apostleship makes nothing against me for on the Apostles as I shall presently shew was not only bestow'd the gift of Prophesie but they had also Authority given them to teach and instruct Upon this ground the Apostles began and wrote their Epistles with the declaration of their Apostleship and perhaps to gain upon the Minds of their Readers and to stir them up to Attention did in the first place testify That they were those Men who by their Preaching were known to all Believers and who by such clear proofs had made it evident they taught the true Religion and right way to Salvation What I find in these Epistles concerning the Call of the Apostles and of the Divine and Holy Spirit wherewith they were inspir'd relates only to their Preaching except it be in those places where by the Spirit of God and the holy Spirit is meant only a sound right Judgment and a pure sanctify'd Mind devoted to God of which we have spoken in our first Chapter For example Paul in 1 Corinth chap. 7. v. 40. saith But she is happier if she so abide after my Iudgment and I think also I have the Spirit of God where by the Spirit of God is understood his own Opinion as the Context proves his meaning is that in his Judgment and Opinion the Widdow was happy who would not marry a second Husband for he himself had resolv'd to live single and therefore thought himself happy Of this kind we find other expressions which I think needless to mention If then it pass for granted That the Epistles of the Apostles were the dictates only of Natural Reason how could the Apostles only by Natural Reason teach those things which did not fall within the compass of it Consider what I have said in the seventh Chapter of this Treatise concerning the Interpretation of Scripture and we shall find no difficulty in the Question for tho' many things contain'd in the Bible often surpass our Capacity and Understanding yet we may safely dispute of them provided we admit of no Principles but what are fetch'd from the Scripture and upon this ground the Apostles might conclude collect and as they pleas'd teach many of those things which they had seen heard and were reveal'd to them Tho' Religion as it was preach'd by the Apostles in barely publishing the History of Christ is not to be comprehended by Natural Reason yet the principal and chiefest part thereof which consists as doth the whole Doctrine of Christ in moral Precepts and Instructions every Man by Natural Light may attain The Apostles did not stand in need of
of Stone but in the fleshly Tables of the Heart Let Men cease to adore the Letter and not be so much concern'd for it Having sufficiently explain'd the Holiness and Divinity of Scripture let us now see what is properly meant by Debar Iehovah the word of God. Debar signifies Word Speech Decree Thing now upon what grounds any thing in the Hebrew Language may be said to be God's or have relation to God I have shew'd in the first Chapter so that I need not repeat what I have there said or in the sixth Chapter what I have said of Miracles 't is evident what the Scripture means by the Word of God To make the thing very clear I need only declare that when the Word of God is predicated of any Subject which is not God himself it properly signifies that Divine Law of which we treated in the fourth Chapter namely That Religion which is universal and common to all mankind mention'd in Isaiah chap. 1. v. 10. where the Prophet declares That the right way of living consisted in Charity and in a sincere and pure Heart which he calls the Law and Word of God The Word of God is also taken Metaphorically for the order or course of Nature and Fate because it follows and depends upon the Eternal Decree of the Divine Nature particularly for whatever the Prophets foresaw in this course of Nature because the Prophets understood future events not by natural Causes but thought them to be the Will and Decrees of God. Moreover it is taken for that which any Prophet commanded or declared because he knew it not by Natural Light but by the singular Vertue and gift of Prophesie and more especially because the Prophets as we have shewed in the fourth Chapter apprehended God under the notion of a Lawgiver for these three reasons then the Scripture is called the Word of God namely because it teacheth us true Religion whereof God from all Eternity is the Author Secondly because it makes Prophesies to be God's Decrees And lastly because the Authors of those Prophesies taught for the most part that which they did not know by Natural Reason but by a faculty and gift peculiar only to them and introduced God speaking as it were in them Now tho' the Scripture contain many things which are meerly Historical and may be unnderstood by Natural Knowledge yet the Scripture is called the Word of God in respect of those other particulars I have last mention'd so that now we plainly see why God is called the Author of the Bible namely upon the account of teaching us what is true Religion and not because it contains and hath communicated to us such a certain number of Books And hence we may also learn that the Bible is divided into the Old and New Testament because before the coming of Christ the Prophets Preached Religion as the Law of their Country and by force of the Covenant made in Moses's time but after Christ's coming because the Apostles preached Religion upon Christ's account as a Law universal to all mankind not that the Prophets and Apostles differ'd in Doctrine or that the Books of either Testament are the Deeds and Indentures of the Written Covenant nor lastly because Natural Religion which is universal is new unless it be in respect of those that knew it not according to that saying of Iohn the Evangelist chap. 1. v. 10. He was in the world and the world knew him not If then we had not some of those Books which the Old and New Testament contain yet we should not want God's Word as it properly signifies true Religion for we do not think any part thereof is wanting tho' we lack many of those other excellent Writings namely the Book of the Law which was so Religiously kept in the Temple as the Original wherein the Covenant was first written with many other Books of the Wars and Records of time from whence the Books of the Old and New Testament which we now have were transcribed and collected And this is made good by many reasons first because the Books of both Testaments were not written at one and the same time for the use of all Ages but by chance for some particular people and that as the Time and their particular Disposition requir'd which plainly appears by the calling of the Prophets who are called to warn and reprove the ungodly of their own time and also by the Writings of the Apostles Secondly Because understanding the Scripture and the meaning of the Prophets is one thing but to understand the Mind of God that is the real truth of things is another as appears by what hath been said in the second Chapter of Prophets which distinction likewise holds in Histories and Miracles as we have shewed in the sixth Chapter But in understanding places which treat of true Religion and real Vertue no such distinction ought to be made Thirdly Because the Books of the Old Testament were chosen out of many others and were approved and joyned together by a Council of the Pharisees as we have declared in the tenth Chapter and for the Books of the New Testament they were receiv'd into the Canon by the Decrees of certain Councils when several other Books by many accounted Sacred were rejected as Spurious These Councils both of Pharisees and Christians were made up of Men who were no Prophets but only learned Doctors yet it must necessarily be granted that in this choice they made the Word of God their Rule so that before they gave their Approbation to the Books they ought to know what was the Word of God. Fourthly Because as we have shewed in the preceding Chapter the Apostles did not write as Prophets but only as Teachers and chose that way of instructing which every one judged most easie for his Disciples from whence it follows as we have concluded in the end of the said Chapter that their Writings contain many things whereof in Respect to Religion we have no absolute need Fifthly and lastly Because in the New Testament there are four whom we call Evangelists but who believes it was God's express Will that the History of Christ should be four times told and deliver'd to Men in Writing Tho' things may be contain'd in one which are not in another and that one helps to understand another we must not therefore conclude that all things which the four declare are absolutely necessary to be known and that God made choice of them to write purposely that the History of Christ might be the better understood for every one preach'd his own Gospel in several places and every one wrote what he preach'd plainly that he might the more faithfully relate the History of Iesus Christ and not for any explanation to the rest If by mutually comparing them together they are sometâ—mes more easily and better understood that happens by chance and only in very few places of which tho' we were ignorant the History notwithstanding would be very perspicuous and
Veneration when Genesis was written and this must necessarily be a true and clear Answer because it is expresly said in the forecited text of Exodus that God was not known to the Patriarchs by his Name Iehovah and because also in Exod. chap. 3. v. 13. Moses desired to know God's Name which must have been known to him had it been known to the Patriarchs before him It must therefore be concluded that the faithful Patriarchs were ignorant of this Name of God and that the Knowledge of God is a Gift not a Command It is now time to pass on to the proof of the second Particular That God required from Men by his Prophets no other Knowledge of himself than the Knowledge of his Divine Justice and Love that is those Attributes which Men in a right course of living may in some measure and degree imitate which the Prophet Ieremy in express words declares for chap. 20. v. 15 16. speaking of King Iosiah he saith Did not thy Father eat and drink and do Iudgment and Iustice and then it was well with him he judged the cause of the poor and the needy then it was well with him is not this to know me saith the Lord Nor are those words less clear chap. 9. v. 24. Let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness Iudgment and Righteousness in the Earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. We have a further proof Exod. chap. 34. v. 6. where Moses desiring to see and know God God revealeth no other Attributes to him but such as declare his Divine Justice and Love. Lastly How express in the point are the words of St. Iohn in the fourth Chapter of his first Epistle because no Man ever saw God he maketh God known only by Love and concludes that he knoweth God and God dwelleth in him who hath Charity We see then that Moses Ieremy and Iohn comprize that Knowledge of God which every Man is bound to have in that only wherein we say 't is comprehended namely in believing that God is superlatively just and merciful and the only pattern of a good life The Scripture doth no where give any express and positive definition of God neither doth it prescribe any other Attributes to be imitated and believed by us but those we have named nor are those expresly commended as Attributes so that from all these things we conclude that the intellectual Knowledge of God which considers God as he is in his own Nature and Essence which Nature no Man can by any certain course of life imitate or take for his pattern doth not at all teach a Man how to live well neither doth it concern a Man's Faith or revealed Religion So that a Man may be infinitely mistaken in it and yet not offend God. Let us not wonder then that God apply'd himself to the Imaginations and preconceived Opinions of the Prophets and that faithful Believers had different Opinions of God as by many Instances we have proved in the second Chapter nor let any Man wonder that the Sacred Volumes do every where speak so improperly of God ascribing to him Hands Feet Eyes Ears Mind Local Motion yea Passions of the Mind saying he is Jealous Merciful c. and sometimes set him out as a Judge sitting in Heaven on a Regal Throne and Christ at his Right hand all which is spoken according to the Capacity of the Vulgar whom the Scripture intended to make Obedient but not Learned Of these things whatever ordinary profest Divines have by Reason and Natural Light discovered to be disagreeable to the Divine Nature they will have Metaphorically Interpreted but that which is above their Capacity must be taken Litterally If all things of this kind we meet with in Scripture must be taken and understood Metaphorically then the Scripture was not written for the rude and ignorant common people but for the Learned and especially for Philosophers and if it should be sin piously and in simplicity of Heart to believe those things of God which the Sacred Volumes have in the Letter ascribed to him the Prophets considering the weakness of the common people's Understanding ought to have been very wary and careful what Phrases and Expressions they used and should have clearly and plainly which is no where done declared those Attributes of God which every Man is bound to believe No Man ought to think that Opinions considered absolutely in themselves without respect to a Man's Works have any Piety or Impiety in them but a Man is said to be Godly or Ungodly in his Faith in respect of those Opinions which incline him to Obedience or those that encourage him to Sin and Disobedience so that if a Man tho' he rightly and truly believe be stubborn and disobedient his Faith is evil and on the contrary if a Man believe that which is false and yet live well his Faith is good for the true knowledge of God is not a Precept but a Divine Gift and God never required from Men any other Knowledge than that of his Divine Love and Justice which Knowledge is necessary only to Obedience not to Science CHAP. XIV What is Faith. Who are Believers The fundamentals of Faith stated Faith distinguish'd from Philosophy or Reason TO understand truly what Faith is 't is very necessary to know that the Scripture was fitted and accommodated not only to the Capacity of the Prophets but also to the Understanding of the inconstant mutable vulgar people of the Iewish Nation of which no person can be ignorant that will but a little consider and observe the Scripture He that will take all things which are promiscuously set down in Scripture to be that universal positive Doctrine whereby God is to be known can never rightly discern what was suited to the Capacity of the Iews but not being able to distinguish between Divine Doctrine and the common peoples Opinions must take human Fictions and Fancies for Heavenly Instructions and consequently very much abuse the Sacred Scriptures Authority Who doth not plainly see that this is the cause we have so many Sectaries who maintain their different and contrary Opinions to be all Doctrines and Principles of Faith which they confirm by many Scripture proofs so that 't is become a Dutch Proverb Geen Ketter sonder letter there is no Sectary or Heretick but hath a Text of Scripture to maintain his Opinion The Sacred Books of Scripture were not all written by one person nor for the people of one Age but by divers persons of different dispositions and for the people of several Ages distant in time from one another almost two thousand years by some computations many more We do not charge these Sectaries with impiety for applying the words of Scripture to their own Opinions as heretofore they were suited to Vulgar Capacities it being lawful for every one to apply Scripture to his own Opinions if he find himself
thereby more inclin'd to obey God in those things which relate to Justice and Charity but we blame the Sectaries for not allowing other Men the same liberty they themselves take they count all Men be they never so honest and vertuous who are not of their Opinions the Enemies of God and persecute them as such but call those who are of their Mind God's Elect be they never so very Knaves which is the most pernicious wicked humour can possibly be in a Common-wealth To make it clear then how far in point of Faith every Man may extend his liberty of thinking what he pleaseth and upon whom we are to look as Believers tho' they differ in Opinion I resolve to shew in this Chapter what Faith is to declare what are the fundamentals of Faith and to distinguish Faith from Reason or Philosophy which is the chief design of the whole Treatise To do these things in order 't is necessary to put you in mind again what is the Scriptures principal intention for that will shew us the right Rule of determining what is Faith. We have told you in the preceding Chapter that the chief design of Scripture is to teach Men Obedience which no Man can deny for who doth not plainly see the Discipline of Obedience to be the main scope of the Old and New Testament The only End of both is to make Men obey God with all their Heart I need not repeat what I have already told you that Moses did not endeavour to convince the Israelites with Reason but to bind and oblige them by a Covenant by Oaths and Benefits he threatned those that broke the Law with punishment and encouraged the observers of it with Rewards which were means not to increase Knowledge but only to procure Obedience The Doctrine of the Gospel contains nothing but plain simple Faith namely to believe God and to reverence and worship him or which is the same thing to obey him There is no need of demonstrating a thing so evident or of heaping up Texts of Scripture that commend Obedience whereof there are many in both Testaments what a Man is to do to obey God the Scripture in many places declares namely that the whole Law consists in loving our Neighbour so that it must be granted that he in the Judgment of the Law is obedient who according to God's Command loveth his Neighbour as himself and that he on the contrary who hateth his Neighbour or cares not for him is rebellious and disobedient Lastly it must be confest that the Scripture was written and published not only for the Wise and Learned but for all people in general of all times Hence then must it follow that we are not commanded by Scripture to believe any thing else but what is absolutely necessary to enable us to perform and obey this Commandment so that this Precept is the only Rule of Catholick Faith and by it only all those fundamental Doctrines of Faith which every one is oblig'd to believe ought to be defined and determined which being clear and manifest and that from this Foundation only all things ought to be rationally deduced and derived Let any Man judge whether the many Disputes and Dissentions sprung up in the Church could have any other cause than those I mentioned in the beginning of the seventh Chapter which force me here to shew from this Foundation I have laid the manner and reason of stating and determining what are the true Doctrines and Principles of Faith for unless I do this and make it good by sure and certain Rules I have indeed hitherto done very little seeing otherwise every Man may introduce what he pleases under pretence that 't is a necessary means to Obedience especially when any thing comes into question concerning the Divine Attributes To proceed orderly in making the thing clear and plain I will begin with the definition of Faith which according to the Foundation I have laid ought to be thus defined Faith is to have such Thoughts or Opinions of God as make a Man obey him where such thoughts are not there is no Obedience and where they are Obedience necessarily follows such Opinions which definition is so clear and evidently follows from what we have already demonstrated that it needs no explication What follows from this definition I will briefly shew first that Faith of it self without Obedience is not able to save a Man as Iames saith Chap. 2. 17. Faith without Works is dead which is the Subject of that whole Chapter Secondly That he who is truly obedient must necessarily have Saving Faith for where ever there is Obedience there as I have said must be Faith which the same Apostle saith expresly in the 18 th verse of the said 2 d chap. Shew me thy Faith without thy Works and I will shew thee my Faith by my Works and Iohn in his 1 st Epist. chap. 4. v. 78. Every one that loveth his Neighbour is born of God and knoweth God he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love from whence it likewise follows that we can judge no Man to be a Believer or an Unbeliever but by his Works that is if his Works be good tho' in his Opinions he dissent from other Believers yet he is a Believer and if his Works be evil tho' in words he agree with others that believe he is an Infidel for where there is Obedience there must necessarily be Faith and Faith without Works is dead which Iohn in chap. 4. 13. expresly declares Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit which Spirit is Love for he said just before God is Love and concludes from his own Principles that he certainly hath the Spirit of God who hath Love and because no Man ever saw God he concludes that no Man can have any sense or knowledge of God but only by Love and that no Man can know any other Attribute of God but Love by partaking of it which Reasons if they do not absolutely convince yet they sufficiently explain St. Iohn's meaning What he saith in the 3 d and 4 th verses of his 2 d chap. in express words fully proves what we maintain And hereby saith he do we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments he that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him hence it again follows that they are Antichrists who persecute honest and just Men that differ from them in Opinion and do not maintain their Doctrines they that love Justice and Charity are thereby only known to be Believers and whoever persecutes such Believers is Antichrist Lastly it follows that Faith doth not require Opinions that are in themselves true but such only as are pious and incline a Man's Heart to Obedience There are many things that have not the least shadow of â—ruth in them which a Man may believe and yet be
ignorant that they are false otherwise he would necessarily be disobedient How cometh it to pass that he who is a lover of Justice and studies to obey God reverenceth that as Divine which he knows is no way agreeable to the Divine Nature Men may err in the simplicity of their Hearts and the Scripture as I have already said condemns stubbornness not ignorance which follows from the very definition I have given of Faith every part thereof being derived from the general Foundation before mentioned and from the main end and design of Scripture so that Faith doth not require from Men Opinions absolutely true in themselves but such only as are necessary to Obedience and to confirm a Man in love towards his Neighbour by which Love to use St. Iohn's expression every Man is in God and God in him Seeing then every Man's Faith in respect of Obedience or Disobedience and not in respect of truth or falshood is to be esteemed good or evil and seeing Mens dispositions are so various that none agree in all things but are so diversly sway'd by Opinion that what moves this Man to Devotion begets in another Laughter and Contempt it fâ—llows that to Universal Faith only those Doctrines are necessary concerning which amongst honest Men there can be no dispute those things that are of such a nature that one Man may account them Religious and another Irreligious are to be judged only by Works to Catholick Faith then those Doctrines only belong which beget in a Man Obedience toward God and of which if a Man be ignorant 't is impossible he should obey him in other things every Man according to the knowledge he that of himself may to establish himself in the love of Justice think what to him seemeth best which will take away all occasions of Dispute and Controversie in the Church Now I will not fear to name those Doctrines of Universal Faith or those Fundamentals of Scripture that by what I have proved in these two last Chapters tend all to this that there is a Supreme Being that loveth Justice and Charity to whom all that will be saved must be obedient and worship him in the exercise of Justice and love towards their Neighbour and from hence these several Positions clearly and easily follow First That there is a God or Supreme Being who is most just and merciful by whose Example every Man ought to regulate his life he that knoweth not or doth not believe that God is cannot obey him or acknowledge him to be his Judge Secondly That this God is one which Opinion is absolutely necessary to make a Man adore admire and love God for Devotion Admiration and Love are caused by that excellency which is in one above all others Thirdly That he is every where present or that all things are known to him for if any thing were hidden from him or if Man did not think that he seeth all things we might doubt of his Equity and Justice whereby he governeth all things Fourthly That he hath Supreme Power and Dominion over all things that he doth nothing by compulsion but of his own good Will and Pleasure all are bound to obey him and he no body Fifthly That the worship of God and obedience to him consists only in Justice and Charity towards our Neighbours Sixthly that only they who obey God by such a course of life will be saved and others who live Slaves to their Lusts and Pleasures will be condemned If Men did not firmly believe this there would be no reason why a Man should rather obey God than his own desires and pleasures Seventhly and lastly God pardoneth the sins of those that repent there is no Man living without sin and therefore if this were not an Article of Faith all would despair of Salvation and there would be no reason to believe God merciful but he who stedfastly believes that God through Grace and Mercy whereby he ordereth all things pardoneth Men's offences and is thereby more flamed with love towards God he knoweth Christ according to the Spirit and Christ is in him Every one of these things is necessary to be known that all Men without exception may obey God according to the prescript of the Law which we have already explained If you take away any of the aforesaid Positions or Doctrines there can be no Obedience but what God or what this exemplar of living well is Whether he be Fire a Spirit Light Cogitation c. it concerns not our Faith neither in what notion or respect he is an example for us to live by Whether it be because he hath a just and merciful Mind or because all things subsist and act by him and consequently we by and through him understand what is just and good it matters not what every Man thinks or concludes of these things neither is Faith concerned whether a Man believe that God is in respect of his Power Omnipresent or whether he govern all things by the freedom or necessity of his nature whether he prescribe Laws as a Prince or teach Eternal Verities whether Men obey God as free agents because they have freedom of Will or because they are necessitated by God's Decrees Whether the reward of good Men and the punishment of evil be natural or supernatural Faith is not concerned how a Man understands these things so long as he makes no conclusions whereby he may take a liberty of sinning or lessen his Obedience to God Of these Doctrines of Faith a Man may make such an interpretation as is most likely to make him believe and obey God chearfully without any reluctancy for as we have already shewn Faith was heretofore revealed and written according to the Capacity and Opinions of the Prophets and People of that time so that now also every Man is bound to apply his Faith to his own Reason in such a manner as may make him without the least doubting or reluctancy believe for as we have proved Faith rather requires Piety than Verity and as Faith cannot be pious and saving without Obedience so nothing but Obedience makes a Man a faithful Believer his Faith is not best who can give the best reasons for it but he that hath done the most and greatest works of Justice and Charity A Doctrine which must in all Mens Judgments be very wholsome and necessary in all Common-wealths for taking away the causes of much wickedness and many troubles Before I go further by what hath been said the Objections may be easily answered which were mentioned in the first Chapter where I treated of God's speaking to the Israelites from Mount Sinai for tho' that Voice which the Israelites heard could not give that people any Philosophical or Mathematical certainty of God's Existence yet it was sufficient to make them admire God under that knowledge they before had of him and incite them to Obedience towards him which was all that God purposed and designed in that spectacle it was not God's intention
High Priest who receiv'd Answers from God had nothing to do with the Militia nor had he any share in the Government and on the other side they that were possest of Lands had no power to make Laws The Chief Priest Aaron and his Son Eleazer were both chosen by Moses but when Moses was dead no man had the power of chusing the High Priest but the Son still succeeded the Father The General of the Army was also elected by Moses not by the Power of the High Priest but took upon him the Generalship or Supreme Power by vertue of that Authority which Moses gave him and therefore when Ioshua dyed the High Priest chose no body into his place nor did the Princes ask Council of God concerning a new General but every one commanded the particular Militia of his own Tribe and all the Princes jointly together had the same power over the whole Army that Ioshua had and it seems there was no need of a General unless when they were to fight against an Enemy with joint Forces of which there was constant occasion and necessity in Ioshua's time when they had no fixed place of abode and all things were in Common But after all the Tribes were by right of Conquest possest of Lands which they were commanded to keep and divide amongst themselves and Property began then there was no more need of a General because the several Tribes by that division became not only fellow Subjects but Confederates they were in respect of God and Religion fellow-Subjects but in respect of one Tribes power over another no more than Confederates In all particulars that of the Jews publick Temple excepted like the States of the seven United Provinces for the division of that which is common into parts is nothing else but every Mans possessing his own part and the rest quit the right which they had to it Moses therefore chose the Princes of the Tribes that after the Land and the Government was divided every one might take care of his own part that is that the Prince of every Tribe should by the High Priest ask Council of God concerning the Affairs of his own Tribe that he should command the Militia of his own Tribe build and fortifie Cities appoint Judges in every City fight against the Enemies of his own Tribe and have the absolute Power of Peace and War within his own Tribe nor was he obliged to acknowledge any other Judge over him but God or a Prophet whom God should expresly send and if he departed from the Worship of God the rest of the Tribes were to account him no Subject but fight against him as a publick Enemy that had violated the Faith of the Covenant made with God of which in Scripture we have several Examples When Ioshua was dead the Children of Israel without any new General asked Counsel of God and when they understood that the Tribe of Iuda was first to assault the Enemy Iuda agreed only with his Brother Simeon to go up with united Forces and fight the Enemies of both their Lots in which agreement none of the rest of the Tribes were comprehended See Iudges c. 1. v. 1 2 3. But every Tribe as that Chapter declares fought separately against its own particular Enemy and spared the Lives of whom they pleased though they were commanded upon no terms to spare any but to extirpate all for which Sin they were indeed reproved but never called to account for it When the Tribes made War one upon another and medled with one anothers Affairs in assaulting the Benjamites it was because they had justly offended the rest of the Tribes by breaking the common Bond of Peace so that none of their Confederates could safely venture themselves amongst them This was the reason the rest of the Tribes invaded the Benjamites in a hostile manner and after the fighting of three several Battels having conquer'd them by right of War put all Nocent and Innocent to the Sword which they afterward repented too late That which I have said of the Power of every particular Tribe is by these Examples confirm'd But some body will perhaps ask who chose the Successor of the Prince of every particular Tribe I find nothing certain in Scripture concerning it but seeing every Tribe was divided into Families and the eldest were the Heads of every Family I suppose of these Heads the eldest did by Right succeed him that was Prince of these Seniors or Elders Moses chose the Seventy that were to assist him who with him were the supreme Council and after the Death of Ioshua had the Administration of the Government By Elders often in Scripture and amongst the Iews are meant Judges but this particular not being much to our purpose it is sufficient that I have proved no person after Moses's Death executed all the Offices of Supreme Power for since all things did not depend upon the pleasure and will of one single person nor upon the Decrees of the Council or People but some things were done by one Tribe others by another by the equal Power and joynt Authority of every one it evidently follows that from the Death of Moses the Government was neither Monarchical Aristocratical or Popular but as I have said Theocratical First because the Temple was the Palace of the Government and upon that account only all the Tribes were Fellow-Citizens Secondly Because all the Citizens or Subjects were to swear Fidelity and Allegiance to God their Supreme Judge to whom only they promised to yield Obedience And lastly Because the Chief Commander or General when there was occasion was to be chosen by none but God which Moses in the Name of God expresly prophesied to the People Deut. 17. 15. which likewise appears by the Election of Gideon Sampson and Samuel and therefore it is not to be doubted but the rest of their faithful Captains were chosen in the same manner though it be not set down in their History These things being thus laid open it is time to enquire how this Con by poverty sold his Land when the Year of Iubilee came it was e who did govern as of those that were governed that neither the Subjects should become Rebels nor the Governours Tyrants They that have Supreme Power or the Administration of Government when they wickedly oppress and abuse their Subjects they still endeavour to make the People believe that all their Actions are just and legal which may be easily done when the Interpretation of the Law depends only upon them 'T is this that makes them take so much Liberty of doing what their Desires dictate and think much of their Prerogative lost when the power of interpreting the Laws is in any but themselves or when the Laws are so perspicuously and clearly interpreted that there can be no doubt or dispute concerning them The Iews therefore were very much secured against the Oppression and Injustice of their Princes by Moses giving the power of interpreting the Laws to the