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
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
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
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
and clearly appear from the History of Scripture what kind of History it ought to be and what are the Principal things it ought to contain comes now to be declared First it ought to contain the Nature and Proprieties of that Language in which the Books of Scripture were Originally Written and which the Authors of those Books were wont to speak that so all the Senses which every Speech according to the ordinary use of speaking will bear and admit may be found out and because the Pen-Men both of the Old and New Testament were Iews the knowledge of the Hebrew Tongue is above all things necessary to understand not only the Books of the Old Testament which were Written in Hebrew but also of the new for tho' some of the Books of the New Testament were Published in other Languages yet they are full of Hebrewisms Secondly The Sentences of every Book ought to be Collected and reduced to Heads that so all that concern one and the same Subject may be easily found and all those which seem doubtful and obscure or repugnant to one another ought to be noted I call those Speeches clear or obscure whose Sense is easily or difficultly made out by the context and not in respect of the Truth of those Speeches easily or difficultly perceived by reason for only the Sense of what the Scripture saith and not the verity is our business we are therefore to take special heed that in searching out the Sense of Scripture we do not suffer our reason as it is founded upon the Principles of natural knowledge to be prepossest with prejudice and likewise that we do not confound the true Sense of the words with the verity of the matter for the true Sense is to be found out only by the use of the Language or by such a way of reasoning as is grounded only upon Scripture That all these things may be perfectly understood Take this example for illustration These sayings of Moses God is Fire and God is jealous how plain and clear are they so long as we regard only the signification of the words but in respect of reason and truth how dark and obscure yea tho' the litteral Sense of the words be contrary to natural reason yet unless it contradict any fundamental Principles derived from Scripture their litteral Sense is still to be retained so on the contrary if these sayings in their litteral construction should be found repugnant to Principles deduced from Scripture tho' they should be most agreeable to reason yet they ought to be Metaphorically not litteraly understood To know then whether Moses did or did not believe God to be Fire we ought not to conclude the one or the other because the Opinion is either contrary or consonant to reason but it must be gathered from some other of Moses own sayings for example because Moses in very many places hath plainly declared that God is not like any visible thing either in Heaven Earth or the Waters we must conclude that either this saying God is Fire or else all his other sayings are to be Metaphorically interpreted but because we ought as seldom as 't is possible to depart from the litteral Sense we must therefore inquire whether this saying God is Fire will admit of any other Sense beside the litteral that is whether the word Fire signify any other thing beside natural Fire and if in the Hebrew Tongue it can never be found to signify any thing else then this saying of Moses is no other way to be interpreted tho' it be repugnant to reason but on the other side all those other sayings of Moses tho' consentaneous to reason are to be conformable and accomodate to this but if the common use of the Language will not suffer this to be done then those several sayings are Irreconcileable and we are to suspend our judgment of them But now because the Word Fire is also taken for anger and jealousy Iob. chap. 31. v. 12. these sayings of Moses are easily reconcileable and we may lawfully conclude that these two Sentences God is Fire and God is jealous signify both the same thing Moreover because Moses plainly saith God is jealous and doth no where declare that God is free from all manner of passion and affections of the mind we may conclude that Moses did think or at least taught other Men to think God was jealous tho' we believe the opinion contrary to reason for as we have already shewn it is not lawful for us to wrest the Sense and meaning of Scripture according to the dictates of our reason or preconceived Opinions because all our knowledge both of the Old and New Testament must be derived only from themselves Thirdly This History of Scripture ought to give such an account of the Books of the Prophets remaining with us as may inform us of the Lives Manners and Studies of the Authors of every Book who the Person was upon what occasion he wrote in what time to whom and in what Language and Lastly it ought to tell us what was the Fortune of every Book how it was first received into whose hands it fell how many various readings it had how it came to be received for sacred and Canonical And Lastly how all the several Books came together into one Volume I say all these things this History of Scripture ought to contain To know what Sentences of Scripture are to be taken for Laws and precepts and what only for moral Doctrins it is very expedient to know the Life Manners and Study of the Author beside we can with more ease know the meaning of any Mans Words when we know his genius disposition and ingenuity Moreover that we may not confound Doctrins whose morality and Obligation is perpetual with those that were but temporary and of use only to some particular People it behoveth us to know upon what occasion at what time to what Nation in what Age all these instructions were Written Lastly it is fit we should know beside the Authority of every Book whether the Books have been adulterated or at least whether any Errors have crept into them and whether they have been corrected by Learned and Faithful Men all which things are absolutely necessary to be known that we may not with Blind Zeal receive every thing obtruded upon us but believe that only which is certain plain and past all doubt After we have such a History of Scripture and have firmly resolved to conclude nothing to be the Doctrine of the Prophets which doth not naturally follow or may be clearly drawn from this History then it will be time to prepare our selves to search out the meaning of the Prophets and of the Holy Ghost which to do the like method and order is required that is to be used in interpreting nature by its own History for as in searching out natural things we first endeavour to inquire concerning that which is Universal and common to all nature as Motion and
Rest and the Laws and Rules of both which nature always observes and by which it continually Acts and from these we afterwards by degrees proceed to other things less general so likewise from this History of Scripture we are first to inquire after that which is most general and is the Basis and Foundation of all Scripture and is commended by all the Prophets for the most profitable and perpetual Doctrine to Mankind for example that there is only one omnipotent God who only is to be worshipt who provideth for all and loveth those best who serve him and love their Neighbours as themselves is a Doctrine every where so express and plain in Scripture that no Body ever doubted the Sense and meaning thereof but what God is why and in what manner he beholdeth and provideth for all things the Scripture doth no where expresly and positively declare nor teach it as an eternal Doctrine but on the contrary the Prophets as we have already shewn did not agree amongst themselves concerning these things and therefore in matters of like nature we are not posiâ—ively to determin what is the Doctrine and meaning of the Holy Spirit tho' it may be very well made out by natural knowledge This general Doctrine of the Scripture being rightly known we are then to pass on to things less Universal which concern the common use of Life and which are derived like rivulets from this general Doctrine Such are all the particular external Actions of real Vertue which cannot be Practiced but as occasion is offer'd and whatsoever in Scripture relating to them seems doubtful or obscure must be explain'd and determin'd by the Universal Doctrine and for those things which seem contradictory one to another we are to examin Upon what occasion at what time and to whom they were written for example when Christ said Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted We know not who are the Mourners meant in this Text but because Christ afterwards bids us take no thought for any thing but seek the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof which he commends to us as our cheifest good Math. chap. 6. v. 33. therefore it follows that the Mourners meant by Christ must be those who lamented to see the Kingdom of God and its righteousness so much neglected by Men for which no others could Mourn but those whose affections were Heavenly and contemned all things here below So also when Christ said Math. chap. 5. v. 39. Whatsoever shall smite thee on the right Cheek turn to him the other also if he had spoken this as a Law-giver by this command he had abrogated the Law of Moses which he declareth in the 17 th verse he came not to destroy but fulfil We are therefore to inquire who said this to whom and when he said it First it was Christ that said it not as a Law-giver who ordained Laws but as a teacher who gave moral instructions not so much to reprove their deeds as to correct their thoughts next he spoke it to Men opprest who lived in a Common-wealth extreamly corrupted where justice was neglected and whose ruine and destruction was near at hand this Doctrin of Christ was likewise Preached by the Prophet Ieremy before the first destruction of the City of Jerusalem Lament Chap. 3. v. 30. He giveth his Cheek to him that smiteth him Wherefore seeing the Prophets did not teach this Doctrine but in the time of oppression nor was any where commanded by them as a Law and on the contrary Moses who did not write in times of oppression but took care to establish a good Common-wealth tho' he condemned revenge and the hating of our Neighbour yet he commanded that an Eye should be given for an Eye hence it appears by the fundamental Principles of Scripture that this Doctrine of Christ and Jeremy for suffering Injuries and submitting to Wicked Men ought to be practised only in times of oppression and in Places where Justice is not so easily to be had but not in a good Common-Wealth because in good Governments where Justice is maintain'd every Man is obliged if he will be Just to require Satisfaction for Injuries before a Judge Levit. Chap. 5. v. 1. Not upon the score of Hatred and Revenge which are forbidden Levit. Chap. 19. v. 17 18. But to preserve and maintain the Justice and Laws of a Man's Country and that wicked Men may not get advantage and thrive by their wickedness all which is agreeable to Natural Reason to this purpose I could bring many more Examples but these are sufficient to explain my meaning and shew the usefulness of that method which is the Subject of my present Discourse But hitherto I have only shewn the Way to find out the Sense of those Scripture Sentences which concern the Use of Life and are therefore more easily understood because among the Penmen of the Bible there never was any controversy about them but other passages in Scripture which concern Matters meerly Speculative are not so plain and obvious because the Way to them is very narrow for tho' in things meerly Speculative the Prophets as we have already shewn differ'd amongst themselves and the narrations of things were suited to the prejudice of every Age yet it is not at all Lawful for us to determine what was the meaning of one Prophet by the clear Places of another unless it be evident to us that they were both of one Opinion how then the meaning of the Prophets in such Cases is to be known by the History of Scripture I will in few words declare we must in the first Place begin with what is most general and from those Sentences of Scripture which are most plain and clear inquire what is Prophesy or Revelation and in what it chiefly consists Next we ought to inquire what a Miracle is and after that of things usual and common this being done we ought to consider the Opinions of every Prophet and from them guess at the meaning of every Prophesy History and Miracle but what caution we are to use that in these things we do not confound the Sense of the Prophets and Historians with the meaning of the Holy Spirit and the Truth of the Matter I have already shewn in their proper Places But this is to be noted concerning the meaning of Revelations that this my method teacheth us to find out only those things which the Prophets heard or saw and not what they signified and represented to us by Figures an Hierogliphicks of these things we can only make Conjectures but cannot certainly derive them from the fundamental Principles of Scripture Now though I have shewn the manner of interpreting Scripture and proved it to be the sure way of finding out the Sense thereof yet indeed I confess those Men may have a more certain Knowledge of the true meaning of it if any such Men there be who have received a Traditional Explication thereof made by the Prophets themselves
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
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
we have named were written long after the Matters of Fact happen'd which they relate If we consider the Connexion and Subject of these Books we shall quickly find that they were all written by one and the same Historian who designed to write the Antiquities of the Iews from their first Original to the first destruction of Ierusalem for the Books are by connexion so linked together that they seem to be but the single Narration of one Historian for as soon as he hath done with the Life of Moses he begins the next Book with these words Now after the Death of Moses the Servant of the Lord it came to pass that the Lord spake unto Ioshuah And ending the story of Ioshuah with his Death he doth with the very same Transition and Conjunction begin the Book of Iudges in these words Now after the Death of Ioshuah it came to pass that the Children of Israel asked the Lord And to this Book of Iudges as an Appendix he joyneth the Book of Ruth in these words Now it came to pass in the days when the Iudges ruled that there was a Famin in the Land. To which Book of Ruth he doth in the same manner joyn the first Book of Samuel that ended with his wonted Transition he goes on to the Second Book and to this the History of David not being fully endded he joyns the first Book of Kings then going on with David's History addeth with his usual Connexion the Second Book The context and Order of the Histories likewise declare the Historian to be but one Person who propounded to himself one certain end for he begins with the Original of the Iewish Nation then in order shews upon what occasion and at what time Moses prescribed Laws and Prophesyed many things to them afterward he relates how they invaded the Land of Promise according to Moses's predictions Deut. Chap. 7. And when they had possest it how they would forsake God's Laws Deut. Chap. 31. v. 16. And what evils should thereupon follow verse 17. Next he declares how they would chuse Kings Deut. Chap. 17. v. 14. Whose Affairs should succeed well or ill according to the care they took in observing the Laws Deut. Chap. 28. v. 36 68. And Lastly concludes with the ruin of their Government as Moses foretold Of things which served litle to the Establishment of the Law he said nothing or else refers the Reader to other Authors so that all these Books conspire in this one thing namely the publishing the Prophesies and Edicts of Moses and making them good by what after happen'd The simplicity and plainness of the Subject of all the Books the connexion of them and their being written many Ages after the things done is argument enough to perswade any Man that they were all written by one Historian but who he was I cannot evidently prove I have some Reasons and those of some weight to think it was Esdras seeing the Historian whom we now know to be one Person carries on the History as far as Iehoiachim's deliverance out of Prison and moreover adds that he sate at the King's Table all his Life which must be either the Table of King Iehoiachim or of the Son of Nebuchadnezzar for the Sense is very dubious It follows that it could not be any one before Esdras the Scripture saith of Esdras without mentioning any other Person Ezra Chap. 7. v. 10. That he had prepared his Heart to seek the Law of the Lord to do it and Verse 6 th That he was a ready Scribe in the Law of Moses So that I cannot conjecture any body but Esdras should write those Books in the Testimony given of him we find that he did not only seek the Law of God but that he likewise explain'd it Nehem. Chap. 8. v. 8. Where it is said that they read in the Book of the Law of God distinctly and gave the Sense thereof and caused them to understand the Reading Now because in the Book of Deutronomy not only the Book of the Law of Moses at least a great part of it is contained but also many things are inserted for the better explication thereof I conjecture The Book of Deutronomy to be that Book of the Law of God written set forth and expounded by Esdras which they then read and that many things are put in by Way of Parenthesis more clearly to explain it We gave you several instances when I unfolded Aben-Ezras meaning there are more of the like kind as appears Deut. Chap. 2. v. 12. The Horites also dwelt in Seir before time but the Children of Esau succeeded them when they had destroyed them from before them and dwelt in their stead as Israel did unto the Land of his Possession which the Lord gave unto them This explains the 3 d. and 4 th Verses of the same Chapter namely that Mount Seir which was the Inheritance of the Sons of Esau was not found by them uninhabited but that they invaded the Horites who first dwelt there and having subdued destroyed them as the Children of Israel did the Cananites after the Death of Moses likewise in the 10 th Chapter it is evident that the 6 7 8 and 9. verses are interposed by Way of Parenthesis with the Words of Moses for the 8 th Verse which begins in these words at that time the Lord separated the Tribe of Levi must necessarily have reference to the 5 th Verse which speaks of Moses coming down from the Mount and putting the Tables into the Ark and not to the death of Aron mentioned in the 6 th Verse Of which Esdras spake here for no other Reason but because Moses in the story of the Golden Calf which the People worshipt said in the 9 th Chap. v. 20. That he prayed for Aron The Historian goes on and declares that God at that time of which Moses speaks chose for himself the Tribe of Levi that he might shew the Cause of their Election and also why the Levites had no Part or Inheritance with their Brethren this done in the words of Moses he follows the thred of the History If we consider the Preface of the Book and all the Places which speak of Moses in the Third Person and many other things which cannot now be known which he added or exprest in other words that they might be the better understood by those that lived in his time without doubt had we the very Book of the Law which Moses wrote we should find that all the Commandments very much differ not only in words but in Order Matter and Sense Compare the Decalogue of this Book with that in Exodus where it is expresly set down we shall find this to vary from that for the Fourth Commandment in Deutronomy is not only commanded in another Form but is enlarged and the Reason of it likewise differs much from that in Exodus so that this as in other Places was done by Esdras because he explained the Law of God to
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
are deep Mysteries hidden in the Scripture but because from thence hath sprung up intollerable Superstition and many other mischievous inconveniences of which I spake in the beginning of the seventh Chapter I could not possibly pass them by Religion needs not be attired with any Superstitious Ornaments but rather loseth part of its Beauty and Lustre when it is adorned with such Fopperies But some will say That tho' the Divine Law be written in Mens Hearts yet nevertheless the Scripture is the word of God and therefore 't is as unlawful to say of Scripture as of the Word of God that 't is maimed or corrupted I on the other side fear such Men pretend too much Sanctity and convert Religion into Superstition yea that they worship Pictures and Images that is Paper and Ink for the Word of God this I know that I have said nothing misbecoming the Scripture or the Word of God and that I have laid down no Position which I have not made good by clear Reason and therefore I may positively aver that I have not publish'd any thing that is impious or that savors of the least impiety I confess some prophane persons to whom Religion is a burthen may take a liberty of sinning and without any reason indulging their sensual pleasure may infer that the Scripture is every where faulty and falsify'd and consequently of no Authority to such Men nothing will be an answer for according to the common saying that which is never so well and truly spoken may be abused by an ill and sinister Interpretation they that are lovers of their Pleasure will take any occasion to do it and they who in time past had those Originals the Ark of the Covenant the Prophets and Apostles themselves were not one jot the more obedient or the better for them but all as well Iews as Gentiles were alike still the same and Vertue in all Ages was a thing very rare But to clear all Scruples I will now shew upon what ground and reason Scripture or any other mute thing may be called Sacred or Holy next what is indeed the Word of God that it is not contained in a certain number of Books And lastly that as it contains those things which are necessary to Obedience and Salvation it cannot be corrupted By these particulars every one may easily judge that I speak nothing against the Word of God or give any occasion for Men to be wicked or ungodly That is called Holy and Divine which is dedicated to Piety and the practice of Religion and a thing continues Holy so long as Men make a Religious use thereof when Men cease to be Religious that thing ceaseth to be Sacred and when the thing is used to impious purposes then that thing which was before Sacred becomes unholy and prophane For example the very place called by Iacob the Patriarch Beth-el the House of God because he there worship'd God reveal'd to him was afterwards called by the Prophets the House of Iniquity Amos chap. 5. v. 5. Hoshea chap. 10. v. 5. because the Israelites by the Command of Ieroboam did there sacrifice to Idols Another example will plainly prove the thing Words have a certain signification only by use and custom and if they be according to that use so disposed that they move Men who read them to Devotion then those words are esteemed Sacred and likewise the Book wherein they are written but if afterward it come to pass that the use of those words is lost and thereby the words become insignificant and the Book wherein such words are is quite neglected and laid aside either through malice or because Men have no need of it then the words and the Book as they are of no use so have they no Sanctity in them Lastly If those words come to be otherwise construed and Custom so far prevail as to give them a clean contrary sense and signification then the words and the Book which were before esteemed Sacred may become filthy and profane whence it follows that nothing can be absolutely either Sacred or Profane but only in respect of Mans Mind or Understanding which clearly appears by many places of Scripture I will quote only one or two Ieremy chap. 7. v. 24. saith the Iews did falsely call Solomon's Temple the Temple of God for as he further saith in that Chapter the Name of God could remain in that Temple no longer than it was frequented by Men who worship'd him and maintain'd Justice but when Murderers Robbers and Idolaters resorted to it 't was then but a Den of Thieves I have often wonder'd that the Scripture no where declares what became of the Ark of the Covenant certainly it was either lost or burnt with the Temple tho' nothing was esteemed more Sacred and Venerable among the Iews The Scripture then is Sacred and its sayings Divine so long as Men are thereby moved to Devotion but if the Scripture be quite neglected as it was heretofore by the Iews it is nothing but Paper and Ink 't is then profaned and left liable to Corruption and when it is corrupted and perisheth it cannot be truly said the Word of God is corrupted and lost as in the Prophet Ieremy's time it could not be truly said the Temple of God was burnt which Ieremy himself declareth of the Law for chap. 8. v. 8. he reproves the Wicked in these words How do ye say we are wise and the Law of the Lord is with us Lo certainly in vain made he it the Pen of the Scribes is in vain that is tho' ye have the Scripture yet ye falsely say you have the Law of God since ye have made it of no effect In like manner when Moses brake the first Tables it cannot be said that in anger he cast the Law of God out of his Hands and brake it no person ought to think so he brake only the Stones which tho' before accounted Sacred because upon them was engraven the Covenant by which the Iews bound themselves to obey God yet afterward had not the least Sanctity in them because the People by worshiping the Golden Calf made that Covenant void For the same cause the second Tables with the Ark wherein they were kept might likewise perish 'T is no wonder then if none of those Originals are to be found or that the like should befal the Books we have when the very Original of Gods Law the most Sacred of all things is utterly lost Let Men then forbear to charge me with impiety seeing I have spoken nothing against the Word of God nor have any way profaned it if their anger be just let it be vented against the people of old whose wickedness prophaned and destroyed the Ark of God the Temple the Law and all things else that were Sacred If according to the 2 d Epist. to the Corinth chap. 3. v. 3. The Epistle of Christ were written not with Ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in Tables
Men nevertheless blessed and happy Having shewed that the Scripture in respect of Religion only and the universal Divine Law is properly called Scripture It now remains to prove that in this respect and as it is properly so call'd it is neither maimed faulty or corrupted and here I call that thing faulty maimed and corrupted which is so falsely written and compos'd that the true sense of the words cannot either by the use of the Language or by the Scripture it self be found out for I do not affirm that the Scripture as it contains the Divine Law always observes the same letters points accents and words I leave that to the Masorites who so superstitiously adore the Letter but only that the signification and sense in respect of which only any Speech is to be called Divine is derived to us uncorrupted tho' the words whereby that sense was signified have been often changed that cannot as we have said detract from the Sacredness of Scripture for it would not have been one jot less Divine had it been written in other Words or in any other Language That we have received the Divine Law in this respect uncorrupted no body can question for by the Scripture it self without any doubt or difficulty we perceive that the summ thereof is to love God above all things and our Neighbours as our selves This cannot be adulterated nor written by a too hasty erring Pen for if the Scripture ever taught any other thing it must necessarily teach all other things otherwise seeing this is the Foundation of all Religion take away this Foundation and the whole Fabrick falls to the ground and if this were not so the Scripture were not Scripture but quite another Book It remains then without Controversie this was always the Doctrine of Scripture and consequently that no error could creep into it to corrupt its Sense which would have been quickly perceiv'd by every body and who ever had gone about to corrupt it his Malice would have presently appear'd If then this Foundation be immoveable and incorruptible the same must be concluded of other things which indisputably follow from it and which are also fundamentals as that God is that he provides for all that he is Omnipotent and that he hath decreed it shall go well with Good and ill with Wicked-men and that our Salvation depends only upon his Grace and Mercy These things the Scripture every where plainly teacheth and ought always to teach else all other things were vain and without any Foundation 'T is as impossible to corrupt any other Moral Doctrines which are built upon and evidently follow from this Foundation namely to do justice to succour those that are in want and distress not to kill not to covet and none of these moral Precepts can be mis-interpreted or corrupted by malice or obliterated by length of time If any of these things should be blotted out they would be again dictated to mankind by the first general Foundation and more especially by the Doctrine of Charity which is every where so much commended in the Old and New Testament Should it be granted that there is no wickedness which ever entred into the Heart of Man which some person or other hath not committed yet never was there any Man who to excuse or justifie his Crimes endeavour'd to blot out the Laws or to preach Impiety for good and wholsome Doctrine Tho' it be every Man's nature whether King or Subject when he hath done any thing that is evil to palliate the fact with such Circumstances as may make it appear as little as is possible dishonest or unjust We therefore conclude that the Universal Divine Law which the Scripture teacheth is deliver'd and derived to us pure and incorruptible There are other things also which have been faithfully deliver'd to us namely the general Collection of Scripture Histories because they are universally known The common people of the Iews were wont to sing the Antiquities and Ancient Facts of their Nation in Psalms or Songs The principal things done by Christ and his Passion were quickly publish'd through the whole Roman Empire and therefore 't is impossible to believe unless the greatest part of mankind should agree in that which is incredible that the principal things in Scripture Histories should be deliver'd to posterity otherwise than they were first receiv'd Whatever then is adulterated or faulty must happen only in this or that Circumstance of a Prophesie or History the more to move people to Devotion or in some Miracle to puzzle and nonplus Philosophers or lastly in matters Speculative after they were brought into Religion by Schismaticks abusing Divine Authority to support their own inventions But whether these things be or be not adulterated and corrupted doth not at all concern Salvation which I will expresly shew in the following Chapter tho' I think enough hath been already said to prove it in this and the second Chapter CHAP. XIII Shews that the Scripture teacheth nothing but what is very plain intending nothing but Mens Obedience neither doth it teach or declare any other thing of the Divine Nature than what a Man may in a right course of life in some degree imitate WE have already declared in the second Chapter of this Treatise that the Prophets did not so much excel in perfection of Mind and Understanding as in a singular faculty and power of Imagination That God revealed to them no deep points of Philosophy but only things very plain and easie condesending and applying himself to their Capacities and preconceiv'd Opinions We have in the fifth Chapter shewn that the Scripture delivers and teacheth things in such a manner as may render them most easie to be understood by every Man and that it doth not prove deduce and link things together by maxims and definitions but only plainly relates and declares things and to make Men believe confirms what it says by Experience that is by Miracles and Histories making use of such a Stile and such Expressions as are most likely to move and prevail upon the Minds of the common people of which I have spoken in proving the third Particular of the sixth Chapter Lastly I have shew'd in the seventh Chapter that the difficulty of understanding the Scripture lies only in the Language wherein it was originally written and not in the sublimity and abstruceness of the Subject whereof it treats and moreover that the Prophets did not preach only to the Learned but in general to all the Iews and that the Apostles preached the Doctrine of the Gospel in Churches where there was a common and universal Assembly of all people by all which it evidently appears that Scripture Doctrine contains no high Speculations nor Philosophical Arguments but only things plain and intelligible by the meanest and dullest Capacities I strangely admire the accuteness of those Men who discover in the Scripture Mysteries so profound that 't is impossible for the Tongue of Man to unfold them and who have
at that time to teach them the true and real Attributes of his Essence because he then revealed none to them but to break and subdue their rebellious and stubborn humor and draw them to Obedience and therefore he did not set upon them with Arguments and Reason but with Tempest Noise Thunder and Lightning as is recorded Exod. 20. 20. I am now to prove that between Faith or Theology and Philosophy there is no commerce or affinity which no Man can deny who knows how much the Foundation and End of these two faculties differ for the end and design of Philosophy is Verity and the intention and end of Faith is nothing but Obedience and Piety The fundadamentals of Philosophy are common notions which are to be drawn only from Nature it self but the principles and fundamentals of Faith are to be derived from Scripture-History Scripture-Language from the Scripture it self and from Revelation as we have shewn in the 7 th Chapter Faith therefore allows every Man such a freedom and liberty of Reasoning or Philosophizing that he may think what he will of any thing provided he do nothing that is wicked and condemns only those for Hereticks and Schismaticks who broach Doctrines that are the causes of disobedience hatred contention and wrath esteeming only such to be Believers who use their utmost endeavours to perswade and practise Justice and Charity Lastly Because what I have said in this and the former Chapter was what I chiefly intended in the whole Treatise I earnestly request the Reader before I proceed further that he will again and again carefully read and seriously consider the Contents of these two Chapters and that he will have Charity enough to believe that I have written nothing with design to introduce new Doctrines but only to rectify what is amiss which I hope e're long to see done CHAP. XV. Theology or Divinity is no Handmaid to Reason nor Reason to Divinity Why we believe the Authority of the Holy Scripture AMongst those that know not how to distinguish and divide Philosophy from Theology there is very great dispute whether the Scripture ought to be subservient to Reason or Reason to Scripture that is whether we are to judge of the Sense of Scripture by Reason or whether Reason ought to submit to Scripture The Scepticks who deny the certainty of Reason maintain one of these Opinions and the Dogmatists who judge all things by Reason the other but both as appears by what I have said are extremely mistaken for whoever follows either of the two Opinions must necessarily deprave either Reason or Scripture We have shewn that the Scripture doth teach us no Philosophy but only Piety and all things contained in it are fitted to the Capacity and Opinions of vulgar people Whoever then goes about to apply it to Philosophy must father upon the Prophets many things whereof they did never so much as dream and interpret that to be their meaning which never was He on the other side who makes Reason or Philosophy a Handmaid to Divinity will be necessitated to let the mistaken Opinions of old times pass for Divine Truths possessing and blinding his Understanding with Error and Prejudice and both run mad together without Reason The first among the Pharisees who openly declared that Scripture was to be accommodated to Reasons was Maimonides whose Opinion we have hinted and refuted in the 7 th Chapter but tho' this Author were of great Authority among the Pharisees yet the greatest part of that Sect did not agree with him in this point but generally maintained the Opinion of Rabbi Iehuda Alpakhar who endeavouring to avoid the Error of Maimonides fell into the clean contrary Opinion holding that Reason ought to be a Handmaid to Scripture and wholly subjected to it and would have nothing in Scripture metaphorically interpreted because the literal sense was contrary and repugnant to Reason but because it was so to the Scripture it self that is to the positive Doctrines of Scripture and laid it down for a general rule that whatever the Scripture did in plain and express words affirm and teach that upon the account of its Authority was to be admitted for Truth if no other Position were found in the Bible which did only consequentially but not directly contradict it for there are some Scripture expressions which seem to imply contradiction to what hath been positively and expresly declared and therefore those places only are to be metaphorically taken For example Deut. 6.4 it is plainly and positively declared That there is but one God or that God is but one but there are many places where God speaking of himself and the Prophets of God speak in the plural number which manner of speaking supposeth and implies more God's than one tho' that doth not clearly and directly appear to be the intention of the words All those places therefore are to be metaphorically interpreted not because it is repugnant to Reason that there should be more Gods than one but because the Scripture it self directly declares that there is but only one So likewise because the Scripture Deut. 4. 15. doth in the Rabbi's Opinion directly declare that God is Incorporeal therefore upon the Authority only of this Text and not upon any account of Reason we are bound to believe God hath no Body and consequently all places of Scripture are to be metaphorically taken which ascribe to God Hands Feet or which seem to suppose God Corporeal This was the Opinion of this Author whom I commend for explaining Scripture by Scripture but I wonder that a rational Man should endeavour to destroy Reason It is very true that Scripture ought to be expounded by Scripture so long as there is doubt of the sense of the words or of the meaning of the Prophets but when we have found out the true sense 't is absolutely necessary to make use of our Reason and Judgment to gain our assent and consent to it for if we must submit to Scripture tho' our Reason be not at all convinced by it must we submit with Reason or like blind Men without any Reason at all if we submit without Reason we do it foolishly without Judgment if we submit with Reason then 't is by the command and dictates of Reason that we believe and embrace the Scripture which we would not do were it contrary to Reason Who can in his Mind believe or consent to any thing which his Reason flatly opposeth Denying a thing with a Man's Heart is nothing else but the gainsaying and dissent of a Man's Reason I extreamly wonder some Men should subject that excellent gift and Divine Light Reason to Dead Letters which humane Malice may corrupt and mis-interpret and yet account it no offence to speak unworthily against Reason and the Mind of Man whereon God hath engraven his Word saying Our Reason is blinded and lost but in the mean time declare 't is abominable wickedness to think any such thing of the Letter which they
Idolize for the Word of God they account it great Piety in a Man not to trust to his own Judgment and Reason but great wickedness to doubt their fidelity who communicated to us the Sacred Volumes Certainly such Men's Folly exceeds their Piety What troubles them What is it they fear Cannot Religion and Faith be defended unless Men be professedly ignorant and bid Reason farewell they that think so do rather fear than believe Scripture God forbid that Religion should be a Servant to Reason or Reason to Religion both may with great Peace and Concord preserve their own proper Dominion which I will presently prove after I have a little examined the Tenet and Opinion of our Rabbin Alpakhar he as I have said would have us receive every thing for truth which the Scripture affirms and reject every thing as false which the Scripture denies and maintains that the Scripture doth no where in express words affirm or deny any thing contrary to what in another place it hath positively affirmed or denied both which are very bold and rash Positions I will not press him with what perhaps he never took notice of that the Scripture contains several Books that it was written by several Authors in several Ages for the use of divers people and seeing upon his own Authority only he maintains what neither Reason or Scripture ever said he ought to shew that all those places of Scripture which do but by consequence contradict others may from the nature of the Language and in respect of the place conveniently bear a metaphorical interpretation and he ought likewise to prove That the Scripture is derived down to us without any corruption or adulteration To come close to the business I ask him concerning his first Position Whether we are bound to believe every thing to be true which the Scripture affirms and reject every thing as false which it denies tho' both be contrary to our Reason If he answer that nothing can be found in Scripture contrary to Reason I press him with this instance In the Decalogue Exod. 34. 14. Deut. 4. 24. and in other places it is said That Gâ—d is Iealous but that such a passion as Jealousie should be in God is contrary to Reason Now if there be other places in Scripture which suppose God not to be Jealous they must be metaphorically interpreted that they may not seem to suppose any such thing The Scripture expresly saith That God came down upon Mount Sinai Exod. 19.20 and ascribes to him other local motions no where expresly declaring that God is not moved so that all Men ought to believe it to be truth and therefore that which Solomon saith of God in 1 Kings 8. 27. That he cannot be comprehended or contained in any place tho' it do not expresly but only consequentially declare that God is not moved ought to be in like manner metaphorically understood The Heavens also must be taken for God's Throne and Habitation because the Scripture declares positively they are Many things of this kind are said in Scripture consonant to the Opinions of the Prophets and People which Reason and Philosophy but not Scripture say are false all which according to the Rabbi's Opinion who in such cases will allow no consulting with Reason must pass for Truths He affirms that which is not true in saying that no one place of Scripture expresly and directly contradicts another but only by consequence for Moses Deut. 4. 24. expresly declares That God is a consuming fire and directly denies that God is like any visible thing Deut. 4. 12. Now if the Rabbi will have this latter Text not directly but only by consequence to deny that God is Fire and therefore must be so interpreted that it may not seem to deny it let him have his Will and let us grant that God is Fire or rather not to be as mad as he we will let this pass and make use of another example Samuel directly denies that God ever repents of his Decrees 1 Sam. 15. 29. but Ieremy on the contrary affirms Chap. 18. v. 8 10. That God doth sometimes repent both of the good and of the evil that he purposed and decreed Do not these two Texts directly oppose one another Which of these two must be metaphorically interpreted both the Opinions are general and contrary to each other what one directly affirms the other positively denies so that the Rabbi by his own Rule is bound to believe one and the same thing to be true and false but what matter is it tho' one place do not directly but only by consequence contradict another If the consequence be clear and the nature and circumstance of the place will admit of no Metaphorical Explication of which many are to be found in the Bible we have spoke to them in the second Chapter where we have shewn that several Prophets had different Opinions and particularly of those contradictions which I in the 9 th and 10 th Chapter have made appear to be in several of the Scripture Histories they need not be repeated what I have said being sufficient to confute the Absurdities and Falsities which must necessarily follow from the Rabbi's Rule and to shew how unadvisedly and grosly the Author is mistaken The different Opinions of both Rabbies being confuted I do again positively declare That Divinity or Theology ought not to be a Servant to Reason nor Reason to Theology but both ought to maintain their own Dominion Reason ought to rule in things which relate to Wisdom and Truth and Theology in matters which concern our Piety and Obedience The power of Reason doth not so far extend it self as to determin that Men only by Obedience without the true knowledge of things may be blessed and happy but Theology dictates nothing else and commands nothing but Obedience not intending or being able to do any thing against Reason as we have shewed in the preceding Chapter Theology determins Doctrines of Faith no further than is necessary to Obedience but how those Doctrines are precisely in respect of Verity to be understood it leaves Reason to resolve which is the light of our Mind and without which we see nothing but Dreams and Fancies But here by Theology I mean only Revelation so far as it declares the scope and end to which the Scripture aims namely the reason and manner of living obediently or the Doctrines of Faith and Piety This is that which is properly the word of God and doth not consist in a certain number of Books as we have shewed in the 12 th Chapter Theology taken in this sense if we consider its Precepts and Instructions perfectly agrees with Reason and if we consider its End and Design in nothing contradicts it and therefore universally concerns all mankind As for the whole Scripture in general the sense thereof as we have shewed in the 7 th Chapter is to be determined by Scripture History and not by the History of Nature which is the
Foundation and proper Subject of Philosophy Nor ought we to be troubled or concerned if after we have found out the true sense of the Scripture the Scripture in some places seem repugnant to Reason for whatever of that kind we meet with in the Bible and of which Men may without any breach of Charity be ignorant doth not at all concern Theology or the Word of God and consequently of such things a Man may without sin think what he pleaseth and therefore we positively conclude that Reason is not to be accommodated to Scripture nor Scripture to Reason But seeing the fundamental point in Divinity of Mens being saved only by Obedience cannot be demonstrated by Reason to be true or false it may by way of Objection be then asked Why then do we believe it If we do it blindly without Reason we act like Fools without Judgment if on the other side we say this Fundamental Tenet may be proved by Reason then Divinity is a part of Philosophy and cannot be sever'd from it To this I answer That I do clearly confess this Fundamental Doctrine of Theology cannot be made out by Natural Reason at least no Man that I know hath ever done it therefore Revelation was absolutely necessary in the case but yet we may make use of our Judgment and Reason that what hath been revealed may with a moral certainty be believed by us I say with moral certainty for it is not to be expected that we can have any greater assurance than the Prophets themselves had to whom the Revelation was first made and who had no more than a moral certainty as we have shewed in the second Chapter of this Treatise They therefore are in a very great error who endeavour to prove the Authority of Scripture by Mathematical Demonstration for the Authority of the Bible depends upon the Authority of the Prophets and consequently can be proved by no stronger argument than the Prophets made use of to perswade the people of theirs Our certainty of the Scriptures Authority can be grounded upon no other Foundation than that whereon the Prophets founded their Certainty and Authority and we have already shewn the certainty of the Prophets consisted in three particulars First In a clear and lively imagination Secondly In a Sign Thirdly and principally in a Mind inclined and devoted to Justice and Vertue nor could they give any other evidences of their Authority either to the people to whom they spake in their own persons by word of mouth nor can any other be given to us to whom they speak by their Writings the lively imagination of the Prophets was an Argument only to themselves and therefore all our assurance concerning Revelation doth and must consist only in the other two particulars namely in a Sign and in the Doctrine The eighteenth Chapter of Deuteronomy commands the people to obey that Prophet who in the name of the Lord gave them a true Sign but if he prophesied any thing that was false tho' it were in the Name of the Lord he was to be put to death as he was who endeavoured to seduce them from the true Religion tho' he confirm'd his Prophesie with Signs and Miracles as appears in the 13 th Chapter of Deuteronomy whence it follows that a true Prophet was to be known from a false by his Doctrine and by a Miracle both together for such a one only Moses declareth to be a true Prophet and commanded the people to believe him without any fear of being deceived But he declared those to be false Prophets and guilty of Death who foretold any thing that was false tho' it were in the Name of God or he that preached false Gods tho' he wrought true Miracles We then are oblig'd to believe the Scripture that is the Prophets upon account only of their Doctrine confirm'd by Signs because we see the Prophets above all things commend Justice and Charity and intended nothing else because with a sincere Mind without any guile or deceit they declared that Men by Faith and Obedience should be made happy and confirm'd this their Doctrines with Signs We therefore conclude and perswade our selves that when they prophesied they did neither dote or speak unadvisedly in which Opinion we are the more confirm'd when we consider that all their Moral Doctrines did perfectly agree with Reason for it is very observable that the Word of God in the Prophets is exactly consonant to the Word of God within us so that I say again we are as much assured of these things by the Scripture as the Iews were by the Prophets preaching to them viva voce for we have proved in the end of the second Chapter that the Scripture as to its Doctrine and the principal Histories thereof is derived down to us uncorrupted and therefore this Fundamental Doctrine of Scripture and Theology ought with good reason to be embraced by us tho' it cannot be proved by Mathematical Demonstration It is very great folly not to believe a thing which hath been confirmed by so many Testimonies of the Prophets and which is so great a comfort to those who have but ordinary portions of Reason which is so beneficial to the publick and which may without any danger or loss be believed We can give no reason for our doubting or unbelief but our not having Mathematical Demonstration to prove it as if nothing could contribute to living vertuously and prudently but that which is absolutely and apparently true in which there is not the least shadow or doubt and as if there were nothing of chance and uncertainty in our Actions I confess they who think Philosophy and Divinity contradictory one to another and therefore conclude one of them ought to be dethroned and subjected to the other do very well to build Divinity upon a sure Foundation and endeavour by Infallible Demonstration to support it yet I cannot but condemn those that make use of Reason to destroy Reason and by Certain Reason endeavour to prove there is no certainty in Reason while they are demonstrating the Verity and Authority of Theology and strive to deprive Reason of its power they subject Theology to the Empire of Reason and allow it no other splendor than what it borrows from Natural Light If they boast of relying upon the Internal Testimony of the Holy Spirit and say they make use of Reason only to convert Infidels we ought not to believe them because 't is evident that the Holy Spirit beareth witness to nothing but good Works which Paul Galath 5. 22. therefore calls the fruits of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is nothing else but that Tranquility of Mind and Peace of Conscience which ariseth in us from doing good But of the truth and certainty of things meerly speculative no other Spirit but Reason beareth witness Reason only can challenge the power of judging what is true they that pretend to any other Spirit whereby to make themselves certain what is true maintain
purchase another new Tyrant So that there was no end of their Discords and Intestine Wars and the Causes of violating God's Law were still the same which could never end but with the Total Destruction of the Common-Wealth We have now seen how Religion began in the Iewish Common-Wealth and how the Government might have been perpetual if the Just Wrath of God would have permitted it to continue But because it would not therefore it perished I have here spoken only of their First Government the Second being but a Shadow of their First seeing they were still under the Power of the Persians After they obtained their Liberty of Cyrus the High Priests became their Princes by usurping the Supreme Authority the Priests having as great a Mind to the Crown as to the Mitre Of this Second Government I need say no more Whether their First Government as it was conceived Durable or Religious be a Pattern that may be followed will appear in the next Chapter For the Close of all I desire it may be particularly observed That by what hath been declared in this Chapter it is evident That Divine Right or Religion had its Beginning and Rise from a Covenant or Contract without which there is no Right but that of Nature and therefore the Iews were not obliged by any Precept of Religion to shew any Kindness towards any other Nations who were not concerned in the Covenant but only to those of their own Common-Wealth CHAP. XVIII Certain Political Maxims Collected from the Government and Histories of the Jews Commonwealth THough the Government of the Jews as it hath been describ'd in the preceding Chapter might have been perpetual yet 't is an Example that cannot now be follow'd nor is it advisable to put it in practice for if any Men would transfer their power upon God they ought to do it as the Jews did by an express Contract or Covenant so that not only the mind of them that transfer their power but also the Will of God upon whom the power is transfer'd ought to be known but God hath revealed by the Apostles that the Covenant of God shall no more be written with Ink nor in Tables of Stone but shall by his Spirit be written in our Hearts That form of Government under which the Jews lived might be very useful and convenient for them who lived alone without any foreign Trade or Commerce who kept themselves within their own Territories and separated themselves from all the rest of the World but 't is in no wise fit for People that live by trading with others and consequently it is to very few people that the Jewish government can be of any use or advantage but though it be a pattern that cannot be follow'd in all things yet there were in it many things very worthy of our observation and which are fit to be put in practice Because my intention is not to treat expresly of Government I will pass many things by and only take notice of those that make for my purpose Namely That it is not repugnant to the Kingdom of God to make Majesty Elective that is to chuse the Person or Persons who shall have the Supream Power of Government for after the Iews transferr'd their Power upon God they delivered the Supream Power of Governing to Moses who thereby had in God's Name the sole Authority of making and abrogating Laws of chusing sacred Ministers and likewise the sole power of teaching judging and punishing and though the Priests were Interpreters of the Law yet they had no power at all to judge the People nor to excommunicate any person for none could do that but the Judges and Princes who were chosen out of the People as appears Ioshua chap. 6. v. 26. where Ioshua adjured the people not to rebuild Iericho Iudges chap. 21. v. 18. where the Elders of the Congregation appointed what Women the Benjamites should marry to propagate their Tribe and 1 Sam. chap. 14. v. 24. where Saul commanded the People not to eat any food till Evening If we consider the Histories and Successes of the Iews we shall find other things very well worth our Observation First That there were no different Sects of Religion amongst them till after the Priests in the Second Government usurped the Supream Authority and the Power of making Laws To make their Authority lasting they took upon them the Power which the Princes had and at last would be called Kings The Reason is apparent for in the First Government nothing was made Law by the High Priest because he had no power of decreeing any thing his Business was only to return those Answers to the Princes and Council which were given by God So that at that time their High Priests could not desire to make new Decrees but only to do that which was their known Duty for they had no other way to preserve their Liberty against the Princes but by keeping the Laws free from Violation and Corruption but after the Priests got power of medling with matters of Government and of Priests became Princes then every one as well in Religion as other Affairs would have all things determin'd by the Pontifical Authority daily making Decrees which they would have to be as Sacred as the Laws of Moses so that Religion degenerated into horrible Superstition the true Sense and Interpretation of the Law was corrupted and the Priests after the Restauration attempting to get the Supream Power into their hands to gain the People so soothed and flatter'd them that they approved of all they did were it never so wicked and made Interpretations of Scripture suitable to their Humours and Practices which Malachy in express Words testifies reproving the Priests of his own time in this manner Mal. chap. 2. v. 7 8. The Priest's lips should preserve knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts But ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the law ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi saith the Lord of hosts And so goes on in reproaching them with interpreting the Law as they pleased with their respecting of persons and taking no heed to walk in God's ways It is certain that though the Priests were never so cautious and wary yet they were narrowly observed by the wiser sort who taking notice of the Priests Boldness declared That the People were not bound to the Observation of any Laws but those that were Written and that all Decrees made by the Priests which the deceived Pharisees chosen as Iosephus tells us out of the meanest of the People called the Tradition of their Fathers were not at all obligatory nor to be obey'd Without all doubt the High Priest's flattering the People the Corruption of Religion and the Multiplication of Laws became a great occasion of those Disputes and Controversies which could never be ended for when men in the heat of Superstition begin to quarrel and