Authority of them equal with that of the Bible For as the Canonical Scriptures were dictated by Divine Inspiration so these Laws they hold were from God Himself and are of the same Authority with those Scriptures They make no difference between the Inspired Writings of the Old Testament and the Books of Mishnaioth or the Talmuds which are in truth an Amassment only of the Traditions of the Jews and of the Diverse Decisions of the Schools of Hillel and Shammai of the Different Determinations of R. Akiba and R. Eliezer of R. Simeon and R. Ioshua c. bandying against one another or rather if we speak plainer they are a Rhapsody of Idle Dreams Groundless Fables Cursed Errors Superstitious Rites and Practices yea if we should instance in the Babylonick Talmud of Horrid Blasphemies against Christ of Obloquies against the Mosaick Law it self and of Contradictions even to the Law of Nature These are part of the Books so highly prized by the Jewish Masters these go along with their Oral Law which was first given by God himself and consequently is of the same Original with the Canon of Scripture But they go yet higher for they do not only equalize these Traditions with Scripture but they prefer them before it They do not only say in a Proverbial Manner that they cannot stand upon the Foundation of the Written Law without the Help of the Vnwritten one i. e. the Oral Law which they talk of and that the Words of the Law as they are found in the Text are poor and wanting but as they are expounded by the Doctors have great Riches and abundance in them And again that very Great and Weighty Matters depend upon these Little Traditions which they contend for but they are so bold and presumptuous as to proceed further and give a far Greater Deference to these Traditions and Doctrines of their Wise Men as they call them than to the Holy Scriptures themselves For they tell us that their Doctors have done more good viz. as to strengthning and confirming of Religion by their own Sayings than by the Words of this Holy Book it self And accordingly their Advice is My Son attend more to what the Scribes say than to what is said by the Law though I know this may admit of another Sense viz. that we ought to look more to the Sense of the Law than the bare Letter of it But that in the Talmud is plain and can have no other Meaning To read the Holy Scripture and to be studious in searching out the Sense of it is good and not good i. e. it is not of any considerable Advantage but to turn over the Mishnah Night and Day is a Vertue which will have a great Reward hereafter and to learn the Gemara is an incomparable Vertue Yea the Jews blasphemously say that God himself studies in the Talmud every Day Here you see they prefer their Delivered Law before the Written one they make the Infallible Scriptures truckle to the Fabulous Traditions of the Mishnah To this purpose it is a Noted Saying of the Hebrew Rabbies that the Text of the Bible is like Water the Mishnah like Wine and the Six Books of the Talmud are like the Sweetest Honey'd Wine Thus to magnify the Traditions of their Fathers they vilify the Scriptures They are not content with the Rites and Injunctions written in the Law which in way of Contempt they call the Precepts of the Law but they admire those most which are taken from their Wise Men which they call the Precepts of the Rabbins and which are summarily contain'd in the Talmud these they hold to be of greater Value than the other The Persons that are skill'd in these are sliled by them Tannaim Profound Masters and Doctors but they that study the Scriptures only are but Karaim Poor Readers and Men of the Letter All this shews how these Men depretiate the Written Word of God and exalt above it their Oral Law which is a mere Fiction and Forgery as to the pretence of its being given to Moses by God and therefore is not owned by the Karaint among them who stick close to the Text nor by some of their Perushim their sobrest sort of Expositors who think those Traditions are derogatory to the Holy Scriptures Secondly Papists as well as Ieâ—s disparage the Holy Scriptures and deny its Perfection Nor by the way is this the only thing wherein they agree with the Jews a great Part of their Religion being no other than Jewish Rites and Ceremonies These Modern Talmudists will not own the Sufficiency of the Sacred Writings they have their Cabala the Doctrine Received from their Ancestors they are for their Oral Law delivered from one to another they supply the defect of Scripture so they are wont to speak with their Traditions They are of the same Mind with the Jews that there must be a Fence made about the Law that it must be hedged in with Traditions The Scripture is not a Perfect Rule of Faith and Manners say they but the things which are necessary to Salvation are partly contained in the Scripture and partly in unwritten Traditions A very absurd and wild Doctrine because they have no way to prove any thing to be necessary to Salvation but by proving it to be found in the Scripture Whatever was or is necessary for the Universal Church is revealed in these Writings and no New Doctrine necessary to Salvation is delivered since to the Church or any particular Person But notwithstanding the Absurdity of this Tenent they hold it fast and make it a Great Article of their Belief For they are taught by an Oecumenical Council as they repute it that Unwritten Traditions are of equal Authority with the Scriptures that they are to be received with the same pious Affection and Reverence those are the words wherewith the Infallible Writings of the Prophets and Apostles are to be entertained and consequently they are to be made a Rule of Faith equal with the Scriptures But they rest not here they not only equal Humane and Ecclesiastical Traditions with the Written Word of God but following the Steps of the Old Talmudists they proceed yet further preferring Traditions before Scripture Thus a Renowned Divine in their Church tells us plainly that Traditions are exceeding necessary for the welfare of the Church yea that they are more requisite than the Scripture it self and this he endeavours to make good With him concur several others of their Writers whom we find extolling Traditions but at the same time speaking very meanly and slightly of the Holy Writ Hence they blasphemously call it a Nose of Wax and a Leaden Rule and many such vilifying Terms are used by Pighius and Melchior Canus and other Great Doctors of that Church We deny not the Usefulness nay even the Necessity nay the Perpetuity of Tradition viz. That Tradition whereby the Doctrines which were entrusted in the
Books with us We need not stay to attend here to what a late Learned Writer before named hath with much Confidence but slender Reason suggested viz. that the Bible of the Old Testament is an Abbreviated Collection from Antient Records which were much more large He confesseth that the Canon of Scripture is taken out of Authentick Registeries but the Authors who collected it added and diminished as they pleased especially he asserts this concerning the Historical Books that they are Abridgments of larger Records and Summaries of other larger Acts kept in the Jewish Archives and these publick Scribes who writ them out took the liberty to alter Words as they saw occasion So that in short according to this Critick here are only some broken Pieces and Scraps taken out of the first Authentick Writings A bold and daring Assertion and founded on no other Bottom than F. Simon 's Brain Who would expect this from one that is a Man of great Sense and Reason one that is a great Master of Critical Learning and hath presented the World with very choice Remarks on the History of the Bible for truly I am not of his Opinion who saith he sees not any thing in this Author's Writings buâ— what is common It is to be lamented that a Person otherwise so Judicious and Observing hath given himself up here to his own Fancy and Conceit He invents a new Office of publick Registers that were Divinely inspired he makes Notaries and Prophets the same He gives no Proof and Demonstration of that Adding and Diminishing which the Scribes he talks of made he hatâ— not one tolerable Argument to evince any of thâ— Books of Scripture to be Fragments of greater ones Indeed I should mightily have wondred that so Ingenious so Sagacious so Learned a Man haâ— broach'd such groundless Notions if I did noâ— consider that this subtile Romanist designs hereâ—â— as most of that Church generally do to depreciaâ—â—â— the Bible and to represent it as a Book of Fragments and Shreds that so when our Esteem 〈◊〉 the Authority of Scripture is weakned yea taken away we may wholly rest upon Tradition anâ— found our Religion as well as the Scriptures 〈◊〉 that alone This is that which he drives at in 〈◊〉 Critical History both of the Old and New Testamenâ— But all sober and considerate Persons will bewarâ— of him when they discover this Design Theâ— will easily see through his plausible Stories foâ—â— Surmises bold Conjectures and seeming Argâ—mentations and they will have the greater Reverence for the Bible because he and others havâ— attacked it with so much Contempt and Rudenesâ— and purposely bring its Authority into question that they may set up something else above 〈◊〉 Notwithstanding then the Cavils and Objection of designing Men we have reason to believe anâ— avouch the Authority of the Old Testament and to be thorowly perswaded that the Books are entirely transmitted to us without any Corruption and are the same that ever they were without and Diminution or Addition We have them as they were written by the first Authors we have them entire and perfect and not as some fondly suggest contracted abbreviated curtail'd Unto the Iews the antient People of God were committed his Oracles as the Apostle speaks and they shewed themselves conscientious and diligent Conservators of them The Jewish Nation saith St. Augustin have been as 't were the Chest-keepers for the Christians they have faithfully preserv'd that Sacred Depositum for them they have safely kept that Ark wherein the Law and the Prophets were Lock'd up God would have the Jews to be Librarii Christianorum saith Drusius Keepers of those Sacred Volumes for us Christians and it is certain they kept them with great Care the like whereof is not to be found to have been taken in preserving any other sort of Writings under Heaven And seeing they have so carefully handed the Old Testament down to us we are concern'd to receive it with a proportionable Thankfulness and to reckon this their Delivering of those Writings down to us as no mean Argument of their Truth and Certainty Secondly The Authority of the New Testament is confirmed by External Testimony or Tradition no less than that of the Old Testament We have the Authentick Suffrage of the Primitive Church the Unanimous Consent of the Christians of the first Ages that this Book is of Divine Inspiration and that it is Pure and Uncorrupted Some of the Fathers and first Writers give us a Catalogue of the Books of the New Testament and they are the very same with those which we have at this day Athanasius particularly enumerating those Books sets down all those which we now embrace as Canonical and no others And many of the Fathers of the first Ages after Christ as Irenaeus Iustin Martyr Clemens Alexandrinus Origen Tertullian c. quote the Places in the New Testament as they are now If it be objected that in the Fathers sometimes the Text of Scripture is not exactly what we find it and read it at this day This must be remembred that they sometimes quoted the Meaning not the very Words At other times their Memories fail'd them as to the Words and thence they chang'd them into others and instead of those in the Text used some that were like them So when they were in haste and not at leisure to consult the Text they made use of such Words and Expressions as they thought came nearest to it Heinsius shews this in a vast many places Sometimes they contract the Word of the Text and give only the brief Sense of it at other times they enlarge it and present us with a Comment upon it yea sometimes as they see occasion and as their Matter leads them to it they invert the Words and misplace the Parts of the Text. But no Man ought hence to infer that the Scriptures of the New Testament then and now are not the same And as for the Number of the Sacred Writers and their Books it hatâ— been always the same i. e. the same Catalogue and Canon have been generally acknowledged and received by the Christian Church It is true some Particular Books have been questioned but by a few only and for a time but the Church was at last fully satisfied about them the Generality oâ— Christians agreed to own all those Books which are now owned by us All the Eastern Churches held the Epistle to the Hebrews to be Canonical though the Latins it is granted were not so unanimous This Epistle and that of St. Iames the second Epistle of St. Peter the second and third of St. Iohn and the Epistle of St. Iude and the Apocalypse were questioned in the first Century saith Eusebius but he acquaints us withal that they were afterwards by general Consent received into the Canon of Holy Scripture for the Doubts were resolved upon mature Deliberation So that the questioning of those Books is now a Conâ—â—rmation of the Truth and Authority of
them they were once doubted of that for the future they might be unquestionable And to come down to latter Times what if two or three Men of late as Hemmingius Baldwin Eckard think some of the Books of the New Testament Apocryphal And what if Luther himself seem'd to say as much What doth this signify in respect of the universal and concurrent Judgment of others And as for the rest of the Books of the New Testament they were never doubted of at all but have the Approbation of the whole Church And that the new Testament was first written in Greek as we now receive it is attested by the Universal Consent of the Antients who made enquiry into these things Only two Books are excepted by some for though many of the Learned Moderns maintain that St. Matthew's Gospel was written originally in Greek yet it is not to be denied that some of the Fathers hold it was written first in Hebrew for the sake of the believing Jews and if you will believe St. Ierom the original Hebrew was extant in his time and he translated the Gospel into Latin from that Copy Who turn'd it into Greek is not certain but it was either by St. Matthew himself or by some Apostolical Person inspired by the Holy Ghost so that the Greek we now have is from the same Spirit and of the same Authority with the other The Fathers likewise generally say that St. Paâ—â— writ the Epistle to the Hebrews in their own Tongue and that St. Luke or St. Clement turn'd it into Greek The contrary is held by some Moderns particularly Cajetan among the Romanists and by many of the Reformed-Way But excepting I say these two Books it is universally agreed that the whole New Testament was written in Greek and one Reason might be because so great a number of Jews lived among the Greeks and used their Tongue and therefore this part of the Bible was sitly writ in Greek as the other was long before translated into that Tongue for the use of the Jews For the sake of these dispersed Jews therefore called the dispersed among the Gentiles or according to the Original the Dispersion of the Greeks John 7. 35. who understood and spake the Greek Language the New Testament was put forth in that Tongue Moreover this was the most generally received Language at that time and therefore the fittest for the propagating the Gospel This is a very good Argument for tho I do not think the jâ—ws at Ierusalem spake no other than the Greek Tongue among themselves as Isaac Vossius confidently holds and is therein rightly blamed and confuted by the late French Critick yet I am satisfied that the Greek Tongue was universally undâ—rstood and was with the Latin the Language of the Empire and therefore was most proper for the communicating the Christian Religion to the World Tully acquaints us that in all the Roman Empire Greek was vulgarly understood It is no wonder therefore that the New Testament was writ in that Tongue and that St. Paul writes not only to the Galatians c. but to the Romans in Greek for they all understood it It was the Modish and Courtly way of Speech at Rome as the French is now with us Their very Women affected to learn and speak Greek for which they are jeer'd by the Satyrist who calls Rome the Greek City In short all the Eastern People spoke Greek more or less from the time that Alexander the Great and his Captains spread their Dominion in the East The Syrians Egyptians Persians and People of the Lesser Asia were acquainted with that Language The Jews of any considerable Quality understood Greek as well as their own Tongue whence Iosephus a Jewish Priest or of the Priestly Stock writ his Books in Greek The Evangelists and Apostles then might well write in the same Tongue it being so common and every where understood Especially it is no wonder on another account that St. Paul writ in Greek for it was his native Tongue he being of Tarsus which was a City of Greece We may then very justly look upon the Greek Language as the Original Text of the New Testament And it is generally agreed that these Greek Copies which we now have and use are True and Authentick though in some things they differ and none are observed to oppose this but those who do it upon some Interest and Design i. e. to maintain some peculiar Opinion which they have taken up The Variety of Readings should not prejudice us much less ought we to alter the Readings of the Copies and to substitute new ones at our pleasure Which is the Fault of Theodore Beza though on other accounts an Excellent Person and one that hath highly deserved of the Church of God yet he is unsufferably bold in coining new Readings of the Text. When he cannot find the Sense of a Place he presently questions the Truth of the Copy and produceth a new Reading which hath brought a great Scandal upon his Annotations on the New Testament which otherwise are fraught with admirable Learning and discover his profound Skill in Divine Criticism It is certain that the Greek and Latin Manuscripts which he pretends to are a Cheat for questionless they would have been taken notice of in the first Ages of Christianity if there had been any such thing Therefore it is downright Imposture and Beza was grosly deluded by it Let us from his Miscarriage learn to be cautious and not to venture so boldly upon altering the Greek Copies This is a very rash and unaccountable Undertaking especially in a single Person and much more when it is very usual and frequent To speak next both of the Old and New Testament together The Authority of them is established by considering this that though Bellarmine and others of the Roman Communion who are followed by Lewis Cappel and some others that go under the Name of Protestants cry out that the Bible is altered and corrupted by the Negligence of the Transcribers and that the Text is uncertain by reason of the different Readings and Variety of Translations which is done out of design viz. to debase the Authority of the holy Writings and to make Men fly to Traditions and rest wholly in the Authority of the Church and I wish I might not add thereby to undermine some of the Foundations of Religion yet this is certain that the various Readings of the Old and New Testament are not so many as are pretended and all the various Copies in Hebrew and Greek which are found in all Nations at this Day do agree in all material Points and the Scriptures being translated from those Copies into many Languages concur in the same substantial things Again as to those various Readings which are produced we may justly alledg the Words of an Excellent Man They are not Arguments saith he of the Scriptures Corruption but of God's Providence and of Human
numbred among the Books of Canonical Scripture And thus we have argued from the Tradition and the Testimony of the Church And if this be done as it ought to be done it is valid for the Truth of the Copies the Canonicalness of the Books and the like are not decidable by Scripture it self but in the Way that all other Controversies of that nature are As you would prove any other Book to be Authentick so you must prove the Bible to be viz. by sufficient and able Testimony There is the same reason to believe the Sacred History that there is to believe any other Historical Writings that are extant Nay the Testimonies on behalf of the Holy Scriptureâ— are more pregnant than any that are brought for other Writings Besides all that can be said for the Sacred Volume of the Bible which is wont to be said for other Writings I have shewed you that there are some things peculiar to this above aâ—â— others The main thing we have insisted upon is this that the Books of the Old and New Testament have been faithfully conveyed to us and that they are vouched by the constant and universal Tradition both of the Jewish and Christian Church and that these Books and no others are of the Canon of Scripture for to be of the Canon of Scripture is no other than to be owned by the Universal Church for Divinely Inspired Writings The Church witnesseth and confirmeth the Authority of the Canonical Scriptures for she received them as Divine and she delivers them to us as such Yet I do not say that the Church's Testifying these Books to be the Holy Scriptures gives an Absolute and Entire Authority to them A Clerk in the Parliament or any other Court writes down and testiâ—ies that such an Act or Decree or Order was pass'd by the King Magistrate or People and he witnesses that he hath faithfully kept these by him and that they are the very same that at such a time were made by the foresaid Authority but the Authority of this Act Decree or Order rests not in the Clerk but wholly in the King Magistrate or People So the Church recordeth and keepeth the Sacred Writings of the Bible and bears witness that they have been faithfully preserved and that they are the Genuine Writings of those Persons whose Names are presixed to them bâ—t the Divine Authority of the Scriptures depends not on the Church but on the Books and Authors themselves namely their being Inspired And indeed this Authority of the Scriptures cannot depend on the Church because the Church itself depends on the Scriptures These must be proved before the Church can pretend to be any such thing as a Church We cannot know the Church but by the Scriptures therefore the Scriptures must be known before the Church It follows then that the Papists are very unreasonable and absurd in making the Ultimate Resolution of Faith to be into the Testimony and Authority of the Church This we disown as a great Falsity but yet it is rational to hold that the Church's Testimony is one good Argument and Proof of the Truth of the Sacred Scripture according to that known Saying of St. Augustine I should not believe the Gospel if the Authority of the Church did not move me Not that he founds the Gospel i. e. the Doctrine of Christianity and the Truth of it on the Testimony of the Church as the Papists are wont to infer from these Words and frequently quote them to this purpose No the Father's meaning is this that by the Testimony and Consent of the Church he believed the Book of the Gospel to be verily that Book which was written by the Evangelists This is the Sense of the Place as is plain from the Scope of it for he speaks there of the Copies or Writings not the Doctrine contained in them The good Father relies on this that so great a number of knowing and honest Persons as the Church was made up of did assert the Evangelical Writings to be the Writings of such as were really inspired by the Holy Ghost and that they were true and genuine and not corrupted And the whole Body of Sacred Scripture is attested by the same universal Suffrage of the Church i. e. the unanimous Consent of the Apostles and of the First Christians and of those that immediately succeeded them several of which laid down their Lives to vindicate the Truth of these Writings This is the External Testimony given to the Holy Scriptures It is the general Perswasion and Attestation of the Antient Church that these are the Scriptures of Truth that they were penn'd by holy Prophets and Apostles immediately directed by the Spirit who therefore could not err It was usual heretofore among the Pagan Lawgivers to attribute their Laws to some Deity tho they were of their own Invention intending thereby to conciliate Reverence to them and to commend them to the People But here is no such Cheat put upon us God himself is really the Author of the Holy Scriptures these Sacred Laws come immediately from Him they are of Divine Inspiration There is no doubt to be made of the Divinity of the Scriptures and consequently there is assurance of the Infallibility of them CHAP. III. The Authority of the Bible manifested from the Testimonies of Enemies and Strangers especially of Pagans These confirm what the Old Testament saith concerning the Creation the Production of Adam and Eve their Fall with the several Circumstances of it Enoch's Translation the Longevity of the Patriarchs the Giants in those Times the Universal Flood the building of the Tower of Babel I Have propounded some of the chief Arguments which may induce us to believe the Truth and Certainty of the holy Writings of the Old and New Testament I will now choose out another for the sake chiefly of the Learned and Curious which I purpose to inlarge upon yea to make the Subject of my whole ensuing Discourse I consider then that we have in this Matter not only the Testimony of Friends but of Enemies and Strangers and it is a Maxim in the Civil Law and vouched by all Men of Reason that the Testimony of an Enemy is most considerable The Iewish and Christian Church as I have shewed already give their Testimony to the Scriptures but besides these Witnesses there are Others there is the Attestation of Foreigners and Adversaries These fully testify the Truth of what is delivered in the Holy Bible we have the Approbation of Heathen Writers to conâ—irm many of the things related in the Old Testament and both Professed Heathens and Iews for we must now look upon these latter as profess'd Enemies when we are to speak of the Christian Concern attest sundry things of the New Testament and vouch the Truth and Authority of them Here then I will distinctly proceed and first begin with the Old Testament and let you see in several Particulars that even the Pagan World gives Testimony to this Sacred Volume
that the Gentiles relate the very same things that this doth that the Great Truths and Notable Histories Notions and Practices in the Books of the Old Testament are to be met with in Profane Writings but taken from these Sacred ones The Heathens borrowed many of their Rites and Vsages from Traditions which were founded in the Holy Scriptures They derived many things in their Religion and Manners from these Sacred Fountains though it is as true that they have laboured to pollute them But I will make it clear and manifest that they fetch'd them thence and I will abundantly prove that most of the chief things in the Old Testament have been attested both by the Fables and the Serious History of the Pagans There have been some High-fliers I know who have carried on this Notion to a ridiculous Extravagancy Thus Zimmeranus speaks of an odd Capuchin who hath vented very wild things in prosecuting this Argument viz. that the Gentile Mysteries were taken from the True God and from the Scriptures inspired by him And one Iacobâ— Hugo in his Historia Romana is quoted by the same Person as very extravagant in this kind for he holds that the Roman Story was a Narrative of the History of the Gospel Pious Aeneas was St. Peter and his sailing from Troy to Latium was the Story of St. Peter's leaving the Chair at Antioch and going to Rome Homer and Virgil's Heroick Poems are an account of St. Peter and the Church and of the Shipwrack and Misfortunes which this latter meets with in the World Ilium or Aelia is Ierusalem that was the Name which Aelius Adrianus gave it The Acts of the Apostles the Jewish War and the Destruction of Ierusalem are contain'd in Homer's Iliads and so are the Life and Death of Christ and the whole Gospel He tells us that Romulus and Remus signify the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul the Founders of the Roman Church And more extravagantly yet he goes on telling us that Diana signiâ—ies the Holy Trinity Curtius on Horse-back swallowed up in the Lake is the Virgin Mary whose Temple is seen there in the Market-place at Rome with this Inscription D. Virginis Templum à poenis inferni liberantis And a great deal more of such Stuff this Hugo hath which no Man of Consideration and Sense is able to bear Indeed such wild and far-fetch'd Conceits may be justly entertain'd with Laughter and Contempt Nor do I look upon some things which some others of more composed Thoughts mention as any real Testimonies given to the Scriptures They strangely fancy an Affinity between Scripture and Paganism between what they read in the one and what they meet with in the other though there be no Cognation at all Thus the Greek Fable of Minerva's being the Offspring of Iove's Brain took its Rise from the Doctrine of the Trinity and the Eternal and Ineffable Generation of the Son of God saith a Learned Man and Isis the Egyptian Goddess is saith he Ishah Mulier or Virgo i. e. the Virgin Mary from a Tradition among them that a Virgin shoulâ— bring forth a Son who was to be the Redeemer 〈◊〉 the World And I could mention others whoâ—â— Names are better known who have been too eâ—travagant in this kind carrying the Notion on toâ— far and strongly fancying every thing almoâ—â— which they meet with in Pagan Story to havâ— some reference to and be taken from the holâ— Scriptures But I shall very industriously avoâ—â— this Vanity and Folly and only represent to the curious and critical Reader those Passages in Pagâ—â— Writers which with great Probability and Reasoâ— we may conclude to have been taken from the Books of the Old Testament I shall endeavoâ—â— to let you see the Sacred History of the Bible eveâ— through the Fables and feigned Stories of the Heathens and thereby confirm you in the belief of the Truth and Reality of that Sacred History whence they were taken 1. To begin first where all things began the Creation this as it is particularly described iâ— the first Chapter of Genesis is plainly to be found in Pagan Authors who without doubt had it froâ— this first Entrance of the Scripture For thougâ— a Man by the Light of Nature may know that the World had a Beginning yet this particular way of its beginning as 't is there set down could not be attained to but by Divine Revelation wherefore it is rationally to be asserted that the Pagaâ—â— took this Notion from God's Revealed Will in Scripture and at the same time they do hereby attest the Truth of that holy Book The genâ—râ—â— Opinion of the antient Gentiles was that the World was made out of a preceding Chaos which they represent to be a rude disordered and indigested Mass of Matter reduced to no Shape and Form Sanconiathon the Phoenician Historian so much prais'd by Porphyrius the Philosopher in Eusebius makes mention of this Chaos as the Source of all things in his Fragments of Phoenician Theology The antient Poet Orpheus held that this Chaos was the first Principle of all things And Hesiod agrees with him affirming that the Chaos was that out of which all Bodies were made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is described by Ovid after this manner Ante mare terras quod tegit omnia Coelum Vnus erat toto naturae vultus in orbe Quem dixere Chaos c. Where in forty or â—ifty pair of good smooth Verses he most excellently describes the Origine of all things and makes the very Chaos beautiful This is the same with Hyle the first original Matter of all things the Poets Demogorgon which was borrowed from the shapeless Lump of the Chaos And in the Phoenician Language we may find it in the very sound of the words Thoth and Bau which are but a small Variation from Tohu and Bohu in the Hebrew Text the same with Chaos among the Greeks and Latins This is founded on those Words of Moses Gen. 1. 2. The Earth was without form and void and Darkness was on the face of the Deep This dark and formless Heap of Water and Earth mingled together contain'd in it the fiâ— Elements of all things that were made afterwardâ— hence sprang the World as it is now shaped 〈◊〉 modelled From this Account which Moses givâ— here of the Creation the old Pagan Theologer i. e. the Pocts made the Ocean to be the Origiâ— of all Generation which is no other than thâ— if you give the plain meaning of it that thâ— moist and fluid Matter gave beginning to all Bodâ— that are Orpheus own'd this Hypothesis calliâ—â— the Ocean the Parent of all things in one of 〈◊〉 Hymns and out of some other Pieces of 〈◊〉 Works the same might be proved Homer 〈◊〉 the like asserting the Ocean to be the Antiente of the Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iliad On which Words the Scholiast gives this Reason
again This seems to be taken from the Sacred Story even that of Noah's sending forth the Raven or Crow to discover the Fall or Increase of the Waters of the Deluge To this purpose perhaps is that which one saith is observ'd of the Crows by the Antients that they are Forgetful Creatures and oftentimes return not to their Nests See this more fully illustrated and proved by a Learned Critick of this last Age Monsieur Rochart Thus there are both plain and obscure Passages in Heathen Writers which keep up the Memory of the Flood and of several remarkable things which attend it Only they have corrupted the True History and the Chronology of it by confounding the Names of Noah and Deucalion Yea they tell us of Ogyges's Flood as well as that of Deucalion which was in the time of Ogyges King of Atâ—ica when Inachus reigned among the Argives which was about the time of Abraham and so they place it about five hundred Years after Noah's Flood A. M. 2140. but others â—ay it was six hundred Years after it This Ogygian Flood drowned the Country about Athens and Achaia in Peloponnesus whereas the latter viz. Deucalion's Flood which was in Greece likewise happened in Thessaly where Deucalion reigned and it drowned that Countrey and some part of Italy Deucation and his Wife Pyrrha securing themselves at the same time in a Vessel and at 〈◊〉 landed safely on Parnassus This some tell us 〈◊〉 about three hundred others say four hundreâ— Years after the Flood in Ogyges's time But thâ—â— some have placed these Two Floods at such a diâ—stance from one another and consequently havâ— made them two distinct ones yet others confounâ— them together and make them one and the same And it is most probable that they were so an that both have reference to Noah's Flood for nothing is more usual with the Fabulous Poets thaâ— to split one Story into two or more and to confound the Truth with different and disguised Names There is reason to believe that Ogygeâ— and Deucalion were but feigned Names of Noah and that the Flood which is said to have happened in their days was but a Representation of the Universal Deluge in Noah's time and that Ararat or Caucasus is to be understood by Parnassus They that know how common it is with the Greek Poets to alter the Names of Persons and Places and to substitute others in their room will not be backward to credit this But it is easy to see thro their Poetical Fictions and Disguises and particularly here that they had a notice of the History of the Flood which the Holy Scripture hath given us a plain and true Account of I might here observe what Ovid saith concerning Deucalion and his Wife viz. that as soon as the Deluge ceased they betook themselves to their Devotions and solemnly worshipp'd the Gods which questionless refers to what the Sacred Story relates that Noah erected an Altar the first that we read of to sacrifice to God and to praise him for his Deliverance out of the raging Deluge And I might observe here in order to what I shall prove afterwards that Parnassus the place on which Deucaâ—â—â—â— Ark rested was a Mountain dedicated to Bacchus where he had his Rites performed to him whence by the by it may be gather'd that Noah who is the same with Deucalion and Bacchus were the same Persons which I shall make good in another place It might be made appear from other Particulars that the Tradition concerning Noah the Flood and the Ark which was derived from the Holy Scriptures hath been spread abroad among the Pagans Kircher thinks that Nisroch 2 Kings 19. 37. Isa. 37. 38. is as much as Numen Arcae the Ark-Deity or Idol and was the Image of Noâ—â—'s Ark worshipp'd among the Assyrians It may be it was an Idol in the shape of a Boat or Ship and made perhaps of the Relicks of the Ark. I could mention that Ianus said to be the most antient King of Italy coined Money which had on it the Figure of a Ship which it is very likely refers to the Matter in hand The Impress of the Ship is a Memorial of the Ark which was so noted among the Antients and Ianus is Noah as you shall hear afterwards We may plainly discern likewise in another Name given to Noah by the Poetick Writers how there is preserved the remembrance of the chief and most notable things which are recorded of him He was called Prometheus not but that this same Name may be applied to some others for this too must be observed that the Greek Poets set forth different Persons by the same Name as sometimes one Person by different Names as you shall see in the quel of this Discourse he was I say called 〈◊〉 metheus by the Greek Poets for according to thâ— description of this Person you cannot but acknoâ—â—ledg that Noah was covertly meant by him Fâ—â— 1. It is said the Flood was in Prometheus's tiâ—â— which none will deny agrees to Noah 2. Pâ—â—â— metheus is said to have repaired and restored Mâ—â—â—kind which is another plain Parallel and neeâ— not to be insisted upon 3. Prometheus is said 〈◊〉 be the Son of Iapetus i. e. of Iapheth and it i 〈◊〉 no wonder that the Names of Father and Son anâ— confounded by the Poets That they have hit sâ— near the Historical Truth is a thing that is worthy of our Consideration 4. Even where thâ— Fiction runs higher we still see some Footsteps 〈◊〉 Truth They feign that Prometheus was by Iuâ—â—ter's Order chain'd to Caucasus where an Eagle some say a Vulture feeds upon his Entrails Here is according to the usual Mistake of the rambling Poets one thing put for another Mount Caucasâ—â— is put for Mount Ararat or the Gordiaean Hills 〈◊〉 which Noah's Ark rested And one Fowl is pâ—â— for another they change the Raven and Dove into an Eagle or Vulture And as to the being chain'd and fed upon that is purely Poetick Invention and is not to be regarded 5. Prometheus had his Name from his excellent Wisdom and Foresight This exactly agrees with Noah he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. one that is wise before the Evil comes Being warned of God he foresaw the General Destruction which was approaching and by preparing an Ark he preserved himself and his Family from it Judg now whether Noah was not the Heathen Prometheus and whether this and other such Fables among the Gentiles had not their first rise from the History of the Bible Berosus in his Chaldean Antiquities speaks of Noah's three Sons though it is true he adds others as Tethys Typhaeus c. Iapheth one of his undoubted Sons whom only I shall mention at present he is often mentioned among the Old Grecians who refer their Original to Iapetus or Iaphetus making him the antientest Man thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Suidas and Hesychius
Religion of the Protestants who found it solely on Scripture This being uncertain that must needs be so too Wherefore the best and only way is to have recourse to Tradition and to the Church these are the only Rule of what we are to believe and practise Thus you see what the Romish Writers who cry down the Hebrew Text aim at But most of the learnedst Men of that Church have not prosecuted their Aims and Designs this way It is well known they have generally held the Hebrew Text to be uncorrupted And the same is defended by the generality of learned Protestants who havâ— handled this Subject Isaac Vossius is the only Man of Note that holds the contrary i. e. that the Hebrew Bible as it is now is corrupted by the Jews But against him and all others either Antient or Modern who are of this Opinion I offer these following things to be considered If the Jews corrupted the Hebrew Text they did it either before or after Christ's time That they did it not before is evident because first our Saviour never takes notice of any such thing which certainly he would not have omitted at such times as he reproved the Scribes and Pharisees for their known Faults and Offences especially relating to the Law as when he taxed them for making the Law of God of none effect by their Traditions Certainly he would have rebuked them for so gross a Fault when he corrected them for some that were lesser Nay the Jews are not only not reproved for corrupting the Canon of Scripture but on the contrary their Care and Faithfulness in preserving it whole and entire are particularly taken notice of Luke 4. 16 17. Acts 13. 27. 15. 21. and commended Rom. 3. 2. Besides Christ â—endâ— his Aâ—ditors to the Old Testament to read it and â—earch it Iohn 5. 39. Whereas if they had corrupted it he would without doubt have cautionâ—â— them against it Again he and his Apoâ—tles conâ—tantly proved their Doctrine and confuted the Jews out of those very Writings which is an Argument that in our Saviour's time those Books were not corrupted else he and the Apostles would not have so frequently quoted them and â—â—ed the Testimony of almost every particular Book as Authentical and of Divine Inspiration And that the Hebrew Text was not corrupted by the Jews after our Saviour's time is as manifest because the Testimonies cited out of the Old Testament by those that succeeded Christ and hiâ— Apostles are found to be the same in those Writings now without the least Alteration Likewise it cannot be shewed at what time after Chriâ—â— the Corruption or Alteration of the Text began though the Younger Vossius is pleased to say it was presently after the Destruction of Ierusalem which yet he hath no where proved Farther if you observe those Places in the Hebrew Text which some alledg as corrupted by the Jews you 'll find that there was no Occasion or Ground for so corrupting them If they changed the Text it was questionless for their own Ends and to maintain some Error of theirs the Alteration would especially have been in those Places which speak of Christ the true Messias but you will not discover any such thing If any object Psal. 22. 16. They pierced my Hands and my Feet and say that the Jews have there purposely changed Caaru into Caari I ask why did the Masorites restore it to its right Reading If it had been corrupted by the Circumcised Doctors on purpose it would not have been taken notice of here by Men of the same Perswasion but they would have let it remain without any Marginal Correction But seeing they did not it is a sign there was no Intention to corrupt the Text. This indeed they do they add a Keri to the Ketib i. e. instead of Carri sicut Leo in the Text they write in the Margin Caaru foderunt as much as to say that Caaru is the true and genuine Reading This the Masoretick Note here testifies Besides it is evident that the Seventy did read it so and accordingly translated it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thus 't is rendred in the Syriack Arabick Ethiopick and Latin But the Place was by chance corrupted because of the likeness of the two Vowels Iod and Vau and not out of design for then the Masorite Jews would not have supplied it in the Margin with that other word Caaru they pierced which agrees with the History of Christ's Sufferings Yea this Word is in some antient Copies in the Text it self which is not denied by the learned Father of the Oratory who had it from Rabbi ben Hajim the great Restorer of the Masora who acknowledgeth that in some of the Hebrew Manuscripts of the Bible which he had seen Caaru they pierced or digged was in the Text. Or why may we not take in both the Words into the Text and so reconcile the Textual and Marginal Reading This we find done by the Chaldee Version which renders the Place thus They did bite or pierce like a Lion as if the Original ran thus Caaru caari foderunt sicut Leo. This in my opinion may be a safe way of composing the Difference about this Text. However not only from this but what hath been said before I think it is manifest that the Jews did not adulterate this Text. And among all those other Texts that are said to be chang'd and adulterated you will scarcely find one that hath reference to that great Concern oâ— the Jews whence we may conclude that the Old Testament remains altogether unaltered I might farther add that the Multitude of Copies was great every-where both before and after Christ's time so that it was impossible to corrupt them all I know some have inferr'd the Corruption of the Original Hebrew from the great difference which is to be found between that and the Version of the Seventy but I shall afterwards when I come to speak of the Perfection of Scripture give a large and full Account of the Reason of this Difference whence I shall make it plain that this Difference proceeds not at all from the Depravation of the Original Hebrew The short then is that the Hebrew Bible is pure and uncorrupt and after all the Disputes about the various Readings it is undeniable that there is no difference in the Hebrew Copies as to any thing considerable and of moment it toucheth not any necessary Point of Religion which we are bound to know and practise In the several Copies the same Historical Passages are related the same Miracles recorded the same Prophecies and Predictions the same Doctrines Laws and Precepts set down and that without any varying So that we are certain of the Integrity of the Hebrew Bible Notwithstanding what hath been suggested to the contrary we are assured that we have the true Authentick Copies of the first Original Writings and in a word that the Hebrew Text is the same that it was and is still in
hajim the Breath of the Spirit of Life the antient Sages among the Gentiles who were no strangers to this and other Texts as I shall shew afterwards derived two Notions the first whereof was this that the Soul is Breath and accordingly in Greek and Latin it hath its Names from breathing This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Spiratulum vitae as the Vulgar Latin renders it by which Man's Body was inspired was the occasion I guess of these Denominations of the Soul from Breath Wind or Air and that of the Poet Divinaâ— particula aurae which is spoken of the Soul seems to refer to this Another Notion which they derived from this metaphorical Expression of Breathing or Asslation was that the Soul the Rational Soul of Man is a part of God for as Breath is something that comes from within a Man so Souls that are set forth by Breath are the Emanations of God they come from him and are Parts of him The Soul say the Platonists â— not only the Work of God but a Portion of him Which it is likely was Plato's meaning when he said the Soul is a sharer of the Nature of God But this was more especially the Stoicks apprehension of Humane Souls they are saith the Royal Philosopher a Part a Piece an Effluvium of the Godhead With whom Arianus agrees telling that our Souls are so linked to God that they are Particles of him and as 't were pluck'd from him But he is very extravagant when he adds in pursuance of this that as to our Souls we are not inferiour to or less than God himself Epictetus himself and Seneca prononnce the Soul to be a Piece a Part of the Divine Essence Cicery speaks like one of this Sect as he frequently doth when he saith our Souls are taken out and pluck'd off from the Nature of God and are certain Segments of the Divine Mind And because it was hold by some Philosophers that some of the Inferiour Animals as Bees had Souls resembling those of Men therefore they asserted that they likewise were parts of the Divinity All this comes if I mistake not from that forenamed Passage in Moses's History concerning the Production of Man God breathed into him the Breath â—f Life which was interpreted as if humane Souls were partial Effluxes or Aporrhae's of the Divine Essence it self The making of Eve out of Adam was also obscurely intimated in what Plato saith in his Symposium namely that the first Man was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Mixture of both Sexes Which Fable of his was from the Jewish Tradition that the first Man was made an Hermaphrodite that he had two Bodies join'd together one of a Male another of a Female and that God afterwards split him into two distinct Bodies whence arose Man and Woman If the Jewish Rabbies who were better acquainted with Scripture talk'd after this doting rate Plato may well be excused who perhaps had it only on Tradition and had not the Means to correct his Mistakes which they had But this is plain that this Fable is a Corruption of the Sacred Story which speaking of our First Parents saith God called their Name Adam as if their having but One Name signified they were but One Person and again in the same Verse Male and Female created he them as if the first Man who is spoken of in the Verse immediately foregoing consisted of a double Sex But it is evident that the Words relate to both and the reason why the Name Adam is given to both is because they were both of them from the Earth one immediately the other remotely but afterwards we read that they had distinct Names Adam being appropriated to the Man and Eve to the Woman And this ridiculous Fable which Plato had pick'd up might be occasioned likewise from a misunderstanding of that Text God took one of the Man's Ribs and out of it made he a Woman Because the Woman was formed out of the Man's Side they inferr'd that Adam was at first both Man and Woman and that the Woman at her first Make stuck to his Side Which is a gross mistaking of the Text but confirms the Truth and Antiquity of that Book of Moses which assures us of Eve's Formation out of Adam which was the thing that gave rise to this erroneous Tradition May we not think that Adam's Dominion over the Beasts which was accompanied with his Calling them and giving them Names was the Foundation of what the Poets talk of Orpheus's drawing the Beasts after him and making them Tame and causing them to stand still and as it were answer to their Names Or else it was a Representation of the Beasts and all sorts of Animals coming into the Ark at Noah's Call which is a Confirmation of another known Passage in the Mosaick Writings But I am not positive here and in some such-like Passages which occur in the Poets tho in others I shall heap up several plain and evident Circumstances sufficient to convince the Reader that they have reference to something spoken of in Scripture As to Adam's giving of Names to all things mentioned Gen. 2. 19. it appears that Plato was not a stranger to it for in his Cratylus where it is disputed whether Words signify by Institution or from Nature he first denies the Language of his Grecians to have been the Original one as in another place he calls his Countreymen the Greeks Youths and Striplings of yesterday and consequently their Language was not the antientest and then he hints that Hebrew was the Original Tongue which is meant by what is said Gen. 11. 1. that the whole Earth was of one Language and of one Speech And though he conceals the Name of the Iews or Hebrews yet when he expresly affirms in this Dialogue that the right Doctrine of Names and their Interpretation are to be fetch'd from the Barbarians as the more antient we are not to doubt that he means the Iews or Hebrews for all agree that they were call'd Barbaâ—â—â—â— by the Greeks as these were so by them And hence I gather that Plato and other Heathens knew and perhaps had read that Adam gave Names proper and significant Names to all Creatures which Moses particularly makes mention of and must be the very thing that is here meant by Plato when he acknowledgeth that the true Etymologies of Things and the Interpretation of Names are to be derived from the Barbarians The First and Innocent State of Man and that with some of the Circumstances of it which could be known only from the Book of Moses is spoken of by the antient Writers among the Heathens Thus you will â—ind that Hesiod gives us an admirable Description of it In Plato's Atlanticus or Critias are plainly to be seen the Footsteps of the Old and Primeve State of Man when the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he saith prevail'd when the Diving 〈◊〉
Demonstration hath out-done them and â—ost that have writ on it Among our own Countrymen these deservedly are to be numbred viz. Sir Walter Raleigh who among several other passages hath these Remarkable â—ords The Heathens did greatly enrich their Inventions by venting the stoln Treasures of Divine Letters alter'd by Prophane Additions and disguis'd by Poeticaâ— Conversions as if they had been conceived out of their own Speculations Next to this Worthy Knight the Famous Mr. Selâ—â—â— may be mention'd who avers that the â—ost impious Customs among the Gentiles had â—â—eir Original from Scripture-History which 〈◊〉 confirms by several Examples You will 〈◊〉 the Reverend Bishop Montague though â—â—is Author's Adversary in another point â—greeing with him in this The Heathens saith he of Old made use of many things which were taken from the Divine Polity in the Old Testament but were afterwards cloak'd and disguis'd by the Malice and Fraud of the Devil The Judicious Dr. 〈◊〉 hath two distinct Chapters of the Gentile Stories and Fictions being â—orrowed â—rom the Bible I will mention a passage or two out of some other places of his Works If Moses saith he was forty days in the Mount to receive Laws from Gods own mouth Minos will be Iupiter's Auditor in his Den or Cave for the same purpose In emulation of Shiloh or Kirjath-jearim whilst the Ark of God remained there the Heathens had Dodona And for Ierusalem they had Delphi garnish'd with rich Donatives as if it had been the intended parallel of the Holy City And he hath these remarkable words in the same place Any Judicious Man from the continual and serious observation of this great Register of Truth he means the Scriptures may find out the Original of all the principal Heads or Common places of Poetical Fictions or Ancient Traditions which cannot be imagin'd should ever have come into Man's fancy unless from the imitation of the Historical Truth A Worthy Prelate whom I have already Named hath giveâ— us his suffrage most freely in this cause and hath undertaken to defend it in the close of his Origines Sacrae I could produce half 〈◊〉 hundred more Authors of good Note anâ— Learning but I forbear because I have donâ— sufficiently From these I have quoted you may see that what I have maintained in this Discourse is no idle fancy no notion taken up by shallow Heads but that the deepest Judgments the most Judicious and Impartial Pens have adopted it for a Truth We have it upon the Authority of all these Excellent Persons and many more in former in later and even in our present times as well as upon the plain Evidences Reasons and Arguments before alledged that the Ancient Philosophers and Poets borrowed from the Bible that many of the Gentile Fables are founded on the most Sacred Verities that the Scripture is the Source and Fountain from whence many of their Opinions Customs and Practices sprang that most of the Gentile Theology arose from the mistaken and depraved sense of the Holy Writings of the Old Testament From the whole let me offer these three or four Consectaries 1 We cannot with any shew of Reason admit of that Opinion which holds that the Iews borrowed all or most of their Religious Rites and Ceremonies from the Gentiles This though it bids desiance to that Reason and Testimony which I have produced hath had some Abbettors and Patrons Thus Origen acquaints us that Celsus stifly maintain'd that the Mosaick History was borrowed from the Fables of Heathens And with him other Heathens at that time concurred and to defend their Idolatrous Traditions and Usages asserted that Scripture History was a corruption of some of their Fables The Story of the Flood they said was taken from Deucalion and Paradise from Alcinous's Gardens and the Burning of Sodom and Gomorrah from Phaeton's setting the World on fire c. But Origen shews the absurdity of these allegations from the Antiquity of those Relations in Sacred Scripture and thence proves that the Greeks had these from the Iews and not on the contrary He makes it evident that the Iewish Nation had the Original Traditions and that others were corrupted and changed from these by the Heathens This Pagan Conceit which was taken up on purpose as an evasion against Christianity is revived by some Writers of late but by none more designedly and industriously carried on and improved than by a late Learned Man of our own who hath delivered such admirable and choice things on occasion of pursuing this subject and hath snewed himself so Great a Master of all kinds of Literature that we can scarcely be displeas'd with his Notion that 〈◊〉 at the head of all I will not pretend tâ—enter the Lists with this Great Champion being conscious to my own inabilities but this I will do I will set some Great Men upon him though I have partly done it already and leave him to grapple with them Iosephus the Learned Iew was a Competent Judge in this matter viz. Whether the Iews â—orrow'd their Sacred and Religious Rites from the Gentiles or whether on the contrary these borrow'd from them Let us bear what he saith There hath been a long time saith he among most Nations a great Zeal and Emulation towards our way of Religion and Worship There is not a City among the Greeks or Barbarians yea not any Nation which hath not received from us the Custom of Resting on the Seventh day and of Fasting and of Lighting up of Candles And several things which relate to Meats forbidden us by our Law are also observed by Foreign Nations Here this Knowing Person acquaints us that the Gentiles were followers of the Iews not these of them and particularly mentions some â—ites which they receiv'd from them With this agrees what two considerable Rabbies have said viz. Our Law is the Law of Truth and all Nations glory in it and every one of them hath taken a Branch from our Law and in it they glory For the Laws that are among the Gentiles are as it were Branches cut off from our Law Whence it undeniably follows that the Iewish Laws and Ceremonies were not taken from â—hose of the Pagans Christians agree in this with the Iews Thus Iustin Martyr in his Dialogue with a Iew expresly declares that as Circumcision had its Original from Abraham so the Sabbath and Sacrifices and Offerings and Feasts had theirs from Moses and not from the Gentiles And Tertullian speaking of the Devil 's seducing and perverting of Hereticks tells us that he doth the like also among the Pagans for he apes the most Sacred and Divine things even in the Idolatrous aud Mysterious Worship of the Gentiles and makes use of them therein to prophane and impious purposes This hath been the general sense of the Christian Church whether Papists or Protestants Upon those words in Deut. 12. 30. Estius concludes and all Understanding Men may do so too that from thence
Renowned Acts of several of the Patriarchs and first Worthies c. It is a great establishing of our Faith that those Pagans derived so many things from Scripture The Gentile Writers vouch a great part of our Religion Wherefore we must needs imbrace it when it is attested by such Disinteressed Persons 3. We ought to take notice of the Wonderful Providence of God in this matter Behold the Scripture is attested by those who never owned its Authority yea the very Enemies of these Holy Writings ratiâ—ie the Truth and Certainty of them The Heathen Poets whilst they Corrupt Divine Truth assert it Their very Lies and Fictions bear witness to the Sacred Verities their Fables confirm the Infallibility of the Bible This is the Lord 's doing here the Great and Over-ruling Wisdom of God is seen Here his Almighty Power in baâ—â—ing Satan's Contrivances and Designs may be discern'd He as was said before intended the Corruption of the Scriptures the silencing of the Truth the Exalting of himself and the Advancing of his Kingdom But the All-Wise and Powerful Moderator of the World disappointed his Designs and made this thing we are speaking of serviceable and beneficial to Religion he made it become an Argument of its Antiquity Reasonableness and Certainty against the Cavils of Atheists and Infidels 4. Henceforth we are reconciled to the Writings of Prophane Authors We have this considerable advantage by reading the Works of the Ancient Heathens and by perusing their Stories and Fables that we shall find some Greater Thing couched in them than the bare Narrative For these Writers borrow'd many things from the Holy Book their broken Stories are often-times an imperfect account of Scripture Relations Sundry things in their Writings are gather'd out of the Divine Volume but are strangely wrested pervertrd and obscured by having new Names and â—eigned Circumstances affix'd to them Almost all the Gentile Fables and Theology flowed from a depraved sense of the Sacred Writings The Poets disguise true Stories with many Fictions and some Reliques of Divine Truth are buried under their ingenuous Fancies and Fabulous Narrations Ovid Transcribed the Greek Theology from Orpheus Homer Hesiod and other Ancient Poets and these had it from the Bible The very Poetick Fictions refer unto real Story and are drawn from the Divine Source of Truth So that we are reading the Holy Scripture in a manner whilst we are turning over Pagan Writers In these we meet with Truths Transplanted from the Sacred Book we find many passages stollen from the Hebrew Fountains It is not to be denied then that Scholars and Students yea the very Candidates of Sacred Theology may with great profit prie into these Writings of the Pagans for here are the footsteps of Divine Verities Prophane and Sacred Learning are to be joyn'd The Gentile Monuments illustrate the inspired ones We may notwithstanding the disguise which Poets have put upon the Stories see the foundation of them and perceive that those vain Figmentsâ— are grounded on some Solid Truth and that a Sacred Treasure lies hid under those confused Fables For this is not to be denied that Palestine afforded Greece matter of fancy and invention the Pagan Poets were befriended by the Iews Athens was indebted to Ierusalem Parnassus was beholding to Sinai and Helicon to Iordan You see then the advantage we may reap by being acquainted with Prophane Writers whilst we look further than the outward shape which they have given to many things and search into that Truth which lies hid under it even the Sacred and undoubted History of the Old Testament Thus we may make them serviceable to far higher and better ends than they are intended This is the best improvement that can be made of them to see the true Source of what is written by them to understand whence they borrowed their matter and to confirm our selves in the belief of the Truth of the Sacred Writings by perusing these which are Prophane 5thly and lastly then See the Authority Truth and Certainty of the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament which is the main thing I have been aiming at I had proved this before by several Arguments and those perhaps on some accounts more Forcing and Convictive than this but I thought good to add this to them as no contemptible way of proving the Antiquity and Authority of the Sacred Book The Truth of the Historical part of the Old Testament is evidenced from Heathen Writers not only Historians but Philosophers and Poets A Man may by comparing these with the Sacred Volume find out the Original of the Pagan Traditions and Fictions and observe the Lineaments of true and unquestionable History among them Hence we shall have no reason to doubt that there were such Persons and Things in being as are spoken of in the Old Testament and that the Passages and Transactions there mention'd were real and true This admirably serves to evince the Authority of those Writings this proves the Truth of the Records of Holy Writ and that they ought to be received as the Oracles of God i. e. as Infallible CHAP. X. The Authority of the Books of the New-Testament confirmed by Pagan and Iewish Writers who speak of a King or Lord that should come out of the East and particularly out of Judaea An Enumeration of the Opinions of the Learned concerning the Sibylls with the particular Sentiment of the Author viz. That the Contents of their Verses were horrow'd from the Old-Testament and that those Women were not Prophetesses but only related what they found in the Inspired Writings or heard of thence A full Answer to the Objections of those who hold the Sibylline Writings to be Spurious NExt I am to shew how the Scriptures of the New-Testament are vouched and confirmed by an External Testimony i. e. how professed Pagans â—nd Iews Enemies to Christianity have related â—nd asserted the very same things that are set down â—n those Evangelical Writings First I will begin with that which is of a middle nature between what I have been discoursing of before and what â— am now to ingage in which therefore may aptâ—y serve as a Transition from one to the other I â—ean the belief and report recorded in Pagan Writers that a King or Lord should come from the â—ast and do great and mighty things This was deâ—ived from the Scriptures of the Old Testament and 〈◊〉 belongs to the former Discourse but becaâ—se it is mentioned by Historians that were after Christ's time and the Application is with all reason to be made to Him I rightly bring it in here It was I say a constant Report that prevail'd about the time of our Saviour's Birth and afterwards that some eminent Person or Persons should rise out of those Eastern Nations and be Lords of the World We find Tacitus asserting this and that great Politician and Statesman would needs have it fulfilled in Vespasian and Titus because they were called out of Iudea unto the Empire of Rome Suetonius
who thereby destroys the whole System of Theology and of Christianity it self for if there were none of those things before mentioned if in a literal and historical Sense there was no such thing as that first Disoâ—edience of Adam if there be nothing true concerning the Temptation and the Apostacy of our first Parents and the Evils and Misery that ensued upon it then it will follow thence that Mankind had no need of a Saviour and Redeemer then Christ's Coming in the Flesh was in vain then all Christianity falls to the Ground then when the Writings of the New Testament speak of Eve's being deceived and being in the Transgression when they acquaint us that the Serpent beguiled Eve through his Subtility and that by one Man's Disobedience many were made Sinners and that in Adam all died all is mere Romance and Fiction there was nothing of these in Reality And then likewise we have as good Reason to believe that the other Parts of the New Testament which speak of our Saviour and all his Undertakings are to be understood in the same manner that is they are but a cunningly devised Parable they may have some moral meaning as Esop's Fables have but they contain nothing of real Fact This is the natural Result of allegorizing the 3d Chapter of Genesis By dealing thus with this Part of the Bible he hath baffled all the rest he hath wretchedly subverted the whole Scheme of our Religion he hath spoil'd the whole Fabrick of Christianity and he hath made the Scripture useless and insignificant So that by this one Attempt of his he hath shaken not to say overturn'd the Foundations of Religion he hath taken part with the known Despisers of all revealed Theology he hath encouraged and patronized the wild Conceits of Scepticks he hath strengthned the Hands of the Profane he hath abundantly gratified the whole Tribe of Atheists and Deists he hath won their Hearts for ever And indeed we cannot but observe what fort of Men they are that applaud his Undertaking viz. the Wits of the Town as they are call'd Men disposed to very ill Thoughts of Religion and the Scriptures yea Men generally indulging themselves in Immorality and Debauchery These are the Persons that promote his Notions and cry up his Writings This Theorist is become much more pleasing to them than Mr. Hobbs This new Archaeologist is far more taking than the Leviathan because he nips the Bible more closely and also because he is not as the other a Layman but a professed Divine and that of the Church of England This makes his Enterprize so acceptable to these Men for now they have a Clergyman to vouch them they have the Warranty of a Church-man I will not question or so much as suspect the Prudence of our Ecclesiastical Governors but in my Judgment if there be no publick Censure pass'd upon such a daring Attempt as this by a Member of our Church Atheists will have just Ground to laugh at our Discipline as well as they do at our Doctrine To excuse himself he saith this way of speaking is used in the Writings of the New Testament and confessed to be Metaphorical and Symbolical and why not then in Genesis I answer Because though there are some Expressions of that Nature as the Trumpet sounding and the Books opened at the Day of Judgment which are but metaphorical it is likely yet it is easy to discern it And in other Places it is intimated and sometimes plainly declared that the Passages are metaphorical and myâ—â—ical as in the Parables of the Prophets and of our Saviour But it is quite anothâ—r thing which we are speaking of viz. not an Expression or two but a whole entire History delivered in plain Words and with all its Circumstances as Matter of Fact and there is not the least Intimation of any other Sense yea many of the Particulars are mentioned in other Places of the Old and New Testament as direct Matter of Fact Wherefore when he attempts to solve his Undertaking by alledging some Passages in the New Testament of Christ and his Apostles he cannot but see that it is very foreign to his Business Again in a short Appendix to his Book where he seems to retract in a manner what he â—ad said having been informed he â—aith that it was displeasing to pious and wife Men he excuses himself by alledging the Fathers who 't is true present us with several allegorical Interpretations and Descants on some Places of Scripture and particularly on the 3d Chapter of Genesis but this is â—othing to his purpose because those antient Writers do not deny the literal Sense which he doth He is not content to allegorize that Chapter but he wholly rejects the literal Meaning and confidently avers that Moses all along tells a Story that â—ath nothing of Truth in it and is not spoken according to the Nature of the things So I grant that some of the old Iewish Doâ—tâ—rs moralized Mâ—ses's History but they did not slight much less â—upersede and lay aside the historical Sense And moreover he hath neither the Fathers nor the Rabbies as an Example of ridiouling the Mosaick History which yet he doth throughout his whole Discourse on that Chapter shewing his little Talent of Jesting and Droâ—ling So that in brief it might become Hudibras better than a Doctor of Divinity I appeal to any that are acquainted with the antient Monuments of the Church whether he doth not perfectly tread in the Steps of the old Adversaries and Blasphemers of Christianity Iulian Celsus c. The former of these speaking of and deriding what is said in Genesis concerning Adam and Paradise and eating the forbidden Fruit c. positively declares that these are altogether fabulous And again afterwards What Difference is there saith he between these and the Fables of the Greeks What Dr. Burnet saith amounts to the same for when he expresly saith Moses delivered nothing of the Physical Truth concerning the Creation of the World c. but wisely dissembles to accommodate himself to the People and when he tells us that Moses said these things only to conciliate Force and Authority to his Laws which are his own Words he doth as good as say that what he delivers is a Fable He might in plain Terms have stiled the Mosaick History a Fabulous Tradition as Simplicius calls the Account which Moses gives of the Creation Yea he might as well have spoken the Language of his Friend Celsus who call'd the Mosaick Relation concerning Adam and Eve an old Wife's Fable Thus we see what Examples he follows some of the craftiest and subtilest but yet the most malicious Enemies of the Christians who laugh'd at their Religion whilst others persecuted it and did more harm by that dâ—riding it than others by violent oppressing it But lo a remarkable Example of the Divine Justice viz. on the bold Gentleman who lately englished that part of the Doctor 's Book
Ch. 11. v. 6. Though I be rude in Speech p. 437 Ver. 17. I speak not after the Lord. p. 472 St. JAMES Ch. 4. v. 5 6. Do you think that the Scripture saith in vain The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to Envy But he giveth more Grace p. 463 St. PETER 2 Epist. Ch. 3. v. 5. This they are willingly ignorant of that by the Word of God the Heavens were of old and the Earth standing out of the Water and in the Water p. 62 St. JOHN 2 Epist. Ver. 12. I will not write with Paper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 167 Besides sundry Texts mention'd in that Part of the Discourse where the Emendation of the present English Version of the New Testament is attempted ERRATA PAge 30. line 1O r. able fully to P. 79. l. 29. r. who were P. 104. l. 33. r. as P. 11O l. 5. r. Foundâ—rs P. 117. l. 28. r. Greeks P. 121. l. 33. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 139. l. 25. r. aâ— P. 140. â— 33. r. from its P. 146. l. 27. r. require either of P. 159. l. 15. r. recorded that the Letters of their Alphabet were P. 188. l. 14 after Times dele l. 15. after these dele P. 196. in the Margin r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 206. l. 20. r. this P. 216. l. 1. r. which we read of in P. 230. l. 15. r. Places P. 244. l. 27. r. which we and include the following words which is rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. rotulae by the LXX in a Parenthesis P. 322. l. 33 34. r. the former and f. were r. was P. 336. l. 30. r. might P. 340. l. 3. r. the deadly P. 361. l. ult r. Lives P. 432. l. 1. after thus insert P. 433. l. 3. before but leave out P. 491. l. 13. r. that P. 493. l. 4. r. in the. P. 504. l. antepenult r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 554. l. 32. delâ— all P. 558. l. 9. r. they did P. 562. l. 5. r. for one P. 563. l. 30. r. mist. P. 565. l. 15. r. are The Faults in the Hebrew are leâ—t to be corrected by the Learned The CONTENTS of the Several CHAPTERS CHAP. I. THE different Esteem and Sentiment of Persons concerning the Authors they make choice of to read No Writings can equal the Bible It hath been highly valued in all Ages by Men of the greatest Learning Wit and Judgment A Scheme of the following Discourse briefly propounded The Holy Scriptures are the perfect Rule of Faith They are the best Conduct of our Lives and Actions They are the only Ground of solid Consolation Joy and Happiness This Perfection of Scripture is opposed by many of the Rabbins An Account of their Cabala and Oral Law The Papists by preferring their Traditions before the Scriptures and by indeavouring to keep these latter in an unknown Tongue deny the Perfection of them So do Familists Quakers and all Enthusiasts pag. 1 CHAP. II. The Bible is furnish'd with all sorts of Humane as well as Divine Learning Hebrew wherein the Old Testament was written is the Primitive Language of the World The True Origine of the World is plainly recorded in no other Writings but these The first Chapter of Genesis is a real History and records Matter of fact It is largely proved that the Mosaick History gives us a particular Account of the first Rise of the several Nations and People of the Earth and of the Places of their Habitation Also the true Knowledg of the Original of Civil Government and the Increases of it and the different Changes it underwent is derived from these Writings The Courts of Judicature and the severâ—l kinds of Punishment among the Jews distinctly treated of The Government among the Heathen Nations The four Celebrated Monarchies or Empires of the World p. 45 CHAP. III. In these Sacred Writings we have the first and earliest Account of all useful Employments and Callings viz. Gardening Husbandry feeding of Sheep preparing of Food The antient manner of Threshing Grinding of Corn and making Bread is enquired into What was the Primitive Drink The Posture which they used at eating and drinking Sitting preceded Discubation The particular manner of placing themselves on their Beds Eating in common not always used Discalceation and Washing the Feet were the Attendants of Eating and Feasting So was Anointing They had a Master or Governour of their Feasts Who were the first Inventers of Mechanick Arts. The first Examples of Architecture Houses were built flat at top and why p. 111 CHAP. IV. The first Original of Letters and Writing is recorded here The several kinds of Materials they wrote upon of old The Instruments with which they formed their Letters or Characters The Antientest as well as the most Excellent History is in the Bible So is the Antientest and most Admired Poetry The first Invention and Practice of Musick and on what Occasions it was wont to be made use of The Rise of Natural Philosophy and who were the first Founders of it The Knowledg of the Holy Scriptures necessary in order to the due Study of Natural Philosophy The first Instances of Anatomy Medicks Chirurgery Embalming and the Apothecaries Employment are in the Old Testament Here are the first Examples of Shipping and Navigation An Enquiry into the Place whither Solomon's Navy went every three Years A Conjecture concerning Ophir Astronomy and Judiciary Astrology mention'd in Scripture Of War and Skill in Arms. The Nature of those Military Weapons which are spoken of in Scripture particularly and distinctly enquir'd into The Antiquity of Martial Ensigns and Standards The vast Numbers which the Armies of old consisted of The Scripture is not silent concerning Sportive Diversions and Exercises some of which but especially Dancing are considered p. 157 CHAP. V. We are furnish'd in the Bible with the Knowledg of the first Vsages relating to Matrimony Of Nuptial Feasts and other Antient Feasts We have here the first Notices of Buying and Selling and the Antient use of Money We learn hence what was the first Apparel and what Additions there were afterwards The chief Ornaments of Men and Women viz. Crowns Mitres Frontal Jewels Ear-rings the occasion of wearing these at first and among what Persons and Nations together with the Abuse of them Chains Bracelets Finger-Rings and Signets Changes of Garments The Antient Vse of White Apparel Fullers Earth Looking-Glasses Rending of the Garments P. 225 CHAP. VI. Here we are informed concerning the Primitive Institution of Burying Graves and Sepulchres were generally in the Fields and without the Walls of Cities They usually embalmed the dead Bodies Why they sometimes burnt them Burning also signifies Embalming There was a Difference between the Funeral Burning of the Jews and of the Heathens The Manner and Time of Mourning for the Dead Both Vocal and Instrumental Musick used at Funerals The Antiquity of Funeral Monuments The old way of erecting great Heaps of Stones over the Dead Stone-heng is a Sepulchral Monument and in imitation
Men of the greatest Learning Wit and Judgment A Scheme of the following Discourse briefly propounded The Holy Scriptures are the perfect Rule of Faith They are the best Conduct of our Lives and Actions They are the only Ground of solid Consolation Joy and Happiness This Perfection of Scripture is opposed by many of the Rabbins An Account of their Cabala and Oral Law The Papists by preferring their Traditions before the Scriptures and by indeavouring to keep these latter in an unknown Tongue deny the Perfection of them So do Familists Quakers and all Enthusiasts IT may be observed that the Minds of Men have been differently disposed as to the choice of the Authors they would read and their Esteem and Value of them have been as various It hath been usual for Persons to express a particular Kindness for one Writer above another Thus Homer of old was excessively magnified by those famous Warriors Agesilaus and Alexander the Great The former read him continually at home and in the Camp and whenever he had any time to spare for Reading The latter could not sleep without his Iliads under his Pillow Scipio â—irnamed the African had a great Opinion of Xenophon's Institution of Cyrus and was always consulting it and valued it at a high rate So among Christians St. Cyprian was a great Admirer of Tertullian and when he had a mind to read him his usual Saying was Give me my Master Charles the Great was hugely taken with St. Augustine de Civitate Dei and had it constantly read to him yea even at Supper King Alphonsus in all his Expeditions and at all other times carried Iulius Caesar's Commentaries others say Livy's History with him Theodore Gaza gave his Vote for Plutarch's Works and was so pleased with them that he protested if he could have but one Man's Writings he would certainly choose His before all others Thomas Aquinas was no less in love with St. Chrysostom on St. Matthew and expressed his high Esteem of him by saying he preferr'd him before the goodly City of Paris Charles the V th gave a greater Deference to Comines than to any other Writer and perpetually conversed with him Scaliger would rather be the Author of the ninth Ode of Horace than be Emperor of Germany And to come down yet lower Grotius gives Cujacius the Prefâ—rence to all the other Commâ—ntators on the Imperial Laws Salmasius admired no Divine so much as Calvin and particularly preferred his Institutions And the Reverend Mr. B. Oley tells us if he were to be conâ—ined to one Author he would choose Dr. Iackson's Works Thus have Mens Sentiments and Esteems been various about Books â—ome preferring one Writer and some another according as their Genius or Studies led them â—ut when we mention the Bible i. e. the Book of Books we are certain there is no Comparison between This and any others whatsoever This Sacred Volume is emphatically and by way of Eminence call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if other Books in respect of This deserv'd not the Name For in what other Writings can we deâ—cry thoâ—e Excellencies which we find in This None of them can equal it in Antiquity for the first Penman of the Sacred Scripture who relates the Origine of the World and whose Writings contain the Acts and Monuments of the Patriarchs hath the start of all Philosophers Poets and Historians and is abâ—olutely the Antientest Writer extant in the World No Writings are equal to these of the Bible if we mention only the stock of Humane Learning contain'd in them Here Linguists and Philologists may find that which is to be found no where else Here Râ—etoricians and Orators may be entertained with a more loâ—ty Eloquence with a choicer Composure of Words and with greater Variety of Stile than any other Writers can afford them Here is a Book where more is understood than expressed where Words are few but the Sense is full and redundant No Books equal This in Authority because 〈◊〉 is the Word of God himself and dictated by an unerring Spirit It excâ—ls all other Writings in the Excellency of its Matter which is the Highest Noblest and Worthiest and of the Greatest Concern to Mankind Lastly to name no more at present that I may not anticipate what is intended in the following Discourse the Scriptures transcend all other Writings in their Power and Efficacy This Word of God is pure enlightning the Eyes irradiating Mens Minds with Supernatural Truth affecting their Hearts and Consciences subduing the Refracotriness of their Wills transforming their Lives and changing them into other Persons Thence it is that all Men of well-disposed Souls find a plain Differene between their reading This and other Books When they read those it is true they are something affected and pleased the Stile or the Matter give them some Satisfaction but if they read them often and confine themselves to them their former Pleasure and Satisfaction abate and the Authors seem not to be so entertaining and acceptable as they were before and at length they become burdensom and nauseous and hence it is that some Writers grow out of fashion and other New ones are called for But it is far otherwise with this Holy Book the Affection and Pleasure which you feel in the reading it are lasting and durable because this Blessed Word sinks down into the Center of the Soul and is always present with it Though you lay this Book aside and afterwards take it up and do so again and again yea never so often you will not â—ind it grow worse but much better i. e. it will yield you greater Delight and Satisfaction and the oftner you converse with it the more you will discern the Worth of it yea the more pleasing will the very Words and Syllables of these Divine Writings be to you For what the Great Critick observes of Homer's Poem that there is a certain kind of Peculiar Easiness and Sliding in his Verse which are not to be found in any other Poets is eminently true of the Holy Scriptures if compared with other Authors there is a peculiar Sweetness a matchless Softness and Pleasantness in the Stile of these Holy Books the Words as well as the Matter are Winning and Ravishing and all pure and sanctified Minds have a clear Perception of this yea the clearer because they so frequently converse with these Inspired Writers We may then on this Account as well as on others challenge the World to shew us where there is any Book like this where there is any Author comparable to it In all Humane Writers there is something wanting something imperfect but in this Sacred Volume there are all things and every thing here is compleat To the Holy Scriptures therefore all other Writings must vail to this Best of Books they must all submit and acknowledg their Meanness and Inferiority Hence it was that the Wisest and Best Men as we may observe did always extol the Scriptures I adore the Plenitude
Church's Hands by the Prophets and Apostles shall by her be deliver'd over to her Children to the World's End which way of Transmission is the great Prop of our Religion Besides the Apostle enjoins the Thessalonians to hold fast the Traditions which they had been taught whether by Word or his Epistle for he had used two ways of delivering the Truth to them namely Preaching and Writing and other Apostles committed the chief and necessary Heads of their Doctrine to Writing So that the Traditions meant here are the Revealed Truths of the Gospel delivered by the Apostles and Evangelists and are no other than what Christ deliver'd to them according to that of St. Paul I delivered to you that which also I received whence they have the Name of Traditions i. e. they are Evangelical Doctrines delivered to us from those that were taught them by Christ. And whether they were imparted by Word or by Epistle by Preaching or Writing they are the same the same as to substance the otherwise there may be some difference But that which we condemn and that most justly the Papists for is this that they magnify and rely upon Traditions which have no affinity with the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles yea which contradict it in many things and yet they equalize these with the Word of God and sometimes prefer them and the Authority of the Church before that of the Sacred Writings of the Old and New Testament Thus One saith The Church sometimes doth things contrary to the Scriptures sometimes besides them therefore the Church is the Rule and Standard of the things that are delivered in the Scriptures and therefore we believe the Church though she acts counter to the formal Decisions of the Scriptures And an other Famous Doctor gives it for good Divinity that the Decrees and Determinations of a Council are binding though they be not confirmed by any probable Testimony of Scripture nay though they be beyond and above the Determination of Scripture Thus the Holy Writings of the Bible are most impiously disparaged and vilisied by the Pontificians Whereas there is nothing defective or redundant nothing wanting or superfluous in these Writings they assert in the open face of the World that they are short and imperfect and therefore have need of being supplied by Traditions which in some things are of greater Value and Authority than they Again that the Church of Rome oppugneth or rather denieth the Perfection of the Scriptures might be evinced from their constant care and endeavour to keep them in an Vnknown Tongue It is true they have translated them But 1. There was a kind of necessity of doing it the Protestants having turned them into so many Tongues By this means they were compelled as it werâ— to let some of their people see what the Bible was in their own Language But 2. It is so corruptly translated that it is made to patronize several of their Superstitious Follies and Errors And yet 3. They dare not commit these Translations to common View Although in all Countries where People were converted to Christianity in elder times the Scripture was turned into their Language and every one was permitted yea exhorted to read it as is proved by many Writers the Learned Dr. Stillingfleet particularly yet the Church of Rome denieth the common People the Use of it as a thing hurtful and pernicious The Bible as some Bad Book is tolerated to be read with great Caution and Restriction in some Countries only and by some Persons It is like the Sibyls Prophecies of old among the Romans not to be look'd into without the permission and Authority of the Senate none can read it without a Licence from their Superiours so dangerous a thing is the Bible From this Practice the People generally imbibe a strong Prejudice against the Scriptures and believe they cannot be good for them because the Pope and their Pastors tell them they are not Wherefore as one who was once of the Communion of the Church of â—ome hath well observed As soon as ever any Man imbraces Popery he presently throws the Bible out of his Hands as altogether useless to say no worse Which unreasonable and wicked Behaviour of theirs was one great Reason or Motive as he professeth of his returning to the Church of England again For what Considerate Man can think That to be a True Church which teacheth its Members to slight and reject the Word of God which is the Source of all Divine Truth and without which we can neither believe nor practise aright we can neither have Comfort here nor arrive to Happiness hereafter This indeed is not only to null â—â—e Perfection of Scripture but to abolish the whole Body of Scripture it self A third sort of Persons that are Opposers of the Perfection of Scripture are Enthusiasts and such who act out of a truly Fanatick Principle Such were the Familists heretofore whose Pretences to the Spirit were so high that they excluded and renounced the Letter of Scripture which according to their Stile was a dark Lanthorn a liveless Carcass a Book shut up and seal'd with seven Seals the Scabbard not the Sword of the Spirit or if it be a Sword it is the Sword of Antichrist wherewith he kills Christ. This was the impious Jargon of these High-flown Men who made no other Use of the Bible than to Allegorize it and to turn it all into Mystery These have been followed by Others of a like Fanatick Spirit who have made it a great part of their Religion to despise and reproach the Sacred Writ A late Enthusiast or rather one that pretends to be such but designs the Overthrow of all Religion tells the World that the Bible is founded in Imagination that God's Revelations in Scripture are ever according to the Fancy of the Prophets or other Persons he spoke to and that all the Phrases and Speeches all the Discoveries and Manifestations yea all the Historical Passages in the Old and New Testament are adapted to these The Quaker comes next and refuseth to own the Scripture to be the Word of God and the Perfect Rule by which we are to direct our Lives It is a great Error and Falsity saith one of the most considerable Persons of that Perswasion that the Scriptures are a filled up Canon and the only Rule of Faith and Obedience in all things and that no more Scriptures are to be writ or given forth from the Spirit of the Lord. With whom agrees another of as great Repute among that Tribe I see no Necessity saith he of believing that the Canon of Scripture is filled up And again The Scriptures saith he are not to be esteemed the Principal Ground of all Truth and Knowledg nor yet the Adequate Primary Rule of Faith and Manners but they are only a Secondary Rule subordinate to the Spirit And accordingly he adds That the inward Inspirations and Revelations which Men
Strengthens and supports us under our heaviest Crosses and makes our Life Happy whatever befals us All which are undeniable Arguments of the Perfection of Scripture whence we are enabled to Believe aright to Live well and to Rejoice Thus these Holy Writings were endited that we might be Perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works And thus Scripture must needs be Perfect because its Design is to make us so But I am sensible that several Devout and Practical Writers have enlarged on this Subject and therefore I will say no more of it because my present Discourse is designed to be chiefly Critical Let it suffice that I have briefly asserted the Perfection of the Holy Scriptures as to the three foremention'd Particulars and that I have shew'd that this Perfection is not communicable to any Other Writings under Heaven Such is the Peculiar Excellency of the Bible Wherefore it behoveth us to take notice and beware of those Men who oppose or rather deny this Excellency and Perfection First the Circumcised Doctors shew themselves great Oppugners of it whilst they excessively magnify their Traditions and even prefer them before the Sacred Text. We must know then that the Jews talk much of their Cabala or as that Word signifies the Received Doctrine among them which was propagated by Oral Tradition and Continual Succession This their Cabala is twofold First that which deals in Mysterious Criticisms and Curiosities about Words and Letters to which belongs the Masoreth which as I have shew'd in another Discourse is serviceable for the Preservation of the Bible Secondly that which by them is call'd the Oral Law or the Law delivered from one to another as an Exposition on the Written Law It may not be impertinent to give the Reader a short Account of this Oral Law which they so much boast of This was either before Moses and was the Doctrine of the Patriarchs propagated by Word of Mouth before the Law was committed to Writing it consisted of the Seven Precepts of the Sons of Noah of the Apothegms Sentences and Paradoxes of the Wise Men in the first Ages or it was in and after Moses's time who is reckon'd the Great Author of the Cabala because he deliver'd it viva voce to the Jews say the Rabbins at the same time that he gave them the Decalogue and the Other Written Laws This Torah gnal peh as they stile it this Oral Law is the Exposition of those Written Laws and is meant they say in Deut. 4. 14. The Lord commanded me at that time to teach you Statutes and Iudgments And for this they alledg Deut. 12. 21. which they tell us refers to some Special Command of God about Killing and seeing we read no such Special Command about it in the Written Law it is reasonable to conclude that it is to be understood of the Oral one that must be the Sense of those Words there As I have commanded thee That Moses received this Law on Mount Sinai Rabbi Bechai proves by the same Token that he knew by this Law how long time he was upon that Mount for when God taught him the Written Law then he knew it was Day because he could not write in the Dark but when God gave him the Oral Law he knew then that it was Night A most profound Answer to the Difficulty how Moses could tell that he was 40 Days and Nights on the Mount Well God they say delivered this Law to Moses Moses delivered it to Ioshua Ioshua to the Seventy Elders they to Ezra who some say committed it to writing for he was the Chiefest Cabalist next to Moses but the Books which he composed of this Matter were lost and so it went on after the old way again viz. by Tradition and came to the Prophets of whom Zechary and Malachi were the last and from them the Great Sanhedrim had it and at last it was made into a Book that it might not be lost by reason of the Dispersion of the Jews He that compiled this Volume or Book was Rabbi Iudah who for the singular Holiness of his Life was call'd Hakkadosh the Saint He flourish'd in the Days of the Emperor Antoninus Pius about a hundred and twenty Years after our Saviour's Passion The Title which he gave to it was Mishnah i. e. the Repetition of the Divine Law or a Larger Explication of it given immediately to Moses by God and by Tradition derived to the Jews This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Iterated or Second Law is divided by him into six general Sedarim i. e. so many Heads or Subjects of which it treats and every Sedar is divided into Books every Book into Chapters or Pirka's About a hundred Years after this famous Rabbi had reduced the Traditions of the Jews into one Volume the Learned Doctors began to comment upon it and first the Ierusalem Talmud call'd so because 't was made for the Jews that lived in Iudea especially in Ierusalem was finish'd by R. Iochanan about A. D. 240. The Comment which he and the other Rabbies made on the Mishnah is call'd the Gemara the Supplemental Exposition of that Volume of Jewish Traditions Next the Babylonick Talmud was put forth by the Learned Jews at Babylon who gathered their Traditions into a more Compleat and Exact Body as they thought for the Benefit of their Country-men in those Parts of the World It was compiled by Rabbi Ase and his Companions about A. D. 500. and consisteth as the former Talmud of the Mishnaioth and the Gemara the one is the Text the other is the Comment or the Decisions of the Doctors on the Book of the Mishnah So then the Oral Law which the Jews so much boast of and set so high a Value upon is contain'd in the Two Talmuds which are made up of the Mishnah and the Gemara The Mishnah is that which R. Iudah compiled the Gemara's are the Work of R. Iochanan and Ase and other Rabbies and both are a Compleat Body of the Civil and Canon Law of the Jews Whoso nameth the Talmuds nameth all Iudaism saith Lightfoot These as he adds are the Jews Council of Trent they are the last and fullest Determinations which they have about all their Religious Opinions Rites and Usages Thus I have exhibited a brief Account of the whole Talmudick System wherein the Oral Law is comprized explained and descanted upon And it is not to be denied that there may be a very excellent Use made of this Collection of Jewish Traditions it may be serviceable in sundry Instances to expound the Mosaick Law to acquaint us with the Jewish Antiquities to illustrate several Places in the Old Testament yea to interpret many Passages in the New which have reference to the received Practices and Usages of the Jews But the Iews who are the Persons whom I am now blaming make very ill Use of it because they immoderately extol these Traditions calling them Torah shebegnal Peh their Infallible Oracle and esteeming the