CHA P. III.

Seme General Remarks, in order to establish the Truth of Holy SCRIPTURE.

ORASMUCH as I have undertaken to prove the truth of the Matters of Fact contained in our Religion from the teftimony of the penmen of the Old and New Teftament, it will be proper, in order to the executing of my defign, to begin with a general proof of the truth of the faid books; which will not be difficult, if one makes the following remarks.

The firft is, That it appears from the five books of Mofes, that he wrote the hiftory of the creation of the world, and of the promise of the Meffiah; of the deluge, the rife and pedigree of the feveral nations of the world, of the divifion of tongues; and in particular, the hiftory of the family of Abraham until the entering of the children of Ifrael into Palestina, 2552 years after the creation of the world.

The fecond is, That the following books, viz. of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, the four books of Kings, of Chronicles, with the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, are a continuation of the faid hiftory, from the entering of the Jews into Palestina, until their re-establishment in the faid country, about the year of the world 3600. Here we read the conqueft of Paleftina under the conduct of Joshua, how it was divided amongst the tribes after they had deftroyed, drove out, or fubdued, the inhabitants thereof; how often they were brought into bondage by the bordering nations, whofe rife and pretenfions Mofes fets down. Here we have recorded the feveral names and actions of the judges which God from time to time raised to the Ifraelites, to restore them to their first estate. Here we have an account of the establishment of a kingly government amongst them, which happened about the year 2909; as likewife of the divifion of this people into two kingdoms, which for three ages toge ther were moft oppofite in their interefts, and made great wars against each other, as well as as against their neighbouring ftates. We find here the utter ruin of the moft puiffant of thefe two ftates, viz. that of Ifrail by the arms of the kings of Affyria, about the year of the world 3283; and after that, the deftruction of that of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of the Chaldeans, anno mundi 3416. And last of all, we have an account of the Jews reftoration by Cyrus king of Perfia, and the ftate of the Jews under his fucceffors.

The third thing obfervable is, That in the remaining books of the Old Teftament we find feveral hiftorical relations relating to both kingdoms, with feveral prophecies relating to their decay and restoration, as likewife many difcourfes of morality and piety; and that all these relations and prophecies appear to have beer, writ at fuch a time, and with thofe circumstances, which have a natural reference to what the other books recite to us, and an effential relation to the books and laws of Mofes, which we find to be the foundation of all these prophecies, rela

tions, and whatsoever else we find there concerning their government or religion.

The fourth is, That the books of the New Teftament contain an exact relation of the life of Jefus Chrift, who appeared to the world under the reign of Tiberius, of the establishment of his religion in the world, together with fome difputes with the Jews, who refufed to own him for the Meffiah promifed by the Prophets; and, laftly, prophecies, declaring what in process of time was to happen both to the Jews and Chriftians until the end of the world. These books take the truth of Mojes's writings every where for granted, as alfo of the other facred writings of the Old Teftament, both hiftorical, prophetical, and moral.

These four particulars do in a manner give us an entire idea of the holy Scripture; and we fhall fearcely ftand in need of ought elfe to manifeft the truth of thofe writings, if we confider thofe undifputable matters of fact I am now to speak of, and will but make fome very natural reflexions upon them.

The first is, That the Chriftians, notwithstanding their being divided into feveral fects and parties presently after our Saviour's time, have, and do ftill, in all places, every first day of the week, read the books of the New Teftament tranflated into their respective languages; fo that it appears abfolutely impoffible that any fpurious writings fhould have been flipped in amongst them.

The fecond is, That as the Chriftians have had the books of the Old Teftament amongst them in Greek thefe 1600 years, fo the Heathens had them in that language 300 years before, being tranflated by order of one of the Ptolemy's kings of Egypt, whither a confiderable party of the Jews were carried, after that Alexander the Great had conquered the greatest part of Afia, having overthrown the empire of Perfia, to which the Jews were in fubjection.

The third is, That though the Jews had not all the books of the Old Teftament from the beginning of their commonwealth, they that followed the party of Jeroboam, and formed the kingdom of Ifrael, having only had the five books of Mofes amongst them; yet, notwithstanding their irreconcilable hatred against the house of David, they have most religiously preferved the faid books from anno mundi 3030, in which the divifions of the two kingdoms happened, even until this day.

The fourth and laft is, That as the Jews every where, at this day, read the books of Mofes and of the Prophets each fabbath-day (which is alfo obferved by the Samaritans), and the Chriftians read them every first day of the week; fo the Jews have always continued to read them for a long feries of ages, as efteeming it a great part of the fanctification of the fabbath. Befides which, they alfo folemnly read them every leventh year, in obedience to a law of Mofes, as being one of the principal parts of their religion.

I fay, that the fole confideration of these matters of fact (which are indifputable) are fufficient to prove in general the truth of the books of the Old and New Teftament.

First then, I affirm, that it is as ridiculous to maintain, that the books of the Old and New Teftament, tranflated into fo many languages, cited by an infinite number of authors, and which have been the Vol. I.

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fubject of various difputes from the very times of the Apoftles, or foon after, fhould be fuppofititious, as to aver that the books of Juftinian, or Mahomet's Alcoran, have been falfly obtruded on the world under their names. I speak now only of the books themselves, not of the truth of the history they contain.

Secondly, It is ridiculous to fuppofe that the books of the Old Teftament were forged fince the time of Ptolemy Philadelphus, forafmuch as they have been in the hands of the heathens themselves ever fince that time.

Thirdly, It is as inconfiftent to fuppofe them contrived fince the time of the feparation of the ten tribes from Judah, because we find the books of Mofes among the Samaritans, who have preferved them ever fince their revolt, without any other change but what is incident to all manufcripts that pafs through many hands.

I grant indeed that the Samaritans have none of the other books of the Old Testament; but this being to be looked upon only as an effect of their departure from the kingdom of Judah, it cannot in the least shake the certainty we have of thofe books. For, first, the three other tribes had them, and preferved them with the greatest care, efteeming them of Divine authority. Secondly, there were alfo reafons of state which made the kings of Ifrael not to regard the divifions made by Joshua of the land of Canaan, nor the authority of the priesthood; which reafons of flate (hereafter mentioned) were the caufe why the ten tribes would not allow the fame authority to some of those books which were written before their revolt, as thofe of Samuel, and the writings of David and Solomon, which they did to the Pentateuch of Mafes. Moft of the others we know were penned fince the divifion of the two kingdoms, and fo did more particularly refpect the kingdom of Judah, and fome of them after the carrying away of the ten tribes by the Affyrians.

Thus we fee the truth of thefe books, and more efpecially thofe of -Mofes, confirmed till the time of the revolt of the ten tribes, and confirmed beyond exception; at least far beyond the certainty we can have of the truth of any other book in the world. It remains only now to examine, whether as to the books of Mofes we find not the fame certainty, when we look back from the departure of the ten tribes to the time of Mofes; that is to fay, whether there be the leaft probability that they were forged in any part of that interval of about 580 years.

I fay then, in the fourth place, that it is no leis ridiculous to fuppofe them forged during that period. Firft, because it is impoffible that thefe books fhould have been forged in the form we now fee them, but that the forgery muft have been apparent to all the world. Nothing could be more notorious, than whether the Jews did read the law of Mofes every fabbath-day in all their families or fynagogues, and every feventh year befides: nothing was of more eafy obfervation than whether they did keep their three folemn feafts, viz. that of the paffover, pentecoff, and of tabernacles: nothing could be more apparent than whether the Jews did obey the laws contained in the Pentateuch, whether relating to particular perfons, to tribes, or their lands, and the manner of poffeffing of them, indeed, nothing can be imagined more abfurd, than to fuppofe

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an infenfible change wrought either in the form of their civil government, or the ceremonies of their religion.

Indeed it is an unfufferable piece of boldnefs to charge the Jews with forging these books of Mofes, or adulterating of them in this period of time, when it appears they have kept them without any alteration for the space of 2700 years, as hath been fhewed already. If it be faid, that the Jews being divided into two kingdoms, and difperfed into diftant countries, were not in a condition to forge or adulterate any of the faid books, because it might eafily have been difcovered; it may be answered, that the fame reafons took place in this interval of 580 years: for, from the time of Mofes to Rehoboam, they were not only greatly divided amongst themselves, but almoft continually fubject to neighbouring ftates, who fubdued them by turns, as we fee in the book of Judges.

Moreover we are to take notice, Firft, that these books of Mofes are the rife and foundation of the laws and cuftoms of the heathens, as well as of their fictions, which we shall have occafion to point at in the sequel of this difcourfe.

Secondly, that the hiftory contained in the Pentateuch is evidently confirmed by the following books of Joshua and Judges, which have an effential reference to the fame, and contain a relation of the public acts of many nations, attefted and acknowledged by heathen authors, who were the mortal enemies of the Jews.

Thirdly, that the faid books are fo clofely linked and related to thofe public and known actions, that it is impoffible to separate the laws they contain from the matters of fact attefted by Pagan hiftory, or to be ignorant that the form of the Jewish government was nothing else but an execution of the laws contained in the Pentateuch, which equally lays down that platform of their policy and worship.

My business at prefent only is to hint thefe general reflexions concerning the truth of the books of the Old and New Teftament; though the fequel will oblige me to make fome more particular reflexions upon each book, when I fhall come to confider the feveral relations they contain. I now come to the matter in hand, beginning with the book of Genefis; where we find an account of the creation of the world, the forming of man, the fall, the promife of the Meffiah, the propagation of mankind, the deluge, with other matters, until the death of Jofeph, which contains the hiftory of the world for the space of 2369 years.

С НА Р. IV.

That the Teftimony of MOSES concerning the Creation of the World, and the Promife of the Meffiah, is unquestionable.

ORASMUCH as amongst thofe matters which Mofes relates in the book of Genefis, that of the Creation of the World in feven days, and of the Promife of the Meffiah, are fuch upon which all the reft do

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depend (as I fhall fhew hereafter), it is evident that I must make it my bufinefs in a special manner to evince the truth of the fame.

Towards the confirmation of which matters of fact; the one of which is, that God created a firft man; the other, that God had promifed in due time to fend the Meffiah for redemption of mankind from the punishment of fin; 1 fhall propofe the following remarks.

Mofes, the great law-giver of the Jews, laid these two matters of fact as the bafis of the laws he was to publish; and he relates them to us, as things which were not only known to him, and fome others of the Jewish nation, but to all the people of the world, and particularly the whole nation amongst whom he lived.

To understand the force of this argument, we must mind three things: the first is, the nature of the matters themselves; the other is, the character of him that relates them; and the third, the ufe Mofes makes of them.

For the firft, nothing was more needful to be known than these two things before us; they were matters which concern the whole world, and of which every one ought to be informed; they are matters about which it is not eafy to be deceived, every one being in a condition to fatisfy himself about them, and of which confequently they could not but be moft thoroughly informed.

I dare maintain that there are no facts in profane history of importance comparable to thefe of the creation of the world, and the promise of the Meffiah, as Mofes has related them.

2. And as for the author who relates thefe points, it is as plain that his character did wonderfully contribute to the making of his book famous. He was a man illuftrious, as well by reafon of his education, as the rank he held amongst men; a man equally expofed to the judgment of enemies and friends, and who could not vent the leaft thing contrary to truth, in matters of great importance, without feeing himself immediately refuted, or rather without expofing himself to public fcorn.

Befides I aver, and am ready to maintain, that we find no author of fo illustrious a character as Mofes was, or who is diftinguished with fo many effential marks of faithfulness and veracity, as appears throughout the whole tenour of his writings.

3. This will appear more evidently when we confider the ufe to which Mofes defigns these two relations of the creation of the world, and the promife of the Meffiah.

In a word, his defign was not, in furnishing his books with the recitals of these important facts, to engage others to read them with more attention, or to get himself reputation by exciting a curiofity in people for his books. This would not have been becoming the gravity and wisdom of fo great a legiflator, of whom all fucceeding ages have borrowed their laws.

It is apparent, that his end in the recording of thefe matters was to infpire with a sense of piety and religion, thofe who were committed to his charge.

This is that which in general we may obferve about these matters; but more particularly it is certain, that Mofes his end, in recording the

oracles