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 fpeak now only of the books themselves, not of the truth of the hiftory they contain.

Secondly, It is ridiculous to fuppose 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 Teftament; but this being to be looked upon only as an effect of their departure from the kingdom of Judah, it cannot in the leaft shake the certainty we have of thofe books. For, firft, the three other tribes had them, and preferved them with the greatest care, efteeming them of Divine authority. Secondly, there were alfo reafons of ftate 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 reasons of ftate (hereafter mentioned) were the caufe why the ten tribes would not allow the fame authority to fome of those books which were written before their revolt, as those of amuel, and the writings of David and Solomon, which they did to the Pentateuch of Mofes. Most 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 leaft 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 lefs ridiculous to fuppofe them forged during that period. First, 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 seventh year befides nothing was of more eafy obfervation than whether they did keep their three folemn feafts, viz. that of the paffover, pentecost, 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 poflefling of them. Indeed, nothing can be imagined more abfurd, than to fuppofe

an

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 boldness 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 said books, because it might eafily have been discovered; 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 almost continually fubject to neighbouring ftates, who fubdued them by turns, as we fee in the book of Judges.

Moreover we are to take notice, First, 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 so closely linked and related to those 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 elfe 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.

СНА Р. IV.

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

F

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

depend (as I fhall fhew hereafter), it is evident that I must make it my business 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 first man; the other, that God had promised 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 muft 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 first, 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 hiftory 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 himfelf immediately refuted, or rather without expofing himfelf to public fcorn.

Befides I aver, and am ready to maintain, that we find no author of fo illuftrious 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 thefe two relations of the creation of the world, and the promife of the Messiah.

In a word, his defign was not, in furnishing his books with the recitals of thefe 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 fenfe 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

oracles by which God promifed to Abraham the establishing his pofterity in the land of Canaan, was to reprefent to the Jews the right they had to that land, according to the defign and intent of the Divine wifdom.

But without making this particular reflexion, it is clear that the law took its beginning at the twelfth of Exodus, where God prefcribes to his people the manner of celebrating the paffover; at leaft, this is the first law which God gave them through the miniftry of Moses: but forafmuch as Mofes his end was to justify in the minds of his people, the defign he had to make them leave Egypt, as well as their pretenfions to the land of Canaan, whither he was to lead them; it was natural for him to lay before them the ground of thofe pretenfions, which he could not do without relating the whole feries of the hiftory until the time of their bondage in Egypt, which we read in Genefis ; the greatest part of which only concerns the ancestors of that people, after that Mofes had firft laid down the grounds of religion, and that which was known to all nations.

Let us now imagine to ourselves a man endeavouring all of a fudden to introduce into the world the belief of things fo far diftant from common apprehenfion as these two points must needs be, viz. that of the creation, and the promise of Chrift, in cafe we fuppofe them generally unknown: let us yet further conceive a man not only relating those things, but making them the foundation of a new fort of laws never before heard of. Is there any wit or judgment in fuch an undertaking? Can we therefore fuppofe that Mofes, whofe writings teftify his great wisdom, fhould ever have entertained fuch unaccountable thoughts?

I dare aver that there was never any legislator fo ftupid and inconfiderate, as to pretend to engage a whole people to fubmit themfelves to the yoke of obedience, and to receive a great number of laws refpecting their civil government and religion, by declaring to them two fictions, of which they had never before had the leaft idea.

It is alfo very confiderable, that these things are not recited by Mofes as a preface to the Decalogue, as if then first they had been proposed to Mofes, or the people by God; but Mofes fets them down as truths known to them all, and as principles univerfally admitted, and fuch as the mere mentioning of them could not but ftrongly engage the Jews to render a ready obedience to the laws which God gave to Mofes in their prefence of the Divine authority, of which their very fenfes were convinced.

Let us alfo confider the nature of those things, the relation of which Mofes has joined with these two general points, to make an impreffion on the minds of the Jews. Let us confider the account he gives them of their ancestors, nearer or farther off, whom he reprefents as equally informed of these matters, as having feverally delivered the knowledge of them to their children, and having joined to thefe first truths of the creation, and the promise of a Saviour, many other notions thereon depending, and which tied their hopes and expectations to the land of Canaan. And now judge whether Mofes were not to be accused of great folly and fenfelefsnefs, if he had proceeded to make fuch a vaft people (all of the fudden) to receive for truths publicly and generally owned, what indeed was nothing but the most ridiculous and ill-cohering romance that ever was broached.

Now, fince as it is vifible (taking in the circumstances I have hinted) that the authority of such on hiftorian and law-giver as Mofes was, relating fuch important matters, cannot be called in queftion; it follows, that the Atheist can have nothing to object against his teftimony, with the least shadow or pretence of reafon. So that we may already affert, that there is nothing better attefted than the creation of the world, and the promise of Chrift, which are the immovable foundations of the Chriftian Religion.

Nevertheless, for a more evident conviction, we are willing, before we draw this conclufion, to make it appear how weak and inconfiderable all those objections are, which Atheists can poffibly frame against what Mofes relates concerning these matters.

What can they with reafon object? Perhaps they'll fay, that Mofes is not the author of Genefis, but that it was foifted in under his name, and confequently, that whatsoever is built upon the authority of Mofes and his evidence is all without ground; or they may object, that, if Mofes be indeed the author of Genefis, he lived at fuch a distance of time from the things which he relates, that it makes void the authority of his writings. They may moreover alledge, that Mofes relates things impoffible, and of which therefore those that mentioned them before, the things themselves being fo long fince past and done, could not be fully informed of, and that they may well be fuppofed greatly changed and altered by a tradition of fo many ages. They may alfo alledge, that according to the common opinion, Mofes penned not these things as an hiftorian, but as a prophet; and that the apprehenfion of most concerning his books are, that he wrote of things whereof the knowledge before his time was very obfcure and confufed, or rather were generally un

known.

They may object against thefe relations of Mofes, that which the most ancient people, fuch as the Egyptians, Chaldeans, and Chinese, alledge for their antiquity, which far furpaffeth the date of the world according to Mofes.

Thefe are the principal ways to affault the truths which Mofes relates; either by maintaining with the Atheists, on one hand, that the things which Mofes relates are indeed mentioned by the authors, but that they forged them themselves; or that Mofes, being an able and refined politician, defigned, by creating a belief of thefe matters in the Jews, to make them more fubmiflive and obedient to him.

In a word, it may be faid, that fuppofing the books of Genefis to be written by Mofes, it was an eafy matter for him to dictate whatsoever he pleafed to a people who were under a law that made it capital to call in queftion the truth of his relations, or the authority of his laws.

This certainly is the fartheft to which the height of obftinacy can carry this matter, and the very laft refuge of the strongest prejudice. But it is an eafy matter to confound the Atheifts and Libertines in every one of thefe articles, and to fhew that all their objections do in effect ferve for nothing else but to make a more lively impreffion of this argument taken from matter of fact, which I have undertaken to set forth in a full and clear light.

CHAP. V.