The Sum

every Paffage, either perverting, or fuppreffing the true Senfe and Meaning of the Author, to make them come in to the Scheme; but all to no purpose. The Fathers are obftinate, and will not comply: They avow the literal Senfe of the Scriptures, and declare unanimoufly, that, without the Suppofition of its Reality, their Allegories would be mere Caftles in the Air, and have no Foundation at all.

Since then this Cuftom of Allegorizing and Con- Scripture owes its Original to the Jews this Ar- and Gentiles, (no great Friends to the gument. Chriftian Caufe) and was afterwards in

clufion of

dulged to gratify, in fome measure, a
depraved Tafte, and extravagrant Ima-
gination; fince no Authority can be pro-
duc'd for it in Scripture, but many Paf-
fages, out of St. Paul's Writings, to fhew
the danger and bold Prefumption of it,
as well as the neceffary Duty of our ad-
hering to the Plainnefs and Simplicity of
the Gospel; fince no Arguments, in its
Vindication, can be drawn from the
Writings of the ancient Fathers, foraf
much as the greatest Masters and Admi-
rers of it, have always acknowledg'd a
literal Senfe, and fuch as are produc'd
to the contrary, upon a proper Exami-
nation, have been found to do the fame;
"Remember, Reader, once for all, (as
"Tertullian

с

« Tertullian expreffes it) that when we "admit of any fuch Scriptural Allegories, "the true literal Senfe of the Scripture " is not alter'd, tho' the Circumstances, << or State of the Cafe, receive a new "Turn, and have a Rhetorical Appli"cation given to them.

SECT. X.

of CHRIST's driving the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple.

<< UT how can we help recurring The Ob

BUT

to the myftical Senfe, when the jection. "literal account of many of Jefus's "Miracles, implies fuch Improbabili"ties, Incredibilities, and grofs Absur"dities, as are very difhonourable to "the Name of Chrift. The Miracle, "for inftance, of his driving the Buyers "and Sellers out of the Temple, (as great

an Exploit as fome may think it) is "certainly a very abfurd and impro"bable Story. For, admitting there "really was a Market kept in the "Temple, (which our Divines, I be"lieve, will find fome Difficulty to "prove)

'L. 3. §. 5. & L. 5. §. 4.

TheCourts

"prove) yet where's the great Sin and "Profanation of it, to buy and fell "fuch Things in it, as were brought on "purpose to be offer'd to God in Sacri"fice? But then, how any one, in ❝ the Form of a Man, and that a despi"fed Man too, fhould be able, with no"thing but a Whip in his Hand, to

execute fuch an heroick Work, upon "a great Multitude of People, who were none of them his Difciples, nor "had any regard to him; who had, "fome of them, been injur'd, and fuf"fer'd Damage in their Wares, and "confequently must be fuppos'd in a "Difpofition to refift him, is a thing "incredible. But put the Cafe it were "not fo; for what End and Purpose he "should now be fo zealous against the "Profanation of the Temple, when he

himself, in a fhort time after (by the "Hands of the Romans) ordered it to “be destroyed and polluted, is fomething fo very inconfiftent, that there is "no way of accounting for it, but by fuppofing it a Prophetical and Para"bolical Narrative of fomewhat to be "done hereafter, more Mysteriously, and more Wonderfully, by him.

66

A vulgar Reader indeed may think Temple very ftrange, that a Market fhould be

of the

defcrib'd.

it

kept

kept in a Church, or that the Tables of Money-Changers, and the Seats of thofe that fold Doves, fhould be permitted in the Temple: But we mistake the Matter much, if we fuppofe, that the Temple of Jerufalem was made like one of our Churches. a It did not confift of one fingle Edifice only, but had several Courts and Buildings belonging to it. The firft and moft outward Court, which went by the Name of the Mount of the Temple, was a Square of 500 Cubits every way, containing feveral Buildings for different ufes, and furrounded with Cloysters, fupported by Marble Pillars. Next to this was the Court of the Gentiles, rang'd round with Cloysters, and feparated from the other Courts with Stone Baluftrades three Cubits high, with Pillars at certain Diftances, upon which were engraven Exhortations to Purity and Holinefs, and a Prohibition to all the Gentiles, and to fuch, as were unclean, to advance beyond them. Then follow'd the Court of the Women; after that the great Court, which was divided. into two Parts, the Ifraelites Court, and the Court of the Priefts, contiguous to which stood the Temple itself. This was the Order of the Building, but the O whole

Vid. Lamy & Beaufolre Intr

The Place

Market

whole went under the general Name of the Temple.

b

The Jews indeed did not place the where the fame Sanctity in the Court of the Gentiles, was kept. as in other Parts of the Temple, and therefore it is lefs wonder that they permitted it to be employ'd to Purposes, that our Saviour condemn'd. They found it almost neceffary, that fuch, as liv'd at a confiderable Distance from Jerufalem, instead of bringing living Creatures, fhould only bring Money with them, in order to purchase Sacrifices and Oblations there; and for the Convenience of this (as a great Mafter of Jewish Learning tells us) there was always a conftant Market in the Temple, in the Place which was called the Shops; where every day was fold Wine, Salt, Oil, and other Requifites to Sacrifices, as Oxen and Sheep, in the fpacious Court of the Gentiles and that the fame Practice was in ufe, in the time of our Saviour's Ministry, we have the Teftimony of the ancient Jews themselves. For, fince in the Babylonifh Talmud it is declared, that forty Years before the Temple was deftroy'd, the great Council removed

d

Whitby on Matt. xxi. 12.

Lightfoot on Matt.xxi. 12. Vol. 2. p. 224.

from

See L'Empereur on the Codex Maddoth. p. 48,