Difference of the Matter, or of the Perfons, for whose use it was immediately defign'd. What concerns the Affyrian Monarchy in the Prophet Daniel, is in the Chaldee Tongue, and what relates directly to the Jews is in the Hebrew. Part of Ezra is in Chaldee being a Relation of Matter of Fact contain'd in the Chaldee Chronicles; and Jerem. x. xi. is in the fame Tongue, that the Jews might reject the Idolatry of the Chaldeans in their Language, and openly profess their own Abhorrence of it. And as upon these occafions the Language of Scripture is chang'd, with respect to the Subject and the Perfons concern'd, fo the Style must be fometimes alter'd upon the fame ac

count.

2. Artificial Strains of Rhetorick, whereby the Paffions are mov'd to the utmost Heighth, were very necessary to gain a prefent point, and carry a Caufe by a violent and fudden Tranfport, before Reafon could interpofe. But Religion being to be propounded upon reasonable Motives, there could be no need of Rhetorick, when the Evidence of thofe Miracles by which it was establish'd, afforded fo many other more certain and powerful means of Perfuafion. The Scriptures are not written in the enticing words of mans wisdom, but in Truth and Simplicity, and therefore might well have been without any Advantages of Eloquence, as needing no fuch helps to recommend them to ferious and impartial Minds: And tho' God has been pleas'd to condefcend fo far to the Infirmities of Men, as to convey very much of his Reveal'd Will to us, in fuch a Style, as for its own fake is highly to be esteem'd and admir'd; yet it was fit that other parts of the Scriptures fhould have the bare Force and Evidence of Truth only, to convince Men, that it might appear that our Religion was propagated not by any Arts of humane Eloquence, but by its own Worth and Excellency: For Eloquence was not used, where it would have been moft neceffary, if any humane

? means

means could be so, in afferting and propagating the Divine Truth. In the propagation of the Gofpel, all the Eloquence, as well as the Power, and Prejudices, and Vices of Mankind were combined against it, and yet lefs Elegancy and Accuracy of Style was employ'd by the Apostles and Evangelifts, than had been before ufed by Mofes and the Prophets, who yet had nothing which feem'd fo ftrange and wonderful to deliver. Which is one great Argument of the Power and Efficacy of the Gospel, that it could prevail fo much against all the Opposition in the World, only by telling a plain Truth, and in the plaineft manner. For where the thing is evident, the feweft and plainest Words are beft, as in Mathematical Demonstrations, it is enough if Men make themselves to be underflood this likewife was all that the Apostles aim'd at, their Cause and Doctrine was fo certain and demonftrable, that any Words, which did but fully and clearly express their Meaning, were fufficient for their purpose, their Rhetorick lay in the things themfelves, not in words: there is no great Art required to prove that to any Man, which he fees with his Eyes; and therefore as the power of Miracles was greater under the Gofpel, than under the Law, fo there was lefs need of Eloquence in the New Teftament than in the Old. Yet it cannot be deny'd, as a learned Critick has declar'd, that St. Paul, in fome kind, and upon fome fubjects, is as eloquent as ever Man was not inferior to Demofthenes (in whofe Writings. he believes that Apoftle had been much converfant) or fchines, or any other anciently most admired.

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3. It is reafonable to believe, that the Scriptures may be written in the Words and Phrafes of the Pen

9 τω ὃ γλώτταν ἰδιω]εοντες τῇ γε μ' προς το Σωτήρ Θαυ τοῖς δεδωρη αύτη θεία, και ο αδοξοποιῷ διωάμς θαρσέντες, τὸ μ ἐν πεινοίᾳ καὶ τέχνη λόγων τὰ τὸ διδασκάλε μαθήματα πρεσβεύειν ἔτε ήδεσαν, ἔτε ενεχείρον. Εufeb. Hift. l. iii. c. 24.

Mer. Cafaub. of Enthuf. C. 4.

men

men of the feveral parts of them, and that the Holy Ghost might permit them to use their own Style, fo directing them ftill, and over-ruling them in every Word and Sentence, that it should infallibly exprefs his own full Senfe and Meaning, and speak the Truth which he inspired. And therefore, tho' there be divers Styles in the Scriptures, yet this is no Prejudice to the Authority and Certainty of them. Ifaiah, for instance, being of the Blood-Royal, and educated at Court, may write in a more refin'd and lofty Style; and Amos, who was brought up among the herdsmen of Tekoa, may speak in a more humble ftrain, and fetch his Metaphors from lower and meaner things, and yet the Senfe and Subftance of both may be from the Holy Ghost, and as exactly true and infallible, as if every Word and Syllable were dictated by him. But this has been already confidered under its proper head.

W

CHA P. IV.

Of the Canon of the Holy Scriptures.

Hatever Uncertainty there can be fuppos'd to be, concerning the Canon of the Holy Scriptures, or the Catalogue and Number of Books of Divine Revelation, this ought to be made no Objection against the Certainty of Divine Revelation it felf, or against the Authority of thofe Books of Scripture which are univerfally acknowledg'd and receiv'd by all Churches. For if this be a true way of arguing, then whatever we are ignorant of, must be an Argument against the Certainty of what we know; and by confequence, no Man can be certain of any thing, fince the wifeft Man is ignorant of fo many things, that he knows very little in comparison of what he is ignorant

ignorant of. And as to the matter in hand, there is fcarce any Author of great Note and Fame, but Criticks have had Difputes concerning the number of his genuine Works; and yet this has never been thought any prejudice to fuch as are allowed by all to be genuine. Would not that Man make himself ridiculous, who fhould reject the Philippicks of Tully, or Virgil's Aneis, as fpurious, because other Books, either doubtful, or counterfeit, have pafs'd under the Names of these two Authors? If fome Books have been difputed, the reft certainly are genuine beyond all difpute, because they have never been called into queftion or doubt.

Now if these Books only were of Divine Revelation, concerning which there has never been any Difpute, they contain all things neceffary to be believed and practifed; and as to the reft, concerning which there has been any Controverfie, tho' they be exceeding useful to explain divers things, which we find in these, and perhaps to teach us fome things (not effential to our Religion, nor neceffary to Salvation) which are not to be found elsewhere: yet they are not abfolutely neceffary to be received, because whatever Doctrines are abfolutely neceffary, they are to be found fully and plainly delivered in thofe Books of Scripture, which have ever been received without contradiction or difpute. Many Men were undoubtedly faved, before the writing of these controverted Books, nay, before the writing of any Books at all; Writings being no farther neceffary, than as they are necessary to convey the knowledge of what is written, when the things now written could be as well known without writing, Books were not necessary: and tho' for after Ages it became neceflary, that the Prophets, and Apostles, and Evangelifts, fhould confign their Doctrine to writing, yet no more of their Writings can be abfolutely neceffary to be known by us, than what may be fufficient to inftruct us in the

ways

ways of Salvation. It is the infinite Goodness and Mercy of God to afford us more than is abfolutely neceffary for our spiritual and eternal Life, as he has done for our natural, and it is a great fin in any Man to reject any means of Salvation or Inftruction, which God has been pleased to allow but ftill that Man would fuftain his natural Life and Health, who should think all, that is not necessary to the fupport of it, common or unclean, and not fit to be ufed for Food. And if a Man, without any of his own fault or neglect, fhould come to the knowledge only of the uncontroverted Books, he would find them abundantly fufficient to answer all the ends of Revelation, and to procure his Salvation. It cannot be denied, but that one infallible Authority is as great a Security, as never fo many could be: but the fame Doctrines are taught in feveral places of Scripture, and we ought to be thankful to God for it, that he has been pleased to furnish us with fo much more than is abfolutely neceffary, and to repeat the same things in fundry places, and in divers manners, for our farther inftruction and confirmation in the Faith: tho' it would be abfurd and wicked to fay, that he who believes all the Points of necessary Faith, upon the Authority of any one Book of Scripture, has no fufficient means of Salvation, unless he likewife believe them upon the Authority of all the rest.

Not that I fuppofe any wife and good Man can now find any caufe to doubt of any Book in the Old or New Testament, whether it be genuine or no; but to fuppofe the most and the worst that can be suppofed, if those Books, which at any time have been called in question, were not only dubious, but certainly fpurious, the remaining Books, which were never doubted of, are fufficient for all the neceflary ends and purposes of a Revelation: and therefore this ought to be no Objection against the Authority of the