Richard Allestree · 3 of 14

Section II. The Divine Original, Endearments and Authority of the Holy Scripture. · Part 1

SECT. II.

The Divine Original, Endearments and Authority of the Holy Scripture.

MENS judgments are so apt to be bias’d by their affections, that we often find them readier to consider who speaks, than what is spoken: a temper very unsafe, and the principle of great injustice in our inferior transactions with men; yet here there are very few of us that can wholly divest our selves of it, whereas, when we deal with God ( in whom alone an implicit faith may securely be reposed ) we are nice and wary, bring our scales and measures, will take nothing upon his word which holds not weight in our own balance. ’Tis true, he needs not our partiality to be justified in his sayings, Psal. 51. 4. His words are pure, even as the silver tried seven times in the fire, Psalm. 12. 6. able to pass the strictest test that right reason (truly so called) can put them to. Yet it shews a great perverseness in our nature that we who so easily resign our understandings to fallible men, stand thus upon our guard against God make him dispute for every inch he gains on us; nor will afford him what we daily grant to any credible man, to receive an affirmation upon trust of his veracity.

2. I am far from contradicting our Saviours Precept, of Search the Scriptures Jo. 7. or Saint Pauls, of proving all things, 1 Thes. 5. 21. we cannot be too industrious in our inquest after truth, provided we still reserve to God the decisive vote, and humbly acquiesce in his sense, how distant soever from our own; so that when we consult Scripture (I may add reason either) ’tis not to resolve us whether God be to be believed or no in what he has said, but whether he hath said such and such things: for if we are convinc’d he has, reason as well as Religion commands our assent.

3. WHATEVER therefore God has said, we are to pay it a reverence merely upon the account of its Author, over and above what the excellence of the matter exacts: and to this we have all inducements as well as obligation: there being no motives to render the words of men estimable to us, which are not eminently and transcendently applicable to those of God.

4. THOSE motives we may reduce to four: first, the Authority of the Speaker; secondly, his Kindness; thirdly, his Wisdom, and fourthly, his Truth. First, for that of Authority: that may be either native, or acquired; the native is that of a parent, which is such a charm of observance, that we see Solomon, when he would impress his counsels, assumes the person of a Father; Hear O my children the instructions of a Father, Prov. 4. 1. And generally thro’ that whole Book he uses the compellation of my Son, as the greatest endearment to engage attention and reverence. Nay so indispensible was the obligation of children in this respect, that we see the contumacious child that would not hearken to the advice of his Parents; was by God himself adjudged to death, Deut. 21. 20.

5. NOR have only Gods, but mens Laws exacted that filial reverence to the dictates of Parents. But certainly no Parent can pretend such a title to it as God, who is not only the immediate Father of our persons, but the original Father of our very nature; not only of our flesh, but of our spirits also, Heb. 12. 9. So that the Apostles Antithesis in that place is as properly applied to counsels as corrections; and we may as rightly infer, that if we give reverence to the advices of our earthly Parents; much more ought we to subject our selves to this Father of our spirits. And we have the very same reason wherewith to enforce it: for the Fathers of our flesh do as often dictate, as correct according to their own pleasures, prescribe to their children not according to the exact measures of right and wrong, but after that humor which most predominates in themselves. But God alwaies directs his his admonitions to our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness, Heb. 12. 10. So that we are as unkind to our selves, as irreverent towards him, whenever we let any of his words fall to the ground; whose claim to this part of our reverence is much more irrefragable than that of our natural Parents.

6. BUT besides this native Authority there is also an acquired; and that we may distinguish into two sorts: the one of dominion, the other of reputation. To the first kind belongs that of Princes, Magistrates, Masters, or any that have coercive power over us. And our own interest teaches us not to slight the words of any of these, who can so much to our cost second them with deeds. Now God has all these titles of jurisdiction; He is the great King, Psal. 48. 2. Nor was it only a complement of the Psalmists; for himself owns the stile, I am a great King, Mal. 1. He is the judge of all the World, Gen. 18. yea, that Ancient of days, before whom the Books were open’d, Dan. 7. 13. He is our Lord and Master by right both of Creation and Redemtion; and this Christ owns even in his state of inanition; yea, when he was about the most servile employment, the washing his Disciples feet, when he was most literally in the form of a servant; yet he scruples not to assert his right to that opposite title; You call me Master, and Lord; and ye say well, for so 1 am; Jo. 13. 13. Nor are these empty names, but effectively attended with all the power they denote. Yet so stupid are we, that whilst we awfully receive the dictates of our earthly Superiors, we slight and neglect the Oracles of that God who is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. When a Prince speaks, we are apt to cry out with Herods Flatterers, the voice of a God, and not of a man, Acts 12. Yet when it is indeed the voice of God, we choose to listen to any thing else rather than it. But let us saddy remember, that notwithstanding our contempts, this word shall (as our Saviour tells us) judge us at the last day, Jo. 12. 48.

7. A second sort of acquir’d Authority is that of reputation. When a man is famed for some extraordinary excellencies, whether moral or intellectual, men come with appetite to his discourses, greedily suck them in, nor need such a one bespeak attention; his very name has done it for him, and prepossess’d him of his Auditors regard. Thus the Rabbies among the Jews, the Philosophers among the Greeks, were listened to as Oracles, and to cite them was (by their admiring Disciples) thought a concluding Argument. Nay, under Christianity, this admiration of mens persons has been so inordinate, that it has crumbled Religion away in little insignificant parties; whilst not only Paul, Apollo or Cephas, but names infinitely inferior, have become the distinctive characters of Sects and separate Communions. So easily alas are we charm’d by our prepossessions, and with itching ears run in quest of those doctrines which the fame of their Authors, rather than the evidence of truth, commends to us.

8. AND hath God done nothing to get him a repute among us? has he no excellencies to deserve our esteem? is he not worthy to prescribe to his own creatures? if we think yes, why is he the only person to be disregarded? or why do we so unseasonably depart from our own humour, as not to give his Word a reverence proportionable to that we pretend for him; nay, which we actually pay to men of like passions with our selves? A contempt so absurd as well as impious, that we have not the example of any the most barbarous people to countenance us. For tho’ some of them have made very wild mistakes in the choice of their Deities, yet they have all agreed in this common principle, that whatever those Deities said, was to be receiv’d with all possible veneration; yea, such a deference gave they to all significations of the divine will, that as they would undertake no great enterprize without consulting their Auguries; so upon any inauspicious signs they relinquish’d their attempts. And certainly if we had the same reverence for the true God which they had for the false, we should as frequently consult him. We may do it with much more ease and certainty: we need not trust to the entrails of Beasts, or motion of Birds we need not go to Delphos, or the Lybian Hammon for the resolving our doubts: but what Moses said to Israel is very applicable to us, the Word is nigh thee, Deut. 30. 14. That Word which David made his Counsellor, Psal. 119. 24, his Comforter, ver. 50. his Treasure, ver. 72. his Study, ver. 99. And had we those awful apprehensions of God which he had, we should pay the like reverence to his Word. Did we well ponder how many titles of Authority he has over us, we should surely be asham’d to deny that respect to him in whom they all conspire, which we dare not deny to them separately in humane Superiors.

9. A second motive to esteem mens words, is the kindness of the speaker. This has such a fascinating power, as nothing but extreme ill nature can resist. When a man is assur’d of the kindness of him that speaks, whatever is spoken is taken in good part. This is it that distinguishes the admonitions of a friend from the reproaches of an enemy; and we daily in common conversation receive those things with contentment and applause from an intimate and familiar, which spoken by a stranger or enemy would be despis’d or stomach’d. So insinuating a thing is kindness, that where it has once got it self believ’d, nothing it says after is disputed; it supples the mind, and makes it ductile and pliant to any impressions.

10. BUT what human kindness is there that can come in any competition with the Divine? it surpasses that of the nearest and dearest relations; Mothers may forget, yet will I not forget thee, Isa. 49. 15. And the Psalmist found it experimentally true, When my Father and my Mother forsake me, the Lord taketh me up, Ps. 27. 10. The tenderest bowels compared to his are adamant and flint: so that ’tis a most proper epithet the Wise man gives him, O Lord thou lover of souls, Wis. 11. 26. Nor is this affection merely mental: but it attests it self by innumerable effects. The effects of love are all reducible to two heads, doing and suffering; and by both there God has most eminently attested his love to us.

11. FOR the first, we cannot look either on our bodies or our souls, on the whole Universe about us, or that better World above us; but we shall in each see the Lord hath done great things for us, Psal. 126. Nay, not only our enjoyments, but even the capacity to enjoy, is his bounty. Had not he drawn mankind out of his original clay, what had we been conscern’d in all the other works of his Creation? So that if we put any value either upon what we have or what we are, we cannot but account our selves so much indebted to this his active love. And tho’ the passive was not practicable by the divine Nature simply and apart, yet that we might not want all imaginable evidences of his love, he who was God blessed for ever, linkt his impassible to, our passible nature; assum’d our humanity, that he might espouse our sorrows, and was born on purpose that he might die for us. So that sure we may say in his own words, greater love than this hath no man; Jo. 15. 13.

12. AND now ’tis very hard, if such an unparallel’d love in God, may not as much affect us, as the slight benefactions of every ordinary friend; if it cannot so much recommend him to our regard, as to rescue his word from contempt, and dispose us to receive impressions from it; (especially when his very speaking is a new act of his kindness, and design’d to our greatest advantage.)

13. BUT if all he has done and suffer’d for us cannot obtain him so much from us, we must surely confess, our disingenuity is as superlative as his love. For in this instance we have no plea for our selves. The discourses of men ’tis true may sometimes be so weak and irrational, that tho’ kindness may suggest pity, it cannot reverence; But this can never happen in God, whose wisdom is as infinite as his love. He talks not at our vain rate who often talk only for talkings sake; but his words are directed to the most important ends and address’d in such a manner as befits him in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Col. 2. And this is our third consideration, the wisdom of the Speaker.

14. HOW attractive a thing Wisdom is, we may observe in the instance of the Queen of Sheba, who came from the utmost parts of the earth, as Christ faies Mat. 12. 42. to hear the Wisdom of Solomon. And the like is noted of the Greek Sages, that they were address’d to from all parts, by persons of all ranks and qualities, to hear their Lectures. And indeed the rational nature of man does by a kind of sympathetick motion close with whatever hath the stamp of reason upon it. But alas, what is the profoundest wisdom of men, compar’d with that of God? He is the essential reason; and all that man can pretend to is but an emanation from him; a ray of his Sun, a drop of his Ocean: which as he gives, so he can also take away. He can infatuate the most subtil designers; And (as he saies of himself) makes the diviners mad: turns the wise men back, and makes their wisdom foolishness, Esay 44. 25.

15. HOW impious a folly is it then in us, to Idolize human Wisdom with all its imperfections, and despise the divine? yet this every man is guilty of, who is not attracted to the study of sacred Writ by the supereminent wisdom of it’s Author. For such men must either affirm that God has not such a supereminency, or that, tho’ he has in himself; he hath not exerted it in this writing; The former is down-right blasphemy; and truly the latter is the same, a little varied. For that any thing, but what is exactly wise can proceed from infinite wisdom, is too absurd for any man to imagine. And therefore he that charges Gods Word with defect of wisdom must interpretatively charge God so too. For tho’ ’tis true, a wise man may sometimes speak foolishly; yet that happens through that mixture of ignorance, or passion which is in the most knowing of mortals: but in God, who is a pure act, and essential wisdom, that is an impossible supposition.

16. NAY, indeed it were to tax him of folly beyond what is incident to any sensible man; who will still proportion his instruments to the work he designs. Should we not conclude him mad, that should attempt to fell a mighty Oak with a Pen-knife, or stop a Torrent with a whisp of Straw? And sure their conceptions are not much more reverend of God, who can suppose that a writing design’d by him for such important ends, as the making men wise unto salvation, 2 Tim. 3. 15. the casting down all that exalts it self against the obedience of Christ, 2 Cor. 10. 5. should it self be foolish and weak: or that he should give it those great attributes of being sharper than a two edged-sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, of the joints and marrow, Heb. 4. 14. if its discourses were so flat and insipid as some in this profane Age would represent them.

17. ’TIS true indeed, ’tis not, as the Apostle speaks the wisdom of this world, 1 Cor. 2. 6. The Scripture teaches us not the arts of undermining governments, defrauding and circumventing our Brethren; but it teaches us that which would tend much more even to our temporal felicity; and as reason prompts us to aspire to happiness, so it must acknowledge that is the higher wisdom which teaches us to attain it.

18. AND as the Holy Scripture is thus recommended to us by the wisdom of its Author; so in the last place is it by his truth, without which the other might rather raise our jealousy than our reverence. For wisdom without sincerity degenerates into serpentine guile; and we rather fear to be ensnar’d than hope to be advantag’d by it. The most subtil addresses, and most cogent arguments prevail not upon us, where we suspect some insidious design. But where wisdom and fidelity meet in the same person, we do not only attend, but confide in his counsels. And this qualification is most eminently in God. The children of men are deceitful upon the weights, Psal. 62. 9. Much guile often lurks indiscernably under the fairest appearances: but Gods veracity is as essentially himself, as his wisdom, and he can no more deceive us, than he can be deceiv’d himself. He is not man that he should lie, Numb. 23. 19. He designs not (as men often do) to sport himself with our credulity; and raise hopes which he never means to satisfy: he saies not to the seed of Jacob, seek ye me in vain, Exod. 45. 19. but all his promises are yea and Amen, 2 Cor. 1. 20. He is perfectly sincere in all the proposals he makes in his word: which is a most rational motive for us to advert to it, not only with reverence but love.

19. AND now when all these motives are thus combined; the authority, the kindness, the wisdom, the veracity of the speaker, what can be requir’d more to render his words of weight with us? If this four-fold cord will not draw us, we have sure the strength, not of men, but of that Legion we read of in the Gospel, Mat. 5. 1. For these are so much the cords of man, so adapted to our natures, nay to our constant usage in other things, that we must put off much of our humanity, disclaim the common measures of mankind, if we be not attracted by them. For I dare appeal to the breast of any sober, industrious man, whether in case a person, who he were sure had all the fore-mention’d qualifications, should recommend to him some rules as infallible for the certain doubling, or trebling his estate, he would not think them worth the pursuing; nay, whether he would not plod and study on them, till he comprehended the whole Art. And shall we then when God, in whom all those qualifications are united, and that in their utmost transcendencies, shall we, I say, think him below our regard, when he proposes the improving our interests, not by the scanty proportions of two or three; but in such as he intimated to, Abraham, when he shew’d him the Stars, as the representative of his numerous off-spring, Gen. 5. 15. when he teaches us that highest, and yet most certain Alchymy, of refining, and multiplying our enjoyments, and then perpetuating them?

20. ALL this God do’s in Scripture; and we must be stupidly improvident, if we will take no advantage by it. It was once the complaint of Christ to the Jews, I am come in my Fathers name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive, Jo. 5. 43. And what was said by him the eternal essential Word, is no less applicable to the written; which coming in the name, and upon the message of God, is despis ’d and slighted, and every the lightest composure of men preferr’d before it. As if that signature of Dignity it carries, served rather as a Brand to stigmatize and defame, than adorn and recommend it. A contempt which strikes immediatly at God himself, whose resentments of it, tho’ for the present supprest by his longsuffering, will at last break out upon all who persevere so to affront him, in a judgment worthy of God, Wisd. 12. 26.

21. BUT after all that has been said, I foresee some may say, that 1 have all this while but beaten the air, have built upon a principle which some flatly deny, others doubt of, and have run away with a supposition that the Bible is of divine Original, without any attempt of proof. To such as these I might justly enough object the extreme hard measure they offer to Divinity above all other Sciences. For in those, they still allow some fundamental maxims, which are presupposed without proof; but in this they admit of no Postulata, granted principle on which to superstruct. If the same rigor should be extended to secular cases, what a damp would it strike upon commerce? For example, a man expects fair dealing from his Neighbour, upon the strength of those common notions of Justice he presumes writ in all mens hearts: but according to this measure, he must first prove to every man he deals with, that such notions there are, and that they are obligatory: that the wares expos’d to sale are his own; that dominion is not founded on grace, or that he is in that state, and so has a property to confer upon another that the person dealt with paies a just price; do’s it in good money; and that it is his own, or that he is in the state of grace, or needs not be so, to justify his purchase: and at this rate the Market will be as full of nice questions as the Schools. But because complaints and retortions are the common refuge of causes that want better Arguments, I shall not insist here; but proceed to a defence of the question’d Assertion, that the Bible is the Word of God.

22. IN which I shall proceed by these degrees. First, I shall lay down the plain grounds upon which Christians believe it. Secondly, I shall compare those with those of less credibility which have generally satisfied mankind in other things of the like nature. And thirdly, I shall consider whether those who are dissatisfied with those grounds, would not be equally so with any other way of attestation.

23. BEFORE I enter upon the first of these, I desire it may be consider’d, that matters of fact are not capable of fuch rigorous demonstrative evidences, as mathematical propositions are. To render a thing fit for rational belief, there is no more requir’d, but that the motives for it do over poise those against it; and in that degree they do so, so is the belief stronger or weaker.

24. NOW the motives of our belief in the present case, are such as are extrinsick, or intrinsick to the Scriptures; of which the extrinsick are first, and preparative to the other; and indeed all that, can reasonably be insisted on to a gain-saier, who must be suppos’d no competent judge of the latter. But as to the former, I shall adventure to say, that the Divine Original of the Scripture hath as great grounds of credibility as can be expected in any thing of this kind. For that God inspir’d the Pen-men of Holy Writ, is matter of fact, and being so, is capable of no other external evidence but that of testimony: and that matter of fact being also in point of time so remote from us, can be judg’d of only by a series of Testimonies deriv’d from that Age wherein the Scriptures were written, to this: and the more credible the testifiers, and the more universal the Testimony, so much the more convincing are they to all considering men.

25. AND this attestation the Scripture hath in the highest circumstances, it having been witnes’d to in all Ages, and in those Ages by all persons that could be presum’d to know any thing of it. Thus the Old Testament was own’d by the whole Nation of the Jews, as the writings of men inspir’d by God, and that with such evidence of their mission, as abundantly satisfied those of that Age, of their being so inspir’d; and they deriv’d those Writings with that attestation to their posterity. Now that those of the first Ages were not deceiv’d, is as morally certain as any thing can be suppos’d. For in the first part of the Bible is contain’d the history of those miracles wherewith God rescued that people out of Egypt, and instated them in Canaan, Now if they who liv’d at that time, knew that such miracles were never done, ’tis impossible they could receive an evident Fable as an inspir’d truth. No single person, much less a whole Nation can be suppos’d so stupid. But if indeed they were eye-witnesses of those miracles, they might with very good reason conclude, that the same Moses who was by God impower’d to work them, was so also for the relating them; as also all those precedent events from the Creation down to that time, which are recorded by him.

26. SO also for the preceptive parts of those Books, those that saw those formidable solemnities, with which they were first publish’d, had sure little temptation to doubt that they were the dictates of God, when written. Now if they could not be deceiv’d themselves, ’tis yet less imaginable that they should conspire to impose a cheat upon their posterities; nor indeed were the Jews of so easy a credulity, that ’tis at all probable the succeeding Generations would have been so impos’d on: their humour was stubborn enough, and the precepts of their Law severe and burdensome enough to have tempted them to have cast off the yoak, had it not been bound upon them by irresistible convictions of its coming from God. But besides this Tradition of their Elders, they had the advantage of living under a Theocracy, the immediate guidance of God; Prophets daily were rais’d up among them, to fore-tell events, to admonish them of their duty, and reprove their back-slidings yet even these gave the deference to the written Word; nay, made it the test by which to try true inspirations from false: To the Law and to the Testimony; if they speak not according to it, there is no light in them, Esay 18. 20. So that the veneration which they had before acquir’d, was still anew excited by fresh inspirations, which both attested the old, and became new parts of their Canon.

27. NOR could it be esteem’d a small confirmation to the Scriptures, to find in succeeding Ages the signal accomplishments of those prophecies which were long before registred in those Books; for nothing less than divine Power and Wisdom could foretell, and also verify them. Upon these grounds the Jews universally thro’ all successions receiv’d the Books of the Old Testament as divine Oracles, and look’d upon them as the greatest trust that could be committed to them: and accordingly were so scrupulously vigilant in conserving them, that their Masorits numbred not only the sections, but the very Words, nay Letters, that no fraud or inadvertency might corrupt or defalk the least iota of what they esteem’d so sacred. A farther testimony and sepiment to which, were the Samaritan, Chaldee, and Greek Versions: which being made use of in the Synagogues of Jews, in their dispersions, and by the Samaritans at Sichem, could not at those distances receive an uniform alteration, and any other would be of no effect. Add to this, that the Original exemplar of the Law, was laid up in the Sanctuary, that the Prince was to have a Copy of it alwaies by him, and transcribe it with his own hand; that every Jew was to make it his constant discourse and meditation, teach it his Children, and wear part of it upon his hands and forehead. And now sure ’tis impossible to imagine any matter of fact to be more carefully deduced, or irrefragably testified, nor any thing believ’d upon stronger evidence.

28. THAT all this is true in reference to the Jews, that they did thus own these Writings as divine, appears not only by the Records of past Ages, but by the Jews of the present, who still own them, and cannot be suspected of combination with the Christians. And if these were reasonable grounds of conviction to the Jews, (as he must be most absurdly sceptical that shall deny) they must be so to Christians also, who derive them from them: and that with this farther advantage to our Faith, that we see the clear completion of those Evangelical prophecies which remain’d dark to them, and consequently have a farther Argument to confirm us, that the Scriptures of the Old Testament are certainly divine.

29. THE New has also the like means of probation: which as it is a collection of the doctrine taught by Christ and his Apostles, must if truly related be acknowledged no less divine than what they orally deliver’d. So that they who doubt its being divine, must either deny what Christ and his Apostles preach’d to be so; else distrust the fidelity of the relation The former strikes at the whole Christian faith; which if only of men, must not only be fallible but is actually a deceit, whilst it pretends to be of God, and is not. To such Objectors we have to oppose those stupendous miracles with which the Gospel was attested such as demonstrated a more than human efficacy. And that God should lend his omnipotence to abet the false pretensions of men, is a conceit too unworthy even for the worst of men to entertain.