CHAP. XVIII.

Where we shall examin fome Objections raised against the Truth of the Jewish Religion.

T'

IS not our prefent defign here to answer all Objections, that may be raifed against the Truth of the Jewish Revelation; becaufe fince the Objections that may poffibly be raised,are not to be numbred; fo it is impoffible we fhould prevent them all: We will therefore content our felves to obferve only the Sources of the moft principal Difficulties, which the Incredulous ftart upon this Subject, and fo clearly to difcover the Principle of Error, as that we hope we fhall be capable to avoid the Errour it felf.

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In order thereunto, we must grant in the first place, that it is a down-right Extravagance for any Man, to refolve to reject a Principle, because it is fubject to fome Difficulties. The meaneft Object in Nature, as well as the greatest things, that offer themfelves to our Eyes, are not without fome Difficulties. In a word, every thing is furrounded with impenetrable Obftacles, and how then can we fuppofe that Religion fhould be without them?

The main bufinefs therefore is to compare the Ob fcurities, which cause thofe Difficulties, with the Evidences which clear them, and to decide the matter by that Comparifon. We mult, above all, examin their Principles, and confider whether they fpring not from our Paffions, or our falfe Prejudices. This, in my Opinion, is the beft method we can take to anfwer the Objections of the Incredulous. Let us therefore endeavour to put this method in practice, and let us try whether we fhall fucceed in it.

I. The firft ftumbling Block of the Incredulous, is, the Love of Philofophy, they would have the Holy Ghoft to speak in the ftile of Philofophers, they upbraid the Author of the Book of Joshua, for not being fo well skill'd in Aftronomy, as Copernicus, and they can't endure, that Mofes fhould pretend to write a Hiftory of the Creation of the World, which has fo little agreement with the Speculations of that Science: 'Tis a furprizing thing to me, that fo vain an objection fhould be fo often repeated; is it poffible that thofe Perfons should defire, that God fhould forget the Language of the People, when fpeaking to the People, and that we fhould be obliged to fear God, which is the whole fcope and defign of the Holy Scriptures, no further than we are perfwaded of the truth of the Hypothefes of Copernicus? Thus the Books of Scripture would have been intelligible only to fome Philofophers of thefe latter times, and in order to read and understand them 'twould have been neceffary, Men fhould have tarried till Copernicus came into the World, or that the Holy Ghoft had given them a new Syftem of Aftronomy; but that was not fufficient neither, and to please these new Philofophers, God muft have revealed in thofe Wri tings, how Colours, Light, Sound and all other fenfible qualities exift in our Souls, that brutes have the appearance only of being e and the like, &c. expreffions, that w Scripture in this rel changed his ftile, and as well as Religion beco But this was never who does not reveal o humour the frer the man tion of Men

the Huly

must have Philofophers,

ed with fenfitive knowledge, amended many vulgar-like en meet with In a word. the People er fpeculation lign of the ter the w lity of th

his neg
her he p

Ghoft,

ich is

of himself, or whether he speaks to us of our felves; or lastly, whether he informs us of the nature of his Other Creatures, he fhews us things on that fide only, which concerns our falvation, neither does he reveal himself but in fuch a manner, as is neceffary, to our Sanctification.

When he imparts to us any knowledge concerning himself, he fhews himself as clothed with all his benefits, thereby the better to excite our gratitude to him;

in the beginning he made himself known un- Gen.14.22.

der the name of the most high God, poffeffor of

Heaven and Earth. Then took he fuch a name as was an evident token of his taking the Patriarchs into his protection, faying, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Ijaac and the God of Jacob. After he had delivered the Children of Ifrael out of Egypt, he wrapt himself abour, if I may fo fpeak, with this new benefit, hearken, O Ifrael, fays he, I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, &c. And fome ages after we are told by a Prophet, that the Days will come in which it shall no longer be faid, it is the Amos. Lord that brought his People out of the Land of Æypt: But, it is the Lord that brought again his People out of the Captivity of Babylon. The different ways, there he makes himself known, do multiply as his benefits increafe; whence it appears that God doth not reveal himklf on purpose to gratifie our curiofity, but only to produce a due thankfulness within our Hearts for all his

benefits.

bis c

In like manner, when the Holy Ghoft fpeaks to us of Man, b. endeavours to difcover to us the bottom of nature; he reprefents to us his mind delicious, he fhews us his malice together principle and effects of it, to move us ourfe to his mercy, and this ftill has

Salvation.

Lastly,

Laftly, When he speaks to us concerning the Creatures that compose the Universe, he fhews us, that they are the Workmanship of God, that they are the hand of God, and always fubjected to the Decrees of his wife Providence. But why fo? 'Tis because that confideration is very ufeful to induce us to pay all our Confidence, our Gratitude and our Admiration to God.

I confefs, that fome Philofophical Divines turning Religion into meer Speculation, have attempted to explain the Nature of God, by examining, whether there were in him any Accidents properly fo called, and by endeavouring to difcover the manner of his Exiftence, the manner of his knowledge, the manner of his Decrees, alfo the manner after which he executes his Decrees. But all that is but vain Philofophy, whose fcope and defign being meerly to pleasure Mens Curiofity, produces at most nothing but Pride, or Vexation of Spirit.

In like manner, they have made feveral Inquiries into the Nature of Man, that is, in all the Niceties regarding his Effence, which those presumptuous and curious Philofophers would fain throughly underftand, but not in any thing that concerns our Sanctification, or that God himself would have us know; and from thence fprung all thofe Monsters of the School-men, which render Man unconceivable to Man himself.

According to this Principle, therefore it is altogether unreasonable for any one to pretend, that Mofes wag obliged to follow the Principles of the Philofophers, in his History of the Creation of the World. That would be true, fuppofing he had defigned to make of Religion a Syftem of Philofophy. But since his Revelation ought to be fuitable to every Man's Capacity and Understanding; fo likewife, he follows the Notions of the Vulgar; and fince his defign is to fanctifie thofe

be

he fpeak to, and to induce them to fear God, there's no reafon to wonder that he should propofe things to them under that confideration, as is moft proper of produce that effect.

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But the Philofophers make it their business to fearch into the Natural and Efficient Caufe of every Being; they are defirous to know after what manner it was produced, 'tis true, that is neceffary to fatis fie their Curiofity But Mofes has only difcover'd the Final Caufe of all things; he has denoted the end which God propofed to himself, when he created them; viz. the Welfare and Good of Mankind: Now this moral caufe is the only Motive, that gives Life to Man's Gratitude, and confequently is the only Caufe that as grees with the Defigns of Religion.

Further, it may be faid, that every particular of this Defcription is wonderfully adapted to the Con dition and Neceffities of Men. For, Firft, 'twas neceffary to fhew the Dominion which God had over all his Creatures, and the Facility with which he produced them; which our Hiftorian advantagiously dif plays by that fublime Expreffion of his, Let there be light, and there was light; who ufes alfo the like words, when he speaks of the Creation of all Beings. Second, It was neceffary to take off the Minds of the Ifraelites from the Idolatry which other Nations were plunged in, who worshipped as a Deity almost every Being in Nature. On this account this Hiftorian fails not to give an exact Enumeration of all the Parts of the Universe, fhewing us, that thefe parts are only the Workmanship of God. Thirdly, It was neceffary to to give fome account of the Inftitution of the Sabbatts day, and confequently to specifie the various intervals of the Creation. Fourthly, It was neceffary to fhew how much more excellent Man is, than all the vifible Creation, &c. This the Author of Genefis has excel A a

lently