Mr. Blount's oracles of reason examined and answered in nine sections in which his many heterodox opinions are refuted, the Holy Scriptures and revealed religion are asserted against deism & atheism / by Josiah King ...

Pag. 16.

It hath been a Point very much di∣sputed among several Foliticians in the Common∣wealth of Learning, Who was the real, and true, Author of the Pentateuch. P. 17. It is evident,

that the five Books of Moses were written by ano∣ther Hand after his Decease.

ANSWER.

Gregory the Great, in his Preface on Job, discoursing about the Author of that Book, hath these Words, Sen quis haec scripserit, valde supervacue quaeritur; cum tamen auctor libri, spi∣ritus sanctus fideliter credatur. Ipsi igitur haec scripsit, qui haec scribendo dictavit; ipse scripsit, qui & illis operis inspirator extitit. It is to no purpose to enquire after the Author of this Book; it is sufficient to believe, that the Holy Ghost is the Author. He therefore writ the Book, who dedicated the things that are writ∣ten in it; he writ it, by whose Inspiration it was written.

Hieronymus a sancta fide, p. 54. truly says, Constat Theodoretum & complures alios patres, do∣ctissimasque aetatis nostrae Theologes in ea esse senten∣tia, ut de autoribus multorum veteris instrumenti li∣brorum nihil certi affirmari potest, ut pluribus ver∣bis ostendit sixtus senensis, & alis qui hoc argumen∣tum tractarunt. It is manifest, that Theodoret and many other Fathers, and the most learned Divines of our Times are of Opinion, that no∣thing can certainly be determined, who were the Writers of many of the Books of the Old Testament; and this is proved at large by Six∣tus Senensis, and others who have examined and treated of this Argument.

Dr. Hammond, discoursing concerning the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, whether it be St. Paul or St. Luke, makes this Conclusi∣on,

All which can be said in this Matter can amount no higher than too probable or con∣jectural; it is no Matter of any Weight or Necessity, that it be defined, who the Author was, whether St. Paul or St. Luke, a constant Companion of St. Paul's for many Years, and the Author of two other Books of the Sacred Cannon.

I know not any thing justly to be censured in the Opinions of those Divines; those are to be blamed that misunderstand and misapply what they have truly written. This I am sure of, that nothing can be drawn from them, which may be any way serviceable for Mr. Blount's design; who with a strange Boldness dares to affirm, that Moses was not the Author of the Pentateuch.

There is no Book in the World, whose Au∣thor can be more plainly demonstrated, than that of the Pentateuch; it can be made appear out of the Holy Scriptures; for which, if Mr. Blount had any Reverence, he could never have fallen into so great an Error. It can be made appear from the Consent of all Nations, and all Authors (except some Modern ones) who make any mention of the Pentateuch; whether Jews, or Christians, or Gentiles, they all ad∣mit it as a certain Truth, that Moses was the Author thereof.

Our Saviour, in the fifth Chapter of St. John, Ver. 46, and 47, says,

Had ye believed Mo∣ses, ye would have believed me, for he wrote of me — But if ye believe not his Writings how shall ye believe my Words.

Therefore Moses writ, and he writ those Books, which the Jews read as writ by him; and no Man can deny, but those Books are the Pentateuch. 'Tis certain that Christ always di∣stinguished the Prophets from the Law of Mo∣ses, and by the Law understood the Pentateuch. Philip said to Nathaniel, John 1. We have found him, of whom Moses writ in the Law, of whom the Prophets have spoken, Luke 24. Ver. 27. And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, he expounded to them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning himself. And in the 15th of the Acts, Ver. 21. For Moses of old time hath in e∣very City them that preach him, being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day.

Out of which it appears without all perad∣venture, that Moses writ the Law,; by which Word, Philo Judaeus and Josephus say, the whole Pentateuch is meant. And that the Modern Jews understand the Word Law, in the same manner, we have the Authority of Leo Modena, a Rabbi of Venice, in his History of the pre∣sent Iews throughout the World, in which Book, p. 247. he hath these Words:

We shall here in the last place, glve the Reader a View of the Thirteen Articles of their Belief, as it is delivered by Rabbi, Moses Egyptus, in his Exposition upon the Miscna in Sanedim, cap. Helech; which Articles are generally believed by all Jews without contra: diction.

The Seventh Article of their Faith is, That Moses was the greatest Prophet that ever hath been; and that he was endued with a different and higher Degree of Prophecy, than any other.

The Eighth is, That the Law which was given by Moses was wholly dictated by God; and that Moses put not one Syllable in of him∣self.

What this Law is, appears out of the first Page of that History, among the Rites which are observed by all the Jews, and he says, are the Precepts of the Written Law: Namely, such as are contained in the Pentateuch, or five Books of Moses, which are in all, Six hundred and thirteen in Number; that is to say, Two hundred forty eight affirmative, and Three hundred sixty five negative. And these they call Mizuoth de Oraita; that is to say, Precepts of the Law.

From hence we may conclude without all manner of doubt, that by the Word Law, (in our Saviour's Speech, and in those other places of Scripture which I have cited) the whole Pentateuch is understood.

The Testimony which is brought from the Consent of all Nations, is so fully explicated and declared by Huetius, that none can doubt of the Truth thereof; and to whom I had ra∣ther refer my Reader, then here to transcribe him. Especially, considering I have so fully proved the same from the Holy Scriptures, and Indisputable Authority.

I shall only add two or three Observations hereunto belonging, and conclude this Point.

The First Observation is, that neither Julian nor Porphiry, nor any of the most inveterate Enemies of the Christian or Jewish Faith, did ever make it a Question, whether Moses was the Author of the Pentateuch. The first that ever started those Objections against it, and are now so much valued, was one Abenezra a Jew; who, although he did not dare to be so bold fac'd, as to deny openly so important a Truth: yet, by the Difficulties he proposed, and by the manner of his proposing them, (as Mr. Blount doth his Oracles) he plainly enough insinuates to an intelligent Reader, that his de∣sign was no other, than to overthrow the Au∣thority of the Pentateuch; out of his Store∣house it is, that Hobbs, Spinosa, and other such Politicians in Mr. Blount's Common∣wealth of Learning, have furnished themselves with Objections, such as they are, and which have been often answered.

My Second Observation is, That not only Philo Judaeus, Josephus, and all others, as well Ancient and Modern Jews, did understand by the Law, the whole Pentateuch; but also the Gentiles did understand it in the same manner: and consequently it cannot be imagined, that the Law mentioned by our Lord should be ta∣ken in a different Sense.

The Author I shall cite for Proof hereof, is Dionysius Longinus, in his Book, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Sect 7. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

So the Legislator of the Jews, no common Person, when he declares and makes known the Power of his God, according to his Maje∣sty, presently in the beginning of his Laws, he tells us, that God said, Let there be Light, and it was so.

Longinus in this place, calls the beginning of Genesis, the beginning of Moses's Laws. And if Genesis comes under that Denominati∣on, I think no question can be made of the o∣ther Books, nor of the true Sense of those places by me brought out of the New Testa∣ment.

My Last Observation is, That one of the great Proofs of revealed Religion depends on the Antiquity and Verity of the Mosaic Wri∣tings, if these Books were not written by Mo∣ses, a wide Gate would be opened for Liber∣tines

and Deists to redicule them, and to ex∣pose them for Fables. Preadamitism and the Eternity of the World, might be received as uncontroulable Doctrines; and Christian Re∣ligion deprived of the Support of those Writings, to which our Lord was pleased to make an Appeal.

So that is is no wonder that Mr. Blount should be so positive, and endeavour with such Confidence to subvert these Writings, by affir∣ming, That it is evident that Moses was not the Author of them. He well knowing, that his pretended Oracles of Reason will be ac∣counted Scandalous and False, as long as this part of Holy Scriptures, the Mosaic Writings, can be defended.