A vindication of the divine authority and inspiration of the writings of the Old and New Testament in answer to a treatise lately translated out of French, entituled, Five letters concerning the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures / by William Lowth ...

THE PREFACE.

THE Age we live in deservedly bears the Character of a Curi∣ous and Inquisitive Age, which does not love to take things upon Trust, or blindly follow the Determinations of others. And I must profess for my own part, that I reckon a free use of Reasoning and Judging, as Valuable a Blessing as the Injoyment of our Ci∣vil Liberties, and look upon no sort of Tyranny so grievous as that of for∣cing Persons of Ingenuous and Inqui∣sitive Tempers, exactly to square their Sentiments of things to other mens Opinions. But as the Best things are liable to be abus'd, so this Freedom of Enquiry has been made use of to Ill Purposes, and has Accidentally pro∣duced

very bad Effects. For men have been so Fond of this Liberty, as to think no Bounds or Limits ought to be set to it, and at last to believe the Submitting to the Authority of God himself to be an undue Restraint up∣on the Ʋse of Humane Reason: and the very pretending to such an Au∣thority to be one of the Arts of De∣signing Priests, who by this Device endeavour to Enslave the rest of the World, and make them Think and Act just as they would have them. Thus many men have Reason'd them∣selves first into Socinianism, and then, which is but one Remove from the for∣mer, into Deism, or at least into a Cold∣ness and Indifferency to all Reveal'd Religion. They think 'tis to Impose upon them to Oblige them to Believe or Pra∣ctise any thing, unless they can see a Rea∣son why it should be so: and cannot be perswaded that they owe God so much service, as to submit to those Laws which seem to them to have no other ground but his Arbitrary Will and Pleasure. Ʋpon this account they reject the Use of the Sacraments, the Order of Mi∣nisters and Church-Governours who

have the Power of Dispensing them: the Necessity of being Incorporated into the Church, as a Society Founded upon a Divine Charter, and to whose Members alone belong the Priviledges of the New Covenant: the Meritorious Efficacy of Christ's Sacrifice and In∣tercession towards the Procuring men's Salvation: these Doctrines, I say, they will by no means admit to be True, be∣cause as they pretend, they cannot see what Natural Force there is in these things toward their producing their in∣tended Effects. And when they have de∣prived Christ of his Titles of Saviour and High-Priest, tho perhaps they may still be contented to acknowledge him a Prophet and a Teacher come from God, yet they look upon his Coming in∣to the World as a matter of no Great Consequence, and which men do well to believe, if they see good Reason for it: or if after having used Reaso∣nable Diligence they are not con∣vinc'd that 'tis True, there's no great Harm done; since he came only to Reinforce the Principles and Duties of Natural Religion, which men's Reason will sufficiently instruct them

in: and if they do but live up to its Directions, and lead good Moral Lives they may be saved, whatever their Opinions are as to what they call the Speculative Points of Religion. These Opinions every body is sensible are very much in Vogue, especially a∣mong those who value themselves for being Free Thinkers and Reasoners. 'Tis evident likewise that men of these Principles are apt to look upon the Bible as a Book of no great Value, and which the World might very well be without: and are ready to declare that the Disputes it has occasion'd have done more harm than the Book has done good: and so from Ʋndervalu∣ing its Worth they come to question its Authority.

From what has been said it ap∣pears very probable, that the Prevail∣ing of these Loose Notions concerning a Church-state and Revealed Re∣ligion, at first gave Rise, or at least hath since given Continuance to those Controversies, that have been so much Debated of late concerning the Integri∣ty and Authority of the Scriptures. And the Atheistical Party have been

Industrious to keep alive this Dispute, as well knowing that 'tis doing no small piece of Service to their Cause, to weaken the Authority of the Holy Writings. Mr. Hobbs and the Au∣thor of Theologo-Politicus are the Chief of that Party who have engag'd in this Controversie: tho indeed they ought to pass but for one Writer, since the latter has taken the Substance of what he says from the former, and seems to have little of his own In∣vention; unless it be the Quoting of a Text now and then in Hebrew, which he does, I suppose, to raise in his Ʋn∣learned Readers an Admiration of his Profound Reading and Schollar∣ship. And this Design of his has in some measure taken Effect, for his A∣theistical Admirers are generally Ig∣norant enough to take him for a Wri∣ter of Sense and Learning.

But to pass by these Profess'd Advo∣cates of Atheism and Irreligion: the most considerable Writers that have been concern'd in the Controversie about the Integrity and Authority of the Holy Writings are Mr. Simon and his Ad∣versaries. Whose Learning as I do

not intend to disparage, so neither will I take upon me to judge of their Secret Intention in the Management of this Dispute. I acknowledge them to be men of Learning, and as to their Design I am willing to think as Cha∣ritably as I can. But yet I cannot forbear saying, that tho they differ very much in their Notions as to other Matters, yet they seem to agree in speaking slightly and irreverently of the Holy Writers: they readily lay hold of any Difficulties which tend to weaken their Credit, and do not take half so much pains to Improve any of the Arguments that may be produc'd for them, as they do to Ʋrge Obje∣ctions against them. But however, I must say thus much in behalf of Mr. Simon, that many, to shew their good Will to the Bible, make him say much Worse things than he really does, and such as they would fain have him say, and would be glad if they could Vouch his Authority for. They are Industrious to make the world believe, that if we will take his Judgment, there have been so many Corruptions and Alterations made in the Text of

the Bible, that 'tis impossible to tell which is the True and which is the False Reading. Mr. Dryden parti∣cularly in his Religio Laici, makes this Comment upon Mr. Simon's Cri∣tick, and tells us, as delivering that Author's sense, that the Jews have

Let in Gross Errors to corrupt the Text, Omitted Paragrahs, — and With vain Traditions stop'd the Gaping Fence.

Now one would think by this Account of his Work, that Mr. Simon had expresly asserted that the Jews had Wilfully and Designedly Corrupted the Original, by Adding to and Taking away from it as they thought fit. But in my Opinion 'tis taking a greater Liberty than Poetry it self will al∣low, to make a man speak quite con∣trary to his Sense and Meaning. For Mr. Simon makes it his Business to prove in several places of his Booka, that the Jews have not corrupted the Hebrew Text, and answers the Ar∣guments that are usually brought for that Opinion. All that he affirms as to this matter is, that the Bible has

been obnoxious to the same Corrupti∣ons that other Books are, through the Ignorance or Negligence of Transcri∣bers; and that such kind of Faults crept into the Text in those Ages chiefly that did not mind the Niceties of Criticism: and therefore the pro∣per way to Reform those Errors is by Correcting the Suspected Places ac∣cording to the Rules of that Art, and by diligent Comparing of Copies, as Criticks correct other Books, and the Massorets have already the Hebrew Text. And as for the Additions which are supposed by many to have been made to the Original Text, he suppo∣ses them inserted by Prophets, where∣of there was a constant Succession, whose Business 'twas to take Care of the Publick Records. How true this Hypothesis is, 'tis not my Business to examine, 'tis sufficient to my present Purpose, that Mr. Simon does not re∣present these Additions as so many Corruptions of the Text. So that in this Case Mr. D. has Misrepresented Mr. Simon's Text, aswell as that of the Bible: and put such a Gloss upon it, as it does not appear that he ever

intended, as far as can be gathered from his Words. But I shall pursue this Matter no further, because Mr. D. may think it hard measure to urge any thing said in his Religio Laici against him at this time of day, when he has alter'd his Mind in so many Particulars since the Writing of that Poem, and has made Amends for his Former Incredulity by turning Advo∣cate for Implicite Faith.

One of Mr. Simon's Antagonists, whom he and the rest of the World take to be Mr. Le Clerc, publish'd those Letters which I have underta∣ken to answer: the Two First of them in his Sentimens de Theologiens de Hollande sur l' Histoire Critique, &c. the Rest in the Defence of the Sentiments. Who is the Author of these Letters, whether Mr. Le Clerc himself, or as he pretends, a Friend of his whom he calls Mr. N. signifies little to the Controversie it self, and therefore I do not think it worth while to enquire. And as to the Author's De∣sign in writing these Tracts, whether they were writ by way of Enquiry on∣ly, or out of a Design to undermine

the Authority of the Scriptures, I shall not take upon me to Determine, but shall leave that to the Searcher of Hearts. Charity that believes all things, prompts me to believe the Au∣thor's solemn Protestation which he makesb, that he disowns the ill Con∣sequences which some have drawn from his Principles: and his Arguments for the Christian Religion which are con∣tain'd in the Last Letter, incourage me to persist in that Christian Per∣swasion. However when I found the Author earnestly desirousc that some body would fairly answer him, and indeavour to give further Light to this Matter: and withall was sen∣sible that he has laid down several Assertions, which tend to lessen the Authority and Credit of the Sacred Writers, and that Ill men have made use of them to this purpose, as 'tis their constant Method to run away with any thing that seems to favour their side, but to overlook what makes against them: all these Considerations perswaded me to Ʋndertake a particu∣lar Examination of all those Passages in these Letters, that reflect upon the

Holy Pen-men or their Writings.

I know Mr. Simon has made a brief Answer to all the Material Objecti∣ons of this Author: the Substance of which is inserted in the Fourth Let∣ter together with Mr. N's Reply. But I must freely profess, I am not at all satisfied with Mr. Simon's Per∣formance, and his Answers seem to have been drawn up in Hast, with∣out a thorow Examination of the Force of the Objections. Perhaps Mr. Si∣mon is not so well vers'd in the Sub∣tilties of Reasoning, as he is in the Nicities of Criticism. And indeed Both his Answers to Mr. Le Clerc discover as much: where he spends most of his time in Railing against the Protestants, which might much better have been imployed in Vindica∣cating his own Principles from his Ad∣versaries Objections, or Defending those Common Truths in which the Genera∣lity both of Protestants and Papists agree, tho neither he nor his Adversa∣ries seem to have any great regard for them. But this is the usual Fault of such Zealots, as Mr. Simon hath of late discover'd himself to be, that they are

more concern'd for the particular Opi∣nions of their own Party, than for the Fundamental Articles of our Com∣mon Christianity: and therefore they very often advance such Arguments in Defence of their own particular Do∣ctrines, which if they are pursued fur∣ther, undermine the Foundation of Christianity it self, or it may be of Religion in General. Of which Mr. Simon himself is an Instance, who has taken a great deal of Pains to weaken the Authority of the Scripture Text, on purpose to set up the Cer∣tainty of Tradition in its place. But I believe another Reason may be as∣sign'd of Mr. Simon's Fierceness a∣gainst the Protestants; and that is, because he lives in a Country where Heresy now-adays is reckon'd a great∣er Crime than Infidelity, and 'tis less dangerous to be thought no Christian than no Catholick. And consequently it more nearly concern'd Mr. Simon, to clear himself from the Suspicion of Heresy, than to prove himself a good Christian: tho perhaps in the Judg∣ment of the World, he stands in need of an Apology in that respect, as much

as in the other. And perhaps he could not take a better Method, to atone for his Disrespect towards the Scriptures, and to regain the Favour of his Supe∣riours whose Displeasure he has felt upon that Account, than by crying up in Opposition to them, the Infallibility of Tradition and the Authority of the Church, and Inveighing against the Protestants with a great deal of Bit∣terness and Virulency.

And since Mr. Simon's Answer gives so little satisfaction to the Diffi∣culties which this Author has started concerning the Inspiration of the Scri∣ptures, I thought it might be an use∣ful thing to examine the Substance of these Letters over again, and Vindi∣cate the holy Writings from this Au∣thor's Objections. I must leave it to the Reader to judge of the Perfor∣mance. All I shall say for my self is, That I have manag'd the Dispute with all the Calmness, and Freedom from Passion, which becomes an Im∣partial Searcher after Truth: and in that respect I hope I have fully satis∣fied the Desire of my Antagonistd.

I have kept my self close to his main

Design: which is not to question the Veracity of the Holy Writers, or the Truth of the Doctrine or Matters of Fact which they deliver, but only to propose some Doubts and Questions, How far they were Inspir'd either with the Matter or Words which they writ. So that in this Discourse men must not expect I should handle all the Arguments for the Truth of the Scri∣ptures and the Christian Religion, which are proper to be alledg'd a-against Atheists and Infidels. This as 'tis forreign to the present Design, so it has been done so Often and so Fully by several Learned men, and amongst others by this very Author in his Fifth Letter, that nothing more need or can be said upon this Subject. And if men will still shut their eyes a∣gainst all Conviction, we must e'en despair of doing any good upon them, and can only say to them in the words of the Apostle, He that is ig∣norant, let him be ignorant: and If our Gospel be hid, 'tis hid to them that are lost, whose minds the God of this world hath blin∣ded. However to do what Service

I am able to the Cause of Religion, and to make this Discourse as use∣ful as I can, I have ventur'd to go a little beyond the Bounds which my Adversary hath set me, and have in∣deavour'd briefly to explain the Na∣ture and Design of the Prophetical Writings: where I have discours'd upon some things not commonly trea∣ted of, the Explaining of which I hope may tend to Illustrate that noble part of the Scripture, and remove some Prejudices against the Authority of the Prophets, which have been greedily en∣tertain'd by such persons as are apt to be unreasonably Suspicious and Jealous of being Impos'd upon, and because there have been False Prophets, think 'tis impossible there should be True ones.

If I have been guilty of any Mis∣takes, I hope the Reader will the more easily pardon them, when he con∣siders the Niceness of the Subject, and that it has never yet been purposely treated of by any Writer that I know, as our Author himself observese: so that, as he truly adds, A man must fetch all out of his own Stock that intends to Answer him. How∣ever

if this Discourse do not prove sa∣tisfactory, I hope 'twill be the occasion of Engaging some Abler Pen in this Cause, and if that be the only Good it does, it will not be altogether Ʋnser∣viceable.

In the last place, I must desire of those who think I have not carried the Inspiration of the Scriptures so high as I ought, not to be Angry with me, or uncharitably Censure me, as if I design'd to Betray the Cause which I pretend to maintain: but if they are not satisfied with my Performance, to Ʋndertake the Argument them∣selves, and do Justice to so Good a Causa. I assure them I shall hear∣tily wish them Success in their Ʋn∣dertaking, and shall be glad if my Arguments appear weak because theirs are stronger; for I can do nothing against the Truth, but for the Truth.

Notes

• a

  Criti∣que up∣on the O. T. l. 1. ch. 17, 18, 19 l. 2. c. 4.
• b

  Eng. Ed. p. 38. French p. 229.
• c

  Fr. p. 245. Eng. p. 51.
• d

  Fr. p. 245. Eng. p. 51.
• e

  Ubi sup.