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der, that wonderful Correfpondence there is between the four Evangelifts, among themselves, where there is no Difference to be found, but what among Writers, which had not confederated together, fhould be; and obferve the fame in the Books of Kings and Chronicles. See how the fame great Defign is vifible throughout the Mofaical Writings, the Prophets, and the Gofpel. How exactly does the Lapfe of Mankind, by Adam, agree with the Reparation made by Jefus Chrift? How does the old Levitical Law plainly appear, to be but the Sciography, or rough Draught of the Gofpel, and the Characters and Lines of one exactly vifible in the other? For my Part, I think it impoffible for fo many, tho' judicious and wife Men, without Affiftance from God, to carry any one Defign with that Exactness that the Penmen of the Holy Scripture have: But I am fure it is the greatest of Ab furdities to affert, that fuch a noble and uniform Design should be carried on, through fo many Ages, by a Parcel of wild Enthufiafts. So that let the Writers of the Bible be what you please to style them, either inspired Men, or Impoftors, I fhall not difpute that now, they must needs be Men well in their Wits; and what is more, Men of good Senfe.

2. It is very evident from Scripture, That Prophecy Prophets proceeded from another Cause, viz. the Influence of had the InGod's holy Spirit. The innumerable Inftances in Scrip- the Holy Spiration of ture of the Prophets and Apoftles being in the Spirit, of Ghoft, the Spirit's coming upon them, of their fpeaking Things by Command, and of the Lord, of their being caught up into Heaven, &c, are undeniable Proofs of the Caufe of their Revelation, viz. the Holy Ghoft, or the Spirit of God. Indeed it is not eafy, to give a philofophical and notional Account of this fupernatural Influence, or by what Means it was conveyed, or by what Criterion, or Marks, they could diftinguish it from a Delusion; be, caufe we who are not honoured with these fupernatural Gifts, can have no Idea of thefe Things, as having never been the Objects of our Understandings: But it is not to be doubted, but thefe holy Men had as abfolute

Certainty

Certainty of the Truth of them, as we have of Things that do immediately ftrike our Senfes, and did as perfectly know them to be the Word of God, as that thofe Things are, which we fee to be, and that they could as little queftion their Infpiration, as we do our Senfes. For as the Senfes are only the ordinary Way of God's conveying Ideas to us, and thefe are fo clear to us, by their Familiarity and repeated Trials of their Faithfulness, that we cannot but rely upon them, and cannot but give affent to them; fo the Infpiration of God to the Prophets, by their clear Evidence continually, and by their wonted Experience of it, left no more Doubt in them of the Truth of it, than the Appearance of the Sun does leave in us; that it is Day, or that what we fee is really feen by us, and is not the Delufion of a Dream. To fay we ordinary Perfons can have no Notion of this extraordinary Influx of God, and therefore it cannot be, is only to expofe our own Ignorance; and a blind Man might with as much Modefty pretend to demonstrate against the Exiftence of Colours, or a Clown laugh at mathematical Theorems, as we pretend to difpute against the Certainty of this fupernatural Influence, which God Almighty has been pleafed to give us no Notices of. Might not God Almighty as well have given us ten Senfes as five? And if he has been pleafed to make an extraordinary Impreffion upon fome Men's Minds, which he does not on all, must we therefore affert this as impoffible; because we, who do not experience it, do not perceive it? Must all Men be Blind, because we are fo? Or must every Man be Mad and Enthusiastical that hath better Eyes than we? I am fure this is a very mad Way of Arguing; and yet there is no more Reafon for Men to question the Truth of the Revelation of the Prophets, than blind Men have to queftion our Sight. Nay, the miraculous Power which did ufually attend Prophecy, was more undeniable Evidence to the Beholders of their divine Influence, than the joint Affertion of the Generality of Mankind can be, that there is fuch a Thing as Sight or Colours to a blind Man; because Senfation is a greater Degree of Evidence,

than

than Teftimony; and because a Man will fooner believe his Senfes than a thoufand Witneffes. A blind Man cannot believe there are Colours but only by being told fo; but when I fee a Prophet, doing Miracles, I am fure he is influenced by God, because I fee he does Works above the Power of Nature.

Wifdom,

3. You are very much mistaken, when you affert that Prophecy Prophecy is inconfiftent with Wisdom, and that Men of not inconfiftent with good Senfe, fuch as Solomon, Kalcol, Heman, &c. were no Prophets, but only poor Shepherds, Women, and other Perfons of mean Parts were endowed with that Gift. One would wonder how Men could lay down an Affertion, which is fo eafy to be confuted as this is. Pray what must be thought of Mofes, of whom 'tis faid, there arofe not fince in Ifrael a Prophet like him? (Deut. xxxiv. 10. Does his noble Genius, his invincible Courage, his fagacious Prudence, his vaft Depth in Philofophy, argue him a Man of mean Parts? Methinks the Heathen Longinus's Character of him, that he was vier, No mean Man, fhould be enough to free him, at least, from his Share in this Calumny. What do you think of Nathan, Ifaiah, and Daniel, who were bred up Courtiers, and made a great Figure in the Ages, when they lived, and the Writings of two of them fhew them to be Men of fine Parts? But, I think, you have a little outfhot your felf, in the Inftance of Solomon, in denying him to be a Prophet. For it is recorded in Scripture, that God revealed himself twice unto Solomon, First at his Entrance upon his Kingdom, when he asked Wifdom of God, 2 Chron. i. 8. Secondly, upon his finishing the Temple, 2 Chron. vii, 12. Nay, what do you think of David, who was a Prophet as well as a King? And as for your Inftances of Kalkol, and Heman, thofe great Mafters of Mufick, as if they were Men of too good Senfe to be Prophets; if you please to turn to I Chron. xxv. 5. you shall there find, that one of them, viz. Haman, is there expressly called the Kings Seer, or Prophet.

to the Pro

fions..

Prophecies 4. You lay down alfo another very falfe Suppofition, not variable That the Prophecies varied always according to the dif according ferent Paffions and Difpofitions of the Prophets, and therephet's Paf fore would hence conclude, that their Prophecy was only Imagination. But this is very Falfe, and very Illogical. Firft, it is Falfe: For Mofes, who is characterised to be the meekeft of all Men, did prophefie as dreadful Judg ments against the Ifraelites, as any of the Prophets, Vid. Lev. xxvi. 14. Ifaiah's Prophecy is in the feveral Places very different; fometimes he prophefies joyful, at other times very difmal Things. And even Jeremiah, the most mournful Prophet of all, does foretel the Jews joyful Deliverance from their Captivity, as well as the Captivity it felf. And Dariel at that very Time, when he was mourning and fafting in Sackcloth and Ashes, had revealed to him by the Angel Gabriel the joyful Coming of the Meffias, with all the Benefits which fhould follow from him. Secondly, there is no Confequence in the Argument, if the Suppofition were true. For if God did fo far comply with fecond Causes, as fome Times to Co-operate with them, it does not follow that those Caufes could produce a fupernatural Effect of themselves. Tho' God fhould pick out merry Men to foretel joyful Things, and melancholy one's to foretel fad one's; it does not follow that either merry or melancholy Men could foretel any Thing without the Affiftance of God: Becaufe Prediction is the Effect of divine and infinite Knowledge, and not of bodily Temperament: It would be still the Gift of God, thoʻfuch Qualifications were necessary for the receiving it.

Paffions not the

Caufe of
Prophecy.

5. As for your Inftances of fome Men's being under fome Paffions, at the Time of their Revelation, and therefore they must be the Caufe of it. This is an Argument with a Witness. What tho' Elifba called for a Minstrel, muft therefore Mirth be the Caufe of Prophecy? I fuppofe the Reason why he called for it, was to compofe his Spirits, which were ruffled at the Prefence of a wicked King; and it was therefore proper to render his Mind Sedate, before he prefùmed to offer up his Petitions to

God,

God, for the prophetick Influence of his Spirit. What tho' Mofes did predict the Slaughter of the Egyptian Firft-born, when he was angry with Pharaoh, muft Anger be the Caufe of Prophecy? Indeed angry Men may with Ill, but they feldom, I think, prophefie it; for if they did, the World would be in a fad Condition. But, I think, Mofes brought it to pass too; fo that it appears there was fomething more in this heavy Judgment than a little Scolding Threatning, which you Theifts make of the reft of the Prophecies. Cain was wroth when God fpake to him; but in those ancient Times, God was wont to reveal himself to Mankind in other Tempers. And when Ezekiel is faid to be in the hot Anger of his Spirit, before his Prophecy, this must not be understood of natural Anger, but only the violent Exagitation of the Spirit in him. So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in Bitterness, and in the Heat or Anger of my Spirit ; but the Hand of the Lord was ftrong upon me. Which is a most lively Description of the Operation of the prophetick Spirit in the Body of the Prophets, with all his Struggles and Reluctancies under it. 'Tis a Metaphor taken from a hot fiery Horfe, that ftruggles and contends, and is impatient under the Bridle of his Rider. It is a Description not unlike that of Sibylla in Virg. Æn. 6.

At Phœbi nondum patiens immanis in antro
Bacchatur Vates, magnum fi pectore poffit.
Excuffiffe Deum, tanto magis ille fatigat
Os rabidum, fera corda domans, fingitque premends:

Neither is there any Force in what you fay, as to the Diftinction which you would have fofiah make between Jeremiah and the Prophetefs Hulda; for there is no Doubt to be made; but if Jeremiah had been confulted upon the fame Point, he would have given the fame Anfwer.

mixed with

6. But in the next Place, you advance a strange Para- Vain Opidox, when you affert that Prophecy varied according to nions not the idle Opinions of the Prophets, as if King Nebuchad- Prophecy. nezzar's Diviners, and all the Perfian Magi, were true

Prophetsa

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