)5 2_- f I "¥. Revelation ExamrTttd-- 'with Candour. OR, A F A I R ENQUIRY INTO THE SENSE and USE Of the Several REVELATIONS Exprefly Declared, or fufficicntly Implied, To be given to Mankind from the Creation, as they are found in the Bible. By a profeflTed Friend to an honeft Freedom of Thought in Religious Inquiries. VOL. II. Containing DilTertations upon the folbiuing Subjcffs ; viz. I. Of the Grant of Animal Food} IV. Of Circumcifion. made x.oNoah, after the 5>iod. W Of the Deftruftion ofSa^/cf/i II. Of the Building o^'ubel. and Gomorrah. III. Of the Predidtions relating \'I. Of the Command given to to IJhmael. Abraham tofacrifice liis Son. To auhomjhall I fpeak, and gi've -juarniug, that they 7nay hear ? Behold, their ear is uncircumcifed, and they 'cannot hearken : behold, the . Your heginni^tg^ ?ny Lord^ was the greatefi that true glory could wifo. Your foimdation was laid in humility and religion. Tour hiowlege in the law of God, was the befl found atio?t of your diftinguiJJjed htowlege m the laws of your country. 'The foujtdation was laid deep^ and built upon a rock ; and the fuperflruElure rofe with pro^ portioned fir ength and dignity. Your skill was unrivalled y and your i?itegrity untainted. That fuperior skill in the laws of your country y which is wont (even in lefs perfeBion) to fill up the minds of many of its profeffors^ and leave little A3 room vi DEDICATION. room for knowlege of other kindsy in'aSy m yoiiy but a better preparation to jlmie to more advomtage in the fen ate y as your great integrity ^nadeyoii highly revered there^ and removed you thenccy TO prefide in one of the courts of jufiice. Your abilities upon the bench called you y upon the frfl occafion {the mvfl glorious for you that could be ima- ginedjy to the firfl honour in your profeffion ; and placed yoiiy unenveyedy among the peers ofG r e a t-B r i ta i n, ni'hereyour native humility fli II attends youy and is the greatefi ornament of your exaltation. My Lord, lljefe circumfia?icesy glaringy and gloriouSy in the eyes of the whole nioorldy left me little merit or choice in this application. My I Lordy DEDICATION, vii Lord^ this application infers no more, than that I honour yoti in common with the reji of mankind : but give me leave to fay ^ that I honour you alfoj for reafons^ which do not equally effeB them all : I honour you^ from the r£- gardyou bear to true religion : I honour youy becaufe you are a good Chriflia7iy in confequence of being an excellent feholar^ and a good man^ not becaufe it is the religion of your country (the prefent fafhionable phrafe)^ but becaufe it is the religion of the living God, the God of truth ! It is true^ you received the Chriflian religion from education : but you em- braced it from choice : you embraced it, my Lordj after a thorough inquiry into its truth and excellence ; you em- braced ity becaufe you found nothing in your own foul to contradiEl^ nor any A 4 thing viii DEDICATION. thhig in the whole compafs of reafon and lea?yiingy that did not tend to con- finn it. It 77iight well become Pythagoras, a?2d his co?nmentatory to revei^ence the religion of their cou7tt7y^ hecaufe it was by law eftablifhed ; inafnuch as that was the o?ily reafon^ any man of jenfe could affgn^ for his attachment to it. But you will own^ my Lordy that this only reafon ill becomes the mouth of the meanefl Chrifiian^ of common fenfe^ for ajferting the religion of Jefus. 7J defe?jd the loefl religion that ever was inflitutedy a religion every way worthy the wifdo7n and the goodnefs of God, fro7n the only reafo7ty by which th& vilefly the worfly and the mofi un-' worthy of God, could be defended \ Is this to be endured ! It DEDICATION, ix I T tnight well become the heathen worlds to difii?jgtdjh^ between the reli- gion of the wife, and the religion of the vulgar ; inafmuch as the religion of the vulgar^ with them^ was every way un- wife^ abfurd^ and abominable ! thd ^ in truths it mujl be owned ^ that what they called the religion of the wife, was not in any degree lefs fo : they differed indeed frofn the vtdgar ; but it wasy for the mofl part^ only in variety and refineme7tt of abfurdity, Tljey did not believe^ with the vulgar ^ that the gods were fubjeB to human vices and infirmities \ but then they believed^ what was^ at leafi^ full as abfurd^ that they were utterly ?iegligent of hu- ma?i affairs* However, as the religion of the vulgar was abfurdy they were infomx fort X DEDICATION. fortjujllfied m defplfmg it : but is the religion of Jefus therefore ahfurd^ he- catife the religion .j/' Bacchus andV^vms wasfo ? Is not that the very religion njchich the wife men of our world now embrace f TV as it abfurdi7t the vulgar ^ two thoufand years ago^ a7id is it ?tow rational in the wife P What ?7iade it then more ahfurd^ than the ahjurd pra- SHees-towhich it led? And will the fame praBices now make it wife ? What is it that demonftrates any religion wife^ but the wifdo7n and excelle7xe of its endsy and the fuitable7iefs of its inflituted meansyfor the attainme7it of thofe ends f And will the wife 7ne7i of the world pretend to find 7tohler ends^ or better meansy than thofe exhibited to us in the Chriflian in/litution! Infupportable ex- cefs of folly y thus to infult the co7n?non fe7ifa of ma?jki72dy under the vaunt of wifdom I My DEDICATION, xi M Y L o R D, / objeB to no man the reverence he bears to the religion of his country : the grieva7ice is^ that aiiy man^ of common fenfe^ fI:otdd mentio7t this^ as the only reafon for referencing the religion of Chx A, This reafo?^ 7ny Lord., might well becofne a heathe?^ philofopher ; inafmuch as many of thef7i profejjfed to htow no other difli72Elio7i betwee7t good and evil y but the deter minatio7i of the law : but furely it ?nufi ill become usy who are perfeEl in thefe diJ}i7jBions ; in an age tooy where reafon fmes fo b7'ighty as to be a fufficient guide (if we 7nay believe the 77iofl celebrated writers a7nongfl us) to the meanefl favage in Afric or America. Andfjall it befaidy that we have reafon to every other fur- fofey xii DEDICATION. pofe^ hilt to difcem the excelle?2ce of the gofpelP But, my Lord^ is this the truth ? Is it that we cannot difcern the ex- celle7ice of the gofpel^ or cannot bear its i?7tperfe&io72s? ^ite otherwife^ my Lord I It is its purity^ and perfec- tion^ that impeach it. It reproaches our lives^ and upbraids our confciences. It is inconfflent with avarice^ ambi- tion^ and fe7ifual iiidulgence I Either thisy or grofs U7tdifc?'imi?2ating igno- rancey is the only caufe to which it can be afcribed. The Precepts of Jefus Chrift, are incompatible with the cry^ ing corruptions of the age I The rules are too fir ait y for the crooked paths we tread in : they upbraid our evil ways and perverted ma7tners : a72d therefore we refufe to be guided by them, Thefe are the true grounds of our dif- like D E D I C A IM O N. xiii like to thz religion ^/ Jefus : andwhilji they arefo^ it is no wonder^ ifils being the religio7t of our country Jhotdd be the only reafon of our regard for it. H A p p y are you^ my Lord^ in whorn^ neither this way of thinkings nor any of the temptations to it^ can take place, H^ppy are you y who ara bleffed with a head^ and a hearty too clear y and too incorrupt y to befwayed byfuch maxims ! Happy for you^ that early learning hath fo inlarged your mindy and right habits poffeffed it^ as to make your religion^ the bufnefs of your reafon ; and your duty^ your de-^ light ! I N one wordy my Lordy happy are youy that the ^rovideitce of God, placed yoUy out of the reach of early temptation^ from the vanities of life ; and 5iv DEDICATION. and the mcre^ in (if much as the fame ctrcumfla7tces which "were of advantage iG your virtue^ have greatly added to your honour. My Lord, it is your greatefi friory to have fG7ne refemhlance to the gofpel of Chrift : you rofe in the worlds as that prevailed in it^ ^without mortal aids a7id advantages ; or, to f peak more froperly^ in oppoftion to them all \ by the force of imtate worth ! Self-raifedy felf recommended ! andy what is perhaps yet rarery the worth that raifed youy Jiill conti?iues with you. As outward honour could add nothing to it^ pride could not impair it. God that raifed you high^ preferve you long ; preferve you a blefftng^ and an ornament to your country ; and con- tinue your virtues^ with increafe of DEDICATION, xv glory ^ in your fojlerity. Believe mcy my Lord^ no mortal more Jincerely or dijinterejledly wijhes this^ than the author of this letter ; who contents him- felf with the ho7Wtir of reverencing your worth and virtue infecrety with- out the addition of that honour^ which would acrue to him^ from being known to the whole world under the charaEier of Your LordshipV Moft Humble and Moft Obedient Servant THE PREFACE. ANT of tafle is a com- plaint, which none but good writers arc privi- leged to urge againft the age they live in* and confequently fuchj as no modeft man will avow in his own behalf. But w^hen that complaint is allowed by men of genius to be juft, as it is at prefent, others may, perhaps, be allowed to take it up ; at leaft, to inquire into the caufes of it. Vol. IL And, xvin The Preface. A N D, without qnejilion, the im- mediate caiife of the ill tafte which prevails among us, is, the prefent general difregard of Romaic and Gre-- dim literature; together with that flrange, afloniOiing contempt, into which the Scriptures (the nobleft of all writings this world was ever bleffed with) have fallen for fome years pafi:. That this is, in a great meafure, owing to the growth of infidelity, is undeniable; but that other caufes alfo have concurred, nay, greatly contributed, to this evil, muft, I think, be owned. Mathematical learning hath of late years, been greatly and juftly in efteem among us; and fome men have raifed themfelves into reputa- tion this way, who will always be I an The Preface* xix an honour to their age and country. But the misfortune is, that fome of thefe very unhappily miPcook their talents; and carried that cold, dry, didadic way, into the pulpit, which could only become, or be of ufe in, the fchools. Nay, more ; what might have been of excellent ufe in the fchools, became of very evil influ- ence in the church; inafmuch as religion was now confldered barely in the light of truth ; and fo was difcuffed, like other truths, with a dry, cold unconcern, which neither interefted nor influenced any one mor- tal in its behalf. 'Tis true, texts were collated, dif- ficulties cleared, and points proved; but the heart was all this time Un- moved, and the confcience unalarm- ed : the preacher aded, as if he had to do, not with corrupt, unruly mor- a 2 tab, Kx The Preface. tak, but with pure, unbodied intelli- gences; among whom the percep- tion of truth was the only feUcity to i^e attained, or duty practifed. The audience became apparently very knowing in religion, and in reality very negligent about it : their wifdom gave no fort of check to their vices. The moral turpitude of thefe unhappy habits was indeed clearly made out: but their (hameful confequences, their Ipreading infedion, their various and accumulated mifchiefs, their deteftable vilenefs, and their dreadful end, were out of the queftion; were fo far from being difplayed in their true lights, or painted in their true colours, or loaded with their juft aggravations, and infinite ill effeds, that they were not fo much as feen, or fhewn, or mentioned. The terrors of thz Lord Were things unheard of; hell not once named, or named only to be defpifed : denied The Preface. xxi denied to be local, and diilingiiiiLed away by philofophic fooleries ! in contradiction not only to the exprefs declarations of Scripture, but to every principle of reafon, and eter- nal juftice (as, by God's bleffing, fliall, in due time, be fhewn)! Em- blems, examples, alluHons, illuftra- tions, enforcements ; from poets, from orators, from hiftorians, from moralifts, from prophets, frona apoftles, from evangelifts, from fcience, from Scripture, from na- ture, were antiquated, exploded trifles ! Hence the negled of Roman and Grecian eloquence ! Hence an equal contempt of Livy and T'hiicy- diJeSy of Mofes and the prophets : in one w^ord, hence the united ruin of true learning, and true religion ! and the triumph of ignorance, infide- lity, and vice ! a 3 Nor jfxii The Preface. Nor is this the woril : Men who had no talents for mathema- tical learning, had however talents enough for abfurd imitation, for a low mathematical manner in di- vinity : and as their great originals were now high in efteem, not only on account of mathematical know- lege, but likcwife fome bold fin- golarities in religion, their fervile imitators took care to outdo them, where only they could pretend to equal them, in the philofophic ftifF- nefs and formality of their ftyle, and loofenefs of their principles. I N the mean time, the reft of the v/orld, perceiving, how free thefe men made with what were before ac- counted fundamentals of Chrijiia- ii'ity ; and perceiving, at the fame time, The Preface. xxiii time, how utterly unanimated they were, either in the pulpit, or out of it, with any thing like a true Chrifliait fpirit ; their fouls as alien from the warmth of piety, the ardor of benevolence, and the zeal of Chrijlian charity, as their ftyles from the interelling, the perfuafivc, the pathetic, the fublime, came quickly into a difregard of fo fruitlefs a reli- gion ;juftly concluding, that a religion which could not influence, could be of no ufe. It was natural to rcfled:, that if the immediate minifters of tliis religion were feen to have it fo little at heart, the profefibrs of it at large might be yet more at Hberty, and lefs folicitous about it. He NCE a carelefnefs, and a cold- nefs, in the concerns oi religion ; and both thefe, in the natural order of things, foon fucceeded w^ith worfe a 4 than xxiv The Preface. than neglcd : for what men difre^ gard, they difufe ; and what they difufe, they quickly come to defpife. Nor was this the worft: Men were not only difcouraged from ftu- dying and revering the Scriptures, by perceiving how little true reli- gion was promoted by that fludy, under the management of fome of its moft learned and eminent pro- feffors, and their followers ; but alfo by being told, that this fludy was difficulty fruitlefs^ and daiigerous ; and a public, an elaborate, an earneft diffuafive from this ftudy, for the very reafons now mentioned, enforced by two well-known examples, and believed from a perfon of great emi- nence in the church, hath already palled often enough thro' the prefs, to reach the hands of all the clergy- men in Great Britain and Ireland. GoDj The Preface. ' xxv God, in his great mercy, forgive the author ! A MAN of equal abiHties, with another turn of mind, would have exhorted the clergy to a noble emu- lation in conquering the difficulties of this ftudy, yet behind; from the glory of thofe great men, who led the way with fo much honour, in fb arduous an undertaking ; would have repre- fen ted the ftudy of the nobleft writings the world was ever bleffed with, as infinitely the nobleft of all others, and manifeftly the moft ufeful ; as tending, eminently above all others, to per feB holinefs in the fear of God ^ and, in confequence of that, to pro- mote, to perfed:, and to perpetuate, the human happinefs, both in heaven and in earth. And, xxvi The Preface. And laftly, inftead of difcouraging the clergy, from the ill fuccefs of two men, he would have encouraged them from the good fuccefs of thou- iands. Whereas the former conduct, ieems little lefs extravagant, than it would be in a preacher, to diiTuade his audience from endeavouring to go to heaven, becaufe Lz/r//f r fell. But this is not all : We are dege- nerated into all the extremes of ill writing, as well as thinking ! An in- fipid affecflation of polite eafe, and claflic elegance, hath, with the ad- vantage of a very negligent profane- nefs, done almoft as much mifchief, in the works of one man, as the oppo- lite error in all the reft. And many are fuch profefied admirers of the writings The Preface. xxvii writings of both kinds, as to unite thefe extremes (the dry, and the florid formal) with great fuccefs in their own. This is the true ftate of flyle and tafle among us ! Vile principles, and wretched writings, beget one an- other, like infedlions and dileafcs : infedions that deftroy all health, and good habits, where-ever they come. Th I s is the ftate of our corruption; but where to hope for our recovery, that's the diftrefs ! Alas ! if it is to be hoped for only from the intro- duction of right thinking, and better writing, I fear it is yet far off. Can any man, who hath any idea of right thinking, or good writing, hope that either will fucceed in fuch an age ! Can he hope, that human means will fucceed, where /;^/><3://(?;^ fails ! That his xxviii The Preface. his writings will be regarded, where the prophets and eva?igelijls are defpi- fcd ! where 7" — is preferred to Solo-- vioit^ and C ~ to Chrijl ? Where infinitely the beft and nobleft of all writings are in difgrace^ it is natural, that the vilefl: fhould be in honour. The works of quaint, fantaftic rhapfodifls ; of mean, abandoned, underling mortals ; of dry divines, and mathematical moralifts ; thefe are, thefe mufl be, in the prefent flate of things, the reigning writers and writings! the ftandards of pei^ fedlion and excellence ! The man who hath the ftupid ignorance, or hardened effrontery, to infult the revealed will of God ; or the petulant conceit to turn it into The Preface. xxIk into ridicule ; or the arrogance to make his own perfedions the meafure of the Divinity ; or, atbeft, that can collate a text, or quote an authority, with an infipid accuracy ; or demon- ftrate a plain proportion, in all the formality of y^'s and S's * ; thefe are now the only men worth mentioning ; the only writers worth reading, for improvement; or remembering, for applaufe! Nov Baco^y novBarroWy nor T^iUotfo7iy nor Addifon (living writers mufi: not be mentioned), nor PlatOy nor ^lutarchy nor Cicero^ nor De- mofthenesy are to be once named with thefe ! Thefe are the important men, whofe weight hath at qnce funk down the eloquence and elegance of Rom& and Athens ; and, what is infinitely * I would not have the reader imagine, that I fere intend any afperfion on the learned and ingenious author - oiVje religion of n at we delineated; or any other man of eminence in that way. I cenfurs nothing but abfurd imitation. more XXX The Preface* more to be lamented, the wifdom, the dignity, the fublimity, the majefty, of the Sacred Writings I If men of genius are found to Write in fucli an age, we may well conclude, that nothing but the ftrongeft fenfe of duty forced them to it : for other- wife, tho' a man of any degree of merit could hope to be fo happy, as to efcape the weight of envy, party, perfonal or national prejudices, yet to what purpofe fhould he write ! To emulate the applaufe of fuch writers as are now in vogue, were a mean, io-noble view. To write for the praife of tliis age ! An age which hath no relifh for any thing beyond the wit of profane fcurrility, or the forma- lity of a dry, unanimated differta- ticn ! To what purpofe, unlefs to becom.e defpicable in his own eyes, and deteftable to G o d and goodnefs! To The Preface. xxx To write for fuch an age, were wicked ; and to write aga'mfi it, vain ; at leaft, vain to any other piirpofe, than the faint hopes of preferving the few yet untainted, in their integrity ; and the fruitlefs fortitude of reproach- ing the reft ; reproaching them, at once, to their own reafon, and to pofterity ; appeaHng to a tribunal, which the works they admire, will never reach ; or reach only to be condemned ! All joy to the applauded authors of fuch an age, from the glory of fuch admirers ! and to fuch admi- rerSj from tlie bleffings of fuch au- thors ! They are well matched. I knov/ nothing more truly pitiable than both j he only excepted, that could envy either. But tho' none fhould envy their happin.efs, all muft laqient xxxii The Preface. lament their fuccefs. I mean all who have any regard for religion, virtue, and true learning. They have in- deed gone on hitherto with furpriling fuccefs : it is but perfevereing a little longer, and the next age will fee none to reprove thenir I THANK God, I have lived to bear my teftimony againfl: them both ; againft an age, where truth is either utterly defpifed, or treated in an in- famous manner ! treated as if it were utterly incompatible with elegance and fublimity ! as if the proper badges of itsmajeftydifgraced it las if that which gave it its efficacy, impaired its evi- dence ! Demonftration, with thefe men, lofes its very name and nature, if it attempts fubjeds apparently ob- fcure (where only it is wanted) ; and perhaps yet more, if it clears them ; efpecially, if the leafl: light of genius fhines The P R E F A c S. xxxiii fliines about it ; for light, in this cafe, has all the effedls of darknefs, upon eyes long accuftomed to the dark : fuch men can fee no more about it, but that it is new ; or fome, perhaps more fagacious and clear-fighted, may- perceive it pretty : and, in excefs of civility, pronounce it, tjtgenious. And in truthj that is going a great way with people, that are fo little accu- ftomed to any thing that can properly be called fo. I F in this deplorable ftate of things, there arc yet any of the clergy (as, God be praifed, there are), who^ neither deterred by difficulties and difcouragements^ nor feduced by fa- vours, and the fafhion, ftill retain their zeal, their integrity, and a true tafte; yet how few are they, andhovir faint I How unequal to the flood that drives againft them ! How forced to Vol. II, b yeai xxxiv 'Ttic Preface. real or feeming complknces. • and how frighted to diffent 1 These right-thinking men ar€ doubtlefs very good judges of a ri gh and a reafonable condud ; but, at the fame time^ they very well know, that the moft reafonable condud: is not always the wifeft, with regard to this world ; is not the moft direct road to fame and fortune. Prudential compliances, and humble applica- tions to great men (fo men in great ftations will always be called), thefe are the reputed arts to rife ! and^ i£ they really are foj and no merit will avail without them, there is no doubt but they will duly be regarded by fuch as refolve to become great, and think this the true way to be fo. Ta thofe whom God hath formed to another way of thinking, who have confined theirideas of merit, to loyal- The Preface. xxxv ty, learning, religion, &'c. duty is honour ; and the folid joys of a good confcience, folid glory ! T T is the misfortune of thefe men^ to read of times, wherein true me- rit was accounted the true means of advancement; wherein fecurities were laid to be given for good abilities, not compliances ; at leaft, where thefe gifts of God were not regarded as juft objedions to advancement : I will not take upon me to fay, that thefe happy times are not fuch ; no- thing is more common, than to fee the happieft and beft times more than negatively abufed. They have heard of times, where^ in writers, on the lide of revealed religion, could infpire indignation againft fin, and abhorrence of its abettors j wherein the fame men who b 2 had xxxvi The Preface.. had all imaginable regard fof the rea- fonable doubter, and candid inquirer after truth, had all imaginable con- tempt and abhorrence of the petulant caviller I and could paint out the turbulent, abandoned infidel, as the worft peft of fociety ! the enemy of God and goodnels ! a wretch that liv^ed not only to the ruin of the world, but to the difgrace of human nature! an infedlion that fhould be dreaded as a plague ! Alas ! this infection is now become familiar : no men are better received, or more careffed, than the mod abandoned : nay, one would think, that, to be lb, were the beft recommendation. This, I think, is undeniable : that to defpife principles, and laugh at re- ligion, is tht very teft, if not of true merit, at leaft, of good abilities : and it is notorious, that men have rifen to great renown on this fingle account^ The Preface. xxxvii account, who had been defpicable on every other. In this ftate, it is no wonder to fee the very names and natures of things inverted ; it is no wonder to fee, that merit is demerit ; and demerit, merit : fo utterly regardlefs are we of that dreadful woe denounced by the prophet againft them, that call evil^ goody and goody evil -^ that put dark- pefsyfor light ; and light ^ for darhiefs I There was a time, when human /nature was believed to be corrupt ; at leaft, fufpeded of fome little partiali- ty (I had almoft faid, prejudice) in favour of vice ; and religion was then thought of fome ufe, to fecurc men from the temptations of fin, and the feducements of their own hearts* To hear the difcourfes, and read the writings, of the wife meo of this age, b 3 one xxxvlii The Preface. om would be tempted to think, that religion were the terror of all others in this world, which mankind ought moft to be afraid of; moft upon their guard againft ; and that there was no one pro- peniion in human nature, or prejudice incident to it, half fo ftrong, or fo de- ftru6tive, as thofe that fway them in favour of virtue, and the fear of God. As this new, refined way of think- ing, is now predominant, it is no wonder, if fome^ even of the clergy, are carried away with it : it is no wonder, if the loud din, and iriceflant clamour oi pi ej} crafty ^ prejudicey and ferfecution (a clamour as loud, as if the flre3 ol SmtthfddwQxt never out, as if every parfon in the land were an in- quifitor, and every gaol crouded with heretics) have either confounded them into convidion, that there is fome ground for all this outcry (againft allj The Preface. xxxix all the evidence of demonftration to the contrary) ; or, at leaftj fubdued them into mence. In this fad fi.tuation, it Is no won- der, if a truly Chriftian preacher is a chara6ler, not always met with in the clergy ; or a truly Chriftian hear- er, among the laity. What can be more common, than to fee men go to church (I mean fome of thofe few polite perfons, that fom.etimes tiiink it worth, while to go thither), not to ferveGoD, to be inftrud:ed, toconfefs their lins, torepent, and be reclaimed; but merely as they go to other great affemblies, Xoht entertai72ed ^ And in this cafe, it cannot be matter of much furprize, if fome of the clergy ftudy only hov/ to make the entertainment as agreeable as they can ; and for^ get every higher praife, and nobler purpofe of their profeffion : if they b 4 can :d The Preface, c^nprc^chpreuify, or, atmoft,makQ a good moral difcourfe, it is all they wiilij or their audience delire. I wo u L D not be jniftaken ; I mean neither to reproach the clergy (there are many religious, learned, and truly Chriflian preachers among them) ; nor to decry morality (there is no religion without it). My inten- tion is no more, than to exhort fuch of that facred order, as may have forgotten their true charader, to re- turn diligently to it ; to befeech them to remember, that the earneft, the infirudlive preacher, the pathetic, the fiiblime, the Chriftian orator, tliefe are the true charaders of the minifters of the go{pe! : thefe are characters which will always be honourable and amiable, even in the eyes of their ene- mies ; and perhaps not the lefs fo, for being too often lefs advantageoufly 2 diftin- The Preface. xU diftinguiflied than they deferve : to put them in mind, to cry aloud^ to lift ' up their voice like a trumpet ^ to Jhew the people their tranfgrejfions^ and the houfe of Jacob their fms : to put them in mind, that tho' moraHty is ^K^xi- tial to true rehgion, yet it is not the only thing a Chriftian audience iLouId hear of. Should they hear nothing of the love and fear of G o d, the demerit of man, and the degeneracy of human nature, the redemption of the world, the merits and mediation oiJefusChriJty the immortality of the foul, the refur- reclion, and the judgment of the laft day! the" importance of pray er, of pri- vate and of public worfhip! the impor- tance and efficacy of the Chriftian or- dinances ; and the indifpenfable duty of an humble and diligent attendance at the facrament of the L o r d's fupper ; theendlefs rewards of righteoufnefs, and retributions of guilty the horrors of iniquity, kIu The Preface. iniquity, evxn in this world, and the eterTirJ torments that await it in the Hext : Are not thefe the beft incans and mctiVcs ; the moft eiFedual, the only efFedtual, modves to niorslity I K?2owing the terrors of the Lord (fa ys the apoftle), v}e perfiiade men. Will moral reBitude^ and the oeauty of virtue jeffectually govern the vices and paffi- ons of fuch beings as we are ? Will they controul ambition, fubdt c appe- tite, and arreft revenge ? Idle and igno- rant ! And therefore the beft I can fay of thefe plaufiblemoralifts, and their per- , formances, is, what our Saviour faidof thofe who tythed mint and rue^ and faffed over judgment, and the fear o F G o D : This oiightye to have done ; a n d NOT TO LEAVE THE OTHER UNDONE.^ But Is this the worft complaint that lies againft the clergy, who are reported the great patrons of infidelity ? who The Preface, xHii who are faid to encourage it by their filence, and countenance it by their coldnefs ! who are charged with cry- ing up the hght of nature, againft the hght of the gofpel ! Whofe preach- ing is faid to proclaim it, whole prin- ciples to infer it, unneceffary ! Pudet h(zc opprobria ! If thefe men are wrong-charged, as Chriftian charity makes us hope they are, the remedy is in their own hands : let them vindicate their innocence to the world : if they are true Chriftians, and are not afhamed of the gofpel and crofs of Chriji^ let them Ipeak out. Will they wait till the world grows worfe ? Does it need to grow worfe ? Are not the greateft crimes that can be named, perpetrated and defended ? perpetrated with impunity^and defend- ed with applaufe, from the influence of Xliv The Preface. of thofe very principles, which they are believed either to embrace, or to abet! I {hall not defcend to particulars ; the detail were dreadful ! If men that abet thefe principles, imagine themfelves not accountable to their Maker, are they not accoun- table to their king and country, for all the evils derived upon fociety, by thofe immoralities they caufe or in- creafe ? and for the murder of fub- jecfts and fellow-citizens, the avowed effeds of thefe dodrines ? If thefe mortals only murdered, each himfelf, or his friend, fome, perhaps, might imagine, that the world were better without them ; and Chriftian charity might hope, that God permitted them to incur this guilt, in prevention of greater : but to murder innocent children (without the influ- ence The Preface. -xlv ence of fuperftition) in cold blood, upon a principle of duty ; nay, of humanity! is an horror, till now, un- heard of ! an horror unknown to heathenifm ! T o what perdition will thefe do- £lrines drive us ! if this be the humanity oi free-thinhing^ what is cruelty ? Can any man confider this, and not be ftruck with that refledion of Sohmn^ A righteous man regardeth the life of his beaft ; hut the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel? And yet could we imagine it ended here, could it terminate only in murder, it might be borne. If others are calm under thefe ca- lamities, for my own part, I neither envy, nor upbraid, their ferenity. They will, I hope, forgive the infir- Kiity of meaner iDortals, who cannot fee ^Ivi The Preface. fee the ruins of infidelity without horror ! who cannot furvey the de-- ftrudion of the giddy, the fenfual, the ambitious, the unwary world around them, with a cold unconcern. Methinks it is but a poor confolation to a Chriftian fpirit, to be innocent of the evils it beholds. And if others can delight and glory in them, God forgive them ! And yet upon refledion, fure they have but little room to glory in the ruin they have wrought ! for, befides the horror of fo hellifli a fatiC- fadion, is it not poffible they may be permitted by God to work thefe evils in the world for their fins (to fill up the meafure of their iniquity ! ), as others to endure them for theirs ? But what does this infer ? More worth, or more vilenefs ! Alas, the fe verity of the chaflifement no way infers the dignity of the fcourge! Tho' they have faid, with the proud boafter in IJaiah (c. X, Tlie Preface. xlvii (c. X. I J &'c.)j By the fireftgth of my hu7jdl have done it^ and hy my wifdojn ^ for I am prudent : I have removed the hounds of the people^ and have rob- bed their treaftires\ and^ as one gat her- eth eggs that are left^ have I gathered all the earth ; and there was none that moved the wingy or opened the mouthy or peeped: yet may we reply upon them V. ith the prophet, Shall the ax- hoafl itfelf againjl him that heweth therewith ? as if the rod fjould Jhake itfelf again/i them that lift tt up ; ai iftbefc^jfjhotua lift up ttfelf^ as if it were no wood, W E .R E thefe inftrumcnts, the pro- phet ip^aks of, fenlible to monition, it were eafy to acquaint them with their intrinfic worth ; to let them know, that they were, at beft, but brafs and wood; their mifchiefs mighty ! but their materials, mean. THE THE CONTENTS O F t H E TWO VOLUMES. VOL. T. ^H Differtatidn I. Of the forbidden fruit„ N0 7VLEGE of the fruits of paradife abfolutely ■ neeejjary for Adi2ims prefervativn^ p. 2. Thii knowlege given to him by God^ p. 3. The words y dying, thou fhalt die, explained^ p. 4. Revelation necef- farVy ibid. How Adam could be made mortal midjinful^ by eating an apple^ confijlently with divine jufticey p. 5, 6. And by neceffary con-* fequincefromthe nature of things ^ p. d, to IQ, Vol. It c Differ*; 1 The Contents. Differtation 11. Of the know lege of the brute world conveyed to Adam. This knoivlege necejfary, that the creatures might be iifeful to Adam, p. 1 1. ' T^he goodnefs of God required it to be given, ibid. The confequence. Revelation necejjary^ p. 12, 13. Dotninion over the creatures abjolutely necef- Jary to Adam'i well-being j as aljo the know- lege, that he had this dominion, p. 13, to i^. The quefiion how the fer pent could deceive Eve, difcujjed^ p. 16, 17, 18. She f aw him -eat the fruity and ajcribe his power of Jpeech and reajon to the eating of it, p. 16. This matter briefly related, and fit it Jhould : there was a necejjity, that the conference jhould be jhort, p. 17, 18. IV hat was necejjarily implied in it, p. I p, to 22. That Eve Jaw the ferpent eat the fruit, and afcribe his power':, of Jpeech and reafon to it, demonftrated^ p. 23, 24. Why Eve exprejjed no Jurprize at hearing a brute fpeak, p. 24; to 27, Differtation III. The knowlege cf marriage given to Adam, The infeparahle union of one man with one 'woman, a law of nature, p. 2b. Ihis law impof The Contents. li mpojjible to be known to Adam, hut by Reve- lation j p. ip, to 32. ^bis revelatio?! conjinned from Mat. xix. p. 32, ^^. Probably given as apojitive inftitution^ p. 33. Jo regarded bj his fons, and yet a law of nature^ ibid. The confequence ; pojitive injiitictions not to be re- jedted^ ibid. DifTertation IV. Of the ikill of language infufed into Adam, ^is skill necejfdry to man as a fociablc creature^ p. 34. The ufe of fpeech not from nature-, a paffage in Herodotus confidered, p. 3 J. Adam, not endowed with it by God, had been in a worfe condition than a brute, P- 3^> 37- Probably could not attain the euds of his being, p. ^j , 38. Therefore the M-ofaic account, that it was given, true, p. 3 p. An inference from the precedent reafonings j five eRvelations now proved necefjary in the utmoji fuppofed perfeBion of human nature^ the main doBrine of ififidelity is overthrown, even upon the avowed principles of infidels, The necefjary confequence is, that revelation is .now more necefjary^ p. 3^, to 41. The info" lence of infidelity inexcufable^ p. 42. uu Hi The Contents. Diltertation V. Of the revelations which immediately fol- lowed the fall. This account necejj'arily obfctire, and why ; this obfcurity a fair prefumption of Mofes'x 'veracity, p. 43, to 46. The fentence faffed upon Adam and Eve, p. 46, 47. To them dreadful, ibid. S>ome fay of hope in this ex- tremity, necefj'ary, p. 48. This hope to be de- duced from that fentence pa fed upon the fer- pent J that fentence ?iot to be underftood lite- rally, p. 4^, 50. The ferpenf s curfe confideredy p. 51, 52. That, infaSi, he is curfed, p. 53. The curfe, now executed upon the fer pent, of great life to Adam a7id Eve, p. 54 > ^^. Why the curfe upon the ferpent ought to be under- ftood to refer to Satan, p. j<). The ftyle of the Scripture, in calling Satan the fer pent, jufli- fied, ibid, and p. 57. How Adam and Eve could have any idea of fpirits, p. ^y, 58. And of this fpirit in particular, p. ^p. Hold they could find the true fenfe of the fentence pa fed upon the ferpent, p. 60, to d-^f. The objeBion to this way of interpreting, in the letter to Dr. Watei land, confdered, p. 64, to 6y, Believers require no more tha?i that Mofes fhould be in- ^ terpreted in the fame candid and rational way *u:ith all other writers, p» ^7> to 6^, c DilTer- The Contents. liii DiffertatJon VI. Concerning fome difficulties and objecflions that lie again 11 the Mo (hie account of the fall. Why God piin'ifhed the evil fpirit under the figure of theferpent, p. 70. This piinijimient abj'olutely necejjdry to prevent the dehifion of Adam and Eve, /;/ relation to a principle of evil^ P- 7 1 • Th^ figure of the ferpent^ the only one under 'which Satan could properly be punijloed, p. y^^ 74. TVhy the ferpent was piiniJJjed, being incapable of guilty p. 75. The perfeBion of the creatures bejiourd for the fake of man, p. 7^, y6. The inflriiment of eml to be pwiijhed in tnanifejlation of God's abhorrence of guilty p. 76, yy. This pmiijl:' vient no injury to the creature's^ p. yy. The wifdom and goodnefs of God greatly manifejl^ ed in the punijlmient oj the ferpent^ p. 7^, to 82. A hard quejiion put to unbelievers^ p. 82, Why the tempter chofe to work his dc- lufion by the organs of the ferpent^ P' ^Sj S4. Why our fir ft pare?jts were puniJJ?.edfor yield-, ing to this dclufion^ p. 84, to 86. Why this infiance of obedience ivas exaSted^ and this temptation thrown i?! their ivay^ when God knew they would tranfgrefs, p. 86, to 5)1. All difficulties on this head cleared: paradife not made in vain^ tho' it fijould ' ha^ue ' lajkd but ■ c 3 one liv The Contents. one da\\ p. c) i , to 5)3 ObjeBions to the con^ duSi of God on this occafion anfwered^ P- 5^'> to p6. ^he ohje6iions from Cicero, filly ^ pi ^i) ^^ ^^' T^hoje from Jofephus, ill-grounded^ p. 5)8, _9p. DifTertation VII. Some farther difficulties relating to the fall confidered. The ferpenfs fenten^e confidered, p. 100, &c. His eating of duji^ p. 105. 'The woman's fen- tence confidered^ p. 107. Sorrow from, con- ception peculiar to woman^ p. 107, 108. Her forrow and her conceptions greatly multiplied fibove thofe of any other creature y p. loc), no. Infidels cbliged to tell us how this comes to pafs, otherwife than from the curfe upon, Eve, men^ Honed by Moles, p. no, in. The Tatter part of the woman s fentence confidered^ viz, her fubjetlion to her husband ^ p. 112. Demon- fir ably the effects of a curfe , p. 113. The fentence paficd upon Adam, confidered^ ibid, to p. 1 15. A firvey of the fiat e of our firfi pa~ rents in paradife : that fiate the happieji and hefi that wifdom could wifi?, or imagination^ form : the only condition of human exijlenccy every-way worthy of God^ p. 11^, to 118. This account of the creation worthy a writer, infpiredof God \ and fuch as no mortal could d^ife, p. 1 1 8. Why Adam fell^ and how he could The Contents. Iv could fall by eating an apple, re-confideredy p. Ii5>, 120. ^v€$ intemperance regarded know^ lege, not food j and was the confequence of that perfcdlion in which (Jje was created^ p. 121, 122.. Every objeBion again/} this re" relation an argument oj its truth^ p. 123. DilTertatlon VIIL Of facrifices. In this dijjertation facrifices are evinced^ both from reafon and fcriptiire^ to be of divine injiitution j and that by fuch a plain chain of reafoningy as is obvious to every capacity, p, 124, to 155. DilTertation IX, , . Concerning that corruption and degeneracy of mankind, which drew down the divine judgment in a deluge, ^he fate of the world., and methods of divine mercy with inankind^ from, the creation to the flood, confidered^ p. i j<^, to 162. A generOrl inquiry how man became fo corrupt in Jo floor t a fpace, p. 162, to 165. ^e de^ flru6iion by the flood juftified^ p. 16^. Th^ chief particular caufe of this corruption, p. i6y to 173. C 4 t)ii!er- Ivi The Content s. DJlTertation X, Concerning the natural caufes made ufe of by Almighty God to flood the earth. The deluge cafily accounted for from the Mofaic account of the Ji ate of the earth mrne' 4iafely after the creation^ compared with the fubfequent Scripture-accounts^ both of the 'creation and deluge, p. 174, to 182. The Ughts of natural philofophy upon this heady p. i8a, to i8<5^ DIflertation XL Concerning the ends of divine wifdomanfwerec^ by the deluge. The deluge a lafting proof of the providence of God in the punifhment of guilt, p. 1S7, 188. The unreafonablenefs of infidels, p. 1 88, to ipo. The deluge pofjible upon the principles of natu- ral philofophy and aflronomy, p. i^i, 15)2. proved from the prefcnt fiate of the earth, p. I p 2 , ■ I p 3 . This ft ate be ft accounted for from the Mofaic account oj the deluge, p. 15^4, to 15)6. Infidels reduced to a fad dilemma upon this head ^ p. iq6, 1^7. The ohjeBion from particular deluges difcufed, p. ij?8, 15)9. yinothir end of the deluge was^ to take off the curfe.Jrom the earth, p. 1^5), to 204. The The Contents. }vU juppofitlon of but a fmqll niimber of men then in the worlds erroneous^ p. 205. Hgiv the Ciirfe muft ke taken off the earth at this tbne^ farther explained^ p. 207. How the upper fir at a of the earth could be wafied off by raim^ and rocki neiv-formed^ ibid, to p. 211. Differtation XII. Objedions to the Mofa'tc account of the de- luge, and this appHcation of it, confidered. 'fhe objeBiony that man fill tolhy and the earth is fill ciiifed ^ivith thorns a?id thi files, anfweredy p. 212, to 215. T'hat the rai7jbow fwas the ?noji proper fgnal of a covenant never more to deflroy the earth by a deluge ^ p. 215, to 2 1 p. This confirmed from the tradition of antiquity^ in relation to Iris, p. a i cj, 2 20. Differtation XIII. Of the concurrence of all antiquity with the Mofaic account of the deluge. T'his differtation contains and compares thofe fefimonies of antiquity which are cited by Jo- iephus and Eufebius upon this point i and places the charaBers of thofe two great me?i in their true light y p. 221,10243. Differ^ The Contents. Diflertation XIV. Of other t^ftimpiues relating to the deluge. The Greek mythology upon this point conji- dered, p. 244, to 248. The tefiimonies of Plato, Plutarch, and X^ucian, p, 248, to 250. ^he tefiimonies of Fabius Pidtor, Pliny^ and Ammianus Marcellinus, p. 250, to 254, ^he names of countries^^ mountains^ and river s^ as alfo the infcriptions of coins confirming the fame things ?• ^ij, ^i^* -^ abfiraSi ^' Fal- cone rius'j difertations upon two particular coins relating to the deluge^ with the imprefjes and infcriptions of thofe cqins^ p. 257, to 261, Di/Tertation XV. Some difficulties relating to Noah's ark coafidered. Relating to the contents and duration of it^ ^hefe points J uffictently cleared and attefied^ as alfo new objeBions^ relating to the food, rf- movedy p. 262, to iy6. 7'he evidences relate- ing to the flood fummed up in a floor t per or a--' tion^ p. 276", to 278,. THE [ lix ] THE C O NT E NT S O F T H E SECOND VOLUME Diflertation I. Of the grant of animal food made to Noab' after the flood. HIS grant refi rained, blood excepted^ p. I, 2. The J even precepts of the fom o/'Noah, p. 3. ne exception of the blood intended to prevent cruelty, p. 4. l^he method taken in this dif- fertation, p. 8. Eating of blood prohibited^ p. 9, to II. The blood appoitited to make atone- ment, p. II, to 14. A difficulty upon this point confidered, p. 14, to 16. Other reafons of the prohibition of eating bloody p. 7, &c.. Blood an infamingfood^ p. 2-1. An objeSiion to ix The Contents. to this opinion anfivered, p. 22. Eating blood (I cauje of J cor but ic habits^ p. 22. Flejh drained of the blood more falutary and ufefiiU p. 2 3 . Luxury prohibited by the prohibition oj thijigs frangled^ p. 23, 10^5, Eatijig blood gave occafon to idolatry^ as well as cmelty, p. 25. The goodnefs of God in prohibiting it^ |>. 26, This prohibition Jli II rejls upon Chri- ilians^ 27, &t\ DilTert^tion II, The apo/iclic decree about blood, &c, not temporary, p. 34, 35. The objeBion, that lacrifices were a type of Chriift, confidered, p. 35, 36. The o'bjeBion^ that blood is eaten in all flefh, ' confidered, p. 37, 38. Blood, and things fir angled, prohibited under the denomi- nation of neceffary things^ p. 40, &c, T'/jf apojlolic decree did not refpcB the Jewilh profelyfes, p. 43, 6cc. The objection, that the apoftolic decree refpecfled not the queftion debated, conftdered, p. 4.8, 49. The ohjeSlion^ that it refpeded only thole to whom it was direded, p. 49, 51. The objeSfion, (p. fi.) that the neceility of this decree is now ceafed, p. ^3, . 122, &Ci Why Alexander meditated art expedition againft the Iflimaelites, p; 13 d, T^eir condition from thence to Trajan, p. 130, 10134. liv^^n's expedition againji them, p. 134, &c. Severus'j expedition^ p. 139, &c. *Ibe great prophecy concerning Ifhmael ful- filled, p. 147, to 149, fhis prophecy beyond the reach of human forefight, and contra*- diBory to principles of policy^ p. 149, &G. Differtation V. Of Circumcifion. ^is rite injoined Abraham, p. i fi. ^he reajen of it, p. if 2. The method of this dif- fer tat ion, p. If 6. Circumcifon could only obtain among mankind from divine injlitution^ p. 15-7, &c. Other pretended reafons cf it confdered^ p. 159, 160. The true reafons ^ii^^* 161, &c. ObjeSiions to the divine injli' The Contents. IxJii injiitution of this rite from Sir John Mar- fham, confidered, p. i<$7, &c. This rite not in ufe with the Egyptians /r^»^ the beginnings p. I7f. 'the conceffiom o/Philo and Jofephus on this head confidered^ p. i'j^^ &c. An ob* jeStion on this head^ from a late author of great fame s P- 183. A conjeBure why cir- ciimcifion was appointed on the eighth da)\ p. 186. fhis rite probably not in ufe with the Egyptians at the time ^'Mofes's birth ^ p. 187. The origin of this rite among the Egyptians accounted for ^ p. 189, &c. DiiTertation VI. Of the deftrudlion of Sodom and Gomorrah, fhe method of this differtation, p. 200. One great end of recording the converjiition in relation to the dejirudlionof^odioniy ibid. Gff . Abraham'; condu5l in this converfation criticized s p. 203, &c. Another reafon of recording this converfation^ p. 210, &c. A great end attained by the antecedent communi-^ cation of God's purpofe to deftroy Sodom, p. 215, &c. ■ Teftimonies of a?Jtiquity in relation to Abraham, p. 216. Another end of r-e cor d-^^ ing the hijtory of the deft ruB ion o/" Sodom, p, 224. Heathen tefiimonies relating to the de- JiruSlion of Sodo m , p. 2 2 4 . Of 'the pillar of fait into which Lot j wife was changed^ p. 2 2 6, &c. Ixiv The G o N T k N T Sr &e. fhe fable of Niobe and Orpheus pto^ hably derived from this hijiory^ p. 22^'^ Differtation VIL' , Of the command given to Abraham to facri- fiee his fon,- A reafmi of the reh^ilings agdinf Abraham^ p. 234. T^he method of this dijj'ertation^ p.- ^35' 'This command not unj lift ^ p. 236, The affertion of an eminent writer on this point examine dy p. 237, &c. This command given in trial of Abraham' j fdith, p. 24^, 2420 The gbodnefs of God in giving it^ p. 24 j, &Ca Abraham *i obedience fiieh ai became a 'wife and a good man y p. 246, 247. The merit of Ifaac'j obedience^ p. 248J 24Q. The great ob^ jeBion of the adverfaries confidered^^ p. 2501 &c. Another obje5fio?i, p. 252. A fhort view of the argument in favour of this com- mandy p. 257* Diilertatlon VIIL A fhort recapitulation of the precedent, differtation, p. 250. fhe ohjeSiion^ that A religion commanding parents to facrifice their children cannot come from God, confidered^ p, 2^2. Abraham'^ condudl on this occafon, compared with other extraordinary occafions^ p. 2640 The Contents. Ixv p. 264.. How Abraham coM know that thn command came from God, p. 266 &c ^he objeaion that Abraham obeyed wiihoui the leaft hefitation, or expoflulation, conft^ aered p. 277. Contradi6iory objeSiiom ur^ed agatnfl Abraham, p. 280. This command equally calculated to prevent human facri^ Jices, or to abolijh them, p. ^82. A fummary view of the whole argument, p. 288 A fjjort -vtew of four revelations confidered in this te- nod ^ '' p. 2>)I. y^h^ii. THE [ Ixvii ] THE INTRODUCTION. T hath been objeded to the firft part of this work, that the write- ings of M^i are there confidered as divinely infpired, without be- ing firft proved to be fo. But this objeaion arifes from not rightly attending; to the title of the book j in which it is not propofed to examine the Revelations given, but declared to be given. The author obferved two things mainly infifted upon, in the writings of thofe great men who now govern the world. The^firft was, That Revelation never was necefTary : the fecond. That the Revelations pretended to be laid down in the Scriptures, are loaded with abfurdities. . ■ d2 The SE Ixviii Introduction. These two points he confidered with all the attention he could ; and the confequence of this confideration was, that he found Reve- lation to be neceflary ( as far as he went ) in every inftance mentioned by Mofes^ i. e. in all thofe points wherein Mofes tells us it was given ; That Revelation was abfolutely neceffary, even in the utmoft fuppofed per- fection of human nature. And he takes upon him to fay, that he hath dernonr ftrated this, in the feveral inftances of food,^ language, knowlege of the creatures, and dominion over them. And if Revelation was neceffary in the utmoft fuppofed perfection of human nature, the neceffary confequence is, that it was more neceffary in its dege- neracy, I N the next place, he found thefe Revela- tions recorded by Mofes, upon a due inquiry, clearly acquitted of abfurdity to every think- ing, intelligent reader; and he hath fliewn them to be io ; and that, in truth, the imputations with which they are loaded, are the manifeft effedts of abfurdity, and grofs ignorance, in the imputers. Men quarrel with the reftraints there faid to be laid on our firft parents. In anfwer to this, he hath clearly, iliewn, that fome reftiaint was for the intereft of our Introduction. Ixix our firft parents -, and was abfolutely necef- fary, in token of dependence ; and that no reftraint could be more rational, than that recounted by Mofes^ in a ilate where moral reflraints could not take place, or were not wanted. MO S ES reprefents j4dam endowed with the knowlege of marriage, according to the law of nature. Adam could have that know- lege only from infpiration; nor could Mofes fay he had it other wife than by infpira- tion : inafmuch as he himfelf, in all human probability, had it not ; as, by God's bleffing, fhall be fhewn hereafter. MOSES reprefents Eve as deluded by a ferpent to eat the forbidden fruit, from the hopes of acquiring more knowlege. That temptation hath been proved to be the ftrongeft and the wifeft that could be devifed. It hath been clearly fhewn, that flie faw the ferpent eat the fruit, and become vocal and rational, as fhe thought, by eating it ; and that, upon this fuppofition, her hopes of approaching the divine perfection in know- lege, were well founded. So that this fcheme of deception, tho' at firft fight feem- ingly abfurd, was, in truth, the wifeft, the moll fubtil fpirit of hell could invent; and, confequently, far above the power of Mofes to devife. It Ixx Introduction. It was alfo {hewn, that Adam and Eve had, in the curfe of the ferpent, a demonftra- tlon, that this delufion was wrought by a fpirit of fuperior fubtilty, ading by the organs of the ferpent. MOSES reprefents G o D, as infliding a peculiar curfe upon Eve, on this occafion; and it hath been {hewn, that this curfe {lill refls upon her daughters. And if the proofs, offered on that head are thought defedive, or inconcludve, the author here declares, that he fhould be glad to fee a fair effort from the infidel world to confute them. MOSES reprefents the facrifice oi Abel as accepted with approbation by Almighty G OD ( a fuppofition much ridiculed by liber- tines ). The author of Revelation Examined hath demon flrated, that facrifices were of di- vine inilitution ; and that many ends of infi- nite wifdom and goodnefs were anfwered by that inftitution. A demonflration as clear as any in Euclid. MOSES affirms, that God deluged the world. The fad hath been proved in the firft part of this work^ by fuch complicated and accumulated evidence, as, I believe, no infidel will attempt to overthrow. Mofes^ then, is demonflrated to be a true hiftorian -, and Introduction. Ixxi and if he is found faithful in the relation of fadts, of all others the leaft credible, and cir- cumftances above the power of human wifdom to devife, it is incumbent upon the adverfaries of revelation, to tell us, how he could have this knowlege, otherwife than by infpiration. It is evident he muft have it, either by infpi- ration, or fuch tradition as demonflrates its own truth ; and either way his veracity is thus far eflablifhed. How far he is credible in his fubfequent relations ; I mean, how far he is evinced to be fo, in the following difTertations j the reader will befl: judge for himfelf. REVE- REVELATION EXAMINED, &c. VOL. IL Dissertation L Cmcerning the grant of animal food made to Noah after the flood. •E learn from the ninth This grant ' chapter oiGenefis, that ^"^ ^''^^'^'^• Toon after the flood, the charter of dominion over the animal world, given to Ada?n^ was in- larged to Noah -^ the creatures being now granted to him, and, in him, to mankind, for food; but granted, however, under this plain reftridlion, that they fhould not eat the blood with the flefh. This appears from the third and fourth verfes of that chapter: verfe 3. Eve?'y moving thing that liveth, fhall be meat for you'j even as the green herb, have J given Vol. II. B you 2 Revelation Examined^ Sec, you all things. Here is the grant : after that immediately follows the reftridion ; But fiejh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, fiall you 720t eat. Here you fee the grant is limited ; and this limitation plainly teaches us, that tho' man was allowed to eat the flefli of the creatures, yet he was not allowed to eat the blood with it. Now one obvious apparent reafon of this reltridion, is, to prevent unnecelTary cruelty in the ufeofthe creatures. Tho' God, in "his goodnefs, allowed us to eat them, yet the Tame goodnefs would not allow us to be wan- tonly cruel, or brutal, in their deftrudion j would not allow us to devour them piece- meal, or to eat them alive, like wolves and tygers; but required, that we ihould firfl dif- patch them, by draining the blood from them : and this feems to be the fenfe of the Jews upon this text, when they tell us, that it pro- hibits the limb of a living creature : for if pro- hibiting the limb of a living creature, be not a prohibition of cruelty to the creature, it is certainly a prohibition of no (ti\(t, or * figni- ficancy. * *' Legem, gu^ eji. Gen. ix. 4. pojl di!u~jium datam humana *' generi, quavi njulgo nunc interpretantur 'Judaz de membro *' animalis vivi non edendo, -vetiijiiores intellexere de non edenda *' came fimul cum ejus fanguine. Manifeftitm id facit Jofeph. " Hi/}. 1. 4. y?, then^ I am to inquire, whether feeding upon blood be forbidden in this prohibition; But fiejh, with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof Jhall you not eat. And furely the mofl natural and obvious interpretation of the words, is this : Tho' I give you the flefh, you muft not eat the blood with it: or in other words, Tho' I give you the flefh, I do not give you the blood with it, becaufe the blood is the life *. And fo the learned authors of the univerfal hiftory under- id the precept, N. 2. p. 114. When Revelation Examined^ dec. 9 When princes give grants of lands to any of their fubjedis, we find it ufual with them to referve fome royalties upon thofe lands, as me- morials of dependence, and in token, that the original property was in them ^ and mines and minerals are among fuch royalties. Now, fup- pofing that all lands contained mines and mi- nerals, fuch as are wont to be excepted ; if no mention had been made of mines and minerals in the grant, probably they would be under- flood to be conveyed with the land, by fuch grant : but if the grant were thus exprefly li- mited ; You {hall have fuch or fuch lordfhips or manors; but you fhall not have the mines and minerals with the land (for fuch and fuch reafons) ; would any man, in his fenfes ima- gine, that the grantee had a right to mines and minerals from fuch a grant ? No furely : And is not the cafe parallel in the point before us f You fliall have every living creature for food : but you fhall not eat the blood with the flefh. Can any man reafonably infer from hence, that he has a right to eat the blood ? At leaft, I think, no man can fairly infer, that here is an exprefs grant made of the blood j and, without fuch a grant, it is certain we may not eat it J becaufe no man has a right to any crea- ture, or any part or portion of a creature, but from the gift of the Creator, But .lo Revelation Examined^ dec. But if there yet remain any doubt upon this head, yet fince this is a grant from G od, I believe it will be allovved, that God under- fi:ands, and confequently explains, his own grants bed. Now we find, that GoDhimfelf exprefly prohibits the eating of blood, not only to the Jews, but to all ftrangers that dwelt among them (as you may read in the feven- teenth chapter oi Leviticus^ at the tenth verfe): And whatjoever man there be of the hoiife of Ifrael, or of the fir angers that Jbjourn among you^ that eateth any manner of blood •, Twill even fet 7ny face againft that foul that eateth blood, and I will cut him off from among his ■people. This certainly is a very folemn and dreadful prohibition! and when God hath made this folemn prohibition, he immediately adds the reafon of it, verfe 1 1 . For the life of the flejh is the blood. And is not this very reafon contained in the prohibition to Noah? But fefij with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof ftdall you not -eat. This prohibition is alfo more fully ex- plained in the xiith chapter of Deuteronomy, the 23d and 24th verfes, Only be fur e^ that thou eat 710 1 the blood, for the blood is the life-, and 'thou mayft jiot eat the life with the flefid : thou Jhalt not eat it 3, thou fialt pour it upon the earth as water ^ No w Revelation E^'amined^ 8ic, \ i Now the reafon of abftaining from blood being the fame hpre as in the command of abliinence to Noab, viz. (becaufe it is the Hfe); it is evident, that this proliibition, tho' more inlarged, is but a comment upon that ; from whence it follov^s, beyond all doubt, that the prohibition of eating the blood, with the fledi, was meant an abfolute prohibition of blood, whether in the Animal or out : and fo (as I apprehend) the Jews now univerfally under- hand it. But this point will, I think, be placed beyond the reach of all reafonable doubt, by reflecting upon v/hat I before obferved in the differtation upon facrifices, that they were di- vinely inilituted, and in mercy to mankind ; and that one plain document, conveyed by this inftitution, was, that God would accept the life of the creature offered up upon the altar, in lieu of the offender's life, forfeited by his tranfgreffion. Now, if it be believed, that the way of offering up the creature's life, before the flood, as well as after, was, by pouring out his blood upon the altar (which, I think, cannot reafonably be doubted * ); and if Noab underil:ood all this ; I deflre to knovv% what Noab could naturally underitand by the pro» f See a paiTage to this purpofe in Saac/'wiiat/jo's hift. gener. j. hibition 12 Key ELArio]ic. up, in the celebration of his mad and monftrous rites *. Now, if Go D had not forefeen thefe cruel- ties, corruptic-ns, and inconveniencies, confe- quent to the eating of blood, fhould we juftly deem him infinitely wife ? And if, foreseeing them, he had not yet prohibited them in their caufe (which was at once the wifeft, and the moft effedtual prohibition), could we juflly deem him infinitely good, and gracious to his creatures? When, therefore, we find him infi- nitely wife in forefeeing, and infinitely good in forbidding, fuch abominable pradtices, do we yet hefitate, to conclude fuch prohibitions the effedls of infinite wifdom and goodnefs ? And, when we do conclude God's command of ab- flinence in this cafe to be the efFcdl of infi- nite wifdom and goodnefs, can we conclude it confiflent with any degree of wifdom and goodnefs in ourfelves, to defpife fuch com- mands, and to live in open avowed contempt of them ? Can any thing in nature be more fhocking than fuch a condud ? But here it may be asked. If one main in- tention of AlmightyGoD, in prohibiting blood, and things flrangled, was, to reftrain men from iuxury, as well as cruelty, why did he not • Adijerfus gentesy 1. Vo rather Revelation Examined^ &c. 17 pther chufe to prohibit luxury and cruelty, in cxprefs terms? To this I anfwer. That prohibiting the means was the fare way to prohibit the end. If Go D had only prohibited luxury and cruelty in general, every man's own temper, the cuftom of his country, his humanity or inhumanity, his temperance or gluttony, would have been the mealures of that luxury and cruelty ; and then fome would have been cruel as Canibah^ favage as Scythians, and luxurious as Sybarites^ without imagining they were fo j and others as falily and foolifiily merciful and abftemious, as the Pythagoreans : and fo either the command would have been difobeyed, or the bleffing defeated; tho', at the fame time, this conduct hath no way precluded God from giving par- ticular exprefs prohibitions both of luxury and cruelty, in feveral parts of the Scriptures. But ftill it may be imagined, that Cbn~ ftians are now fome way or other exemxpted from thisabftinence: and therefore, to temove all miftakes of this kind, I now proceed to {hew you, in the third place, that this prohi- bition of eating blood lies upon all mankind to this day j and upon Chrijiians in a peculiar manner. A N D the proof of this lies within the com- pafs of one plain argument^ obvious to every papacity 3 which is as follows : 2 8 Revelation Examined^ Sec, I F the eating of blood never was permitted, either before the flood, or after the flood, or under the law, or under the gofpel, then furely no man in his fenfes will fay it is now lawful to eat it. Now, that it never was permitted in any of thefe periods, is undeniable. Nay, the argument is yet ftronger ; for it was not only not permitted in any of -thefe periods, but, in truth, it is plainly enough prohibited in the flrll of them j and, I think, as clearly prohi- bited in all the reft. Firfi, 1 SAY, the eating of any living crea- ture, and, confequently, of blood, is not only not granted before the flood, but plainly enough prohibited in that part of the curfe de- nounced upon man after the fall ; Czirfed is the .ground for thy fake : in for row /halt thou eat- of it, all the days of thy life : thorns alfo and thijiles fiall it bring forth to thee : and thou fhalt eat the herb of the field. In the fw eat of thy face fhalt thou eat bread, till thou return to the ground. Can any thing be plainer, than that man is here condemn'd to eat bread, and the herb of the field, to the day of his death; without the leaft furmife or hint of any higher grant or privilege of food, of any kind? You liiall eat bread, and you fliall eat the herb of the field : Is not the plain meaning of thofe words, that bread and herbs fliall be your food? If Revelation Examined^ &c. 29 I F a prince gave any man a grant of certain lands, named in his patent, and mentioned in his grant, that this fliould be his eftate; Would any man in his fenfes believe, that he had a right to any other eftate, by virtue of that grant? Or that he was not limited to the lands there exprefly mention 'd ? And is not this the cafe in point ? G o d Almighty declares to Adam^ Bread and herbs (hall be your food : Does any man imagine he had a right to any other food by virtue of that grant? Or rather, that he was not plainly precluded from all other food, by that exprefs peremptory prefcription ? And thus we fee, that man had no right to the blood of the creatures before the floods That he had no right after this, from the gi'ant made to Noah^ I have already, I hope, fuffi- ciently fhewn. That no man had any right to it from any conceffion in the law of Mfj/t'i, but quite the contrary, is undoubted. The only queftion then is, Whether any fuch permiffioa had been made under the gofpel ? And that there had not, but the dired contrary, I now come to prove, from the xvth chapter of the A6is: where we read, that after a long and folemn debate, upon the queftion. Whe- ther the Ge?itile converts to Chrifiianity were obliged to obferve the law oi Mofes? it was at laft determined, that they were not ; and that no more Ihould be required of thpm, than to abftain JO Revelation Examined, &c. ^^2\n from pollutions of idols, and from fornix cation^ and from things jlr angled, and from blood. The apofto- And accordingly, a mofl: folemn bouttioodand ^^^^'^^ ^^^^ drawn up to that pur- things ftran- pofe, by the apoftles, and elders, gied. and the whole church at Jerufalem, and tranfmitted in letters to the bre- thren at Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, by four deputies of principal note, Paul and Barna- bas, Judas and Silas. And thofe letters were' conceived in thefe terms j 23. The apoJlleSy and elders, and brethren, fend greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles, in Antioch, and Syria, and Ci- iicia. 24. Forasmuch as we have heard, thai certain, which went out from us, have troubled you with words, fubverting your fouls, faying, Te mujl be circumcifed, and keep the law -, to *whom we gave 710 fuch commandment: 25. It feemed good unto us, being afjhnbJed with one accord, to fend chofen men unto you^ with cur beloved Barnabas afid Paul j 26. M E T^ that have hazarded their lives for the Name of our Lord Jefus Chrifi:, We Revelation Examined^ See, j t 27. We Joave fenf therefore Judas and Silas, who JJjall aljo tell you the fame things by mouth, 28. Fo R it feemed good unto the Holy Ghojly and to lis^ to lay upon you no greater burden than thefe necefj'ary things: 29. Tn^T ye ahfiainfrom meats offered to idols y and from bloody afidfrotn things fir angled, and from fortiication : from which if ye keep yourfelves^ ye jhall do well. Fare ye well. Now, if this decree be obligatory upon all Chrifiians^ then can it no longer be a doubt with any Chrifiian^ whether he is obliged to abftain from blood, and things ftrangled. And, if the diredion of any one apoftle, infpired of God, be obligatory, certainly it can be no doubt, whether a folemn decilion of all the apoftles, exprefly declaring the joint determination of the Holy Ghoft in the point, be alfo obligatory. T HIS point muft furely be out of all doubt with all that call themfelves Chrifiians^ unlefs this decree hath fince been refcinded. That it ever was formally repealed, is not pretended j and whether it be implicitly cancelled, by any contrary decifions of Chrifi and his apoflles, will beft be feen by examining the feveral ar- j guments 3 z Revelation Examined^ &c. guments brought againft it by the advocates for eating blood. All which, that are of any weight, fhall, by G o d's affiftance, be fully examined in my next dilTertation, DiS" Revelation Examined^ 6cc, 3 j Dissertation II. J A V I N G, in the forego- A fliort i-e- ing differtation, fliewn ^fP^j^," p^^^^^^ you, that the eating of dent differ- blood is forbidden by the '^"°"- prohibition of eating the blood with the flefh; and that this prohibi- tion is founded upon very important reafonsj I ft, To prevent cruelty' to the creatures j 2dly, As a memorial that God is the Author and Giver of life 5 and, ^dly, Becaufe the lives of the creatures were to be offered up to G o D in lieu of the lives of men forfeited by their offences; confequently, that the blood, which is the life, was confecrated to the make- ing of atonement upon the altar; having alfo fhewn you, that the eating of blood never was permitted, either before the flood, or after; or under the law, or under the gofpel; but, on the contrary, that it was, in truth, prohibited in every one of thefe periods ; before the flood, all animal food was plainly enough prohibited. Vol. II. D ig 5 4 Rkvel ATiON Examined^ Sec, in that part of Adam?> curje^ which condemns him to eat the herbs of thefield^ and bread in the fweat of his brow, till he returned to the duft ; thus was he levelled with the hearts in his food, fays Mairnonides (More Nevo . p. i . c. 2. ): after the flood^ a more exprefs prohibition of blood is continued, in the reftraint laid upon Noah : uuder the law, in that folemn command in the xviith chapter of Leviticus^ both to the jfews, arid the ftrangers that fojourned with them, to abdain from all manner of blood j and under the gofpel, by a folemn iniund:ton of the apoilolic council to the Gentile converts, to ahCi^'mfrom bloody and things flrangled. Of theapo- T H E Only queftion then is, whe- concernilig''' ^^^^^ ^^is apoftolic decree hath been blood, and fmcc repealed. And this will beft things ftran- appear, by confiderinp; the argu- gled, whether ^ ^ ' r \^' , ^ i A it wis only of Hicnts tor this repeal, produced by temporaryob- the advocatcs for eating blood ^ ligation. which I now come to examine. First, then, it is faid. That this decree of the apoftles was only temporary, to prevent giving offence to the Jews^ in the infancy of the Chriftian religion: and confequently the reafon of it is long fmce ceafed ; and that cef- fation is a virtual repeal. I N anfwer to this, I defire it may be con- fidered, whether the reafons now mentioned, for Revelation Examined^ Sec. 3 5 for abftaining from blood, do not equally ex^ tend to all ages and nations of the world : and, if they do, it is evident this injunction of the apoilles had no peculiar relation, either to the infancy of the Chriftian religion, or to the people of the Jews, unlefs it be thought, that the Jews are the only people in the world, who are obliged to abftain from cruelty to the crea- tures, or to recognize God as the Author and Giver of life; or that this nation only were in- titled to the atonement made by blood : and, if fo. How came facrifices inPdtuted immediately- after the fall ? And how came blood to be pro- hibited to all the fons of Noab^ before there was any fuch thing as a Jew in the world ? This pretence then, feems very ill-founded. I T may indeed be urged with much more plauf.biliiy by Chrijlicifis, That blood being confecrated to the making of atonement for lin, as a type of the facrifice of Chrijf, and that atonement being now received by his bloody as St. Paul exprelTcs it, in the vth chapter of his epiftle to the Romans^ the reafon of ablf inence, in this point, isnowceafedj and, confequently, that abftinence is no lono;er a duty. But then it mufl be remembred, in anfwer to this reafoning, that the apoftolic decree again ft blood was pafted many years after this atonement was made: and, furely, it is no more unreafonable (tho' I will not take it up- D 2 oa 36 Revelation Examlned^Scc. on me to pronounce it flridtly obligatory) to abftain from blood, now, in commemoration of the atonement made by the blood of Chriji^ for the iins of the xvhole world, than it was before to abftain from it in view of that atone- ment. For, barely to confider it in the light of gratitude, one v/ould imagine, that the fenfe of an infinite benefit received iliould, in reafon, and in duty, have no lefs weight with us, than the diftant profpecl and expectation of fuch a benefit- unlefs hope can render any obfervance more reverential, and more religious, than gra- titude : "and fhould any one, that deems himfelf a free-thinker^ imagine it ought (from a pecu- liarity of complexion, remarkable enough in this abufed dencmination of men ); yet, furely, his fmgularity in this point cannot aftedt the 6iher reafons of abilinence from^ blood, already afTigned; which muft eternally hold, as long as cruelty to the creatures is a crime, or the recognition of Goi>, as the Author and Giver of life, is a duty. And this one would think. an anfwer, more than fufficient to filence thofe important objedors, who call this an inftitution merely ceremonial and pofitive; for if even fuch of the divine injuncflions as commonly go under that name, are found, upon inquiry, to have a folid foundation in reafon, and a clear ih reparable connexion with the neceflary and eternal nature of things, thefe gentlemen would 'do well to beware, how they hatiily dif- claim divine appointments j lefl-, in their en- - , mity Revelation Examined, Sec. 37 mity to revealed religion, they may haply be found fighting againll: realbn and nature ; like Merope * in the tragedy, who, in the blindnefs of hd! fiiry, miltook her darling fon for her mortal enemy. A G A I N, it is objeded, That creatures which died of themfelves, and confequently had the blood in them, might be given to the ftranger, or fold to an alien 3 and it is evident, that the ftarnger and alien were in this cafe permitted to eat blood. I ANSWER, That this objedlion was faffi- ciently obviated in the precedent differtation : and have only to add, that it may, with almofl equal reafon, be objedted both to the Jews^ and to us, that we eat blood in every creature we kill to this day, becaufe it is impoifible to drain it all from them. And what then? The que- ftion is, concerning the eating of blood feparate from the creature, or eating the blood deiign- edly left in the creature, to ferve any end of luxury, or cruelty j and eating blood, in either of thefe ways, is what I efteem to be unlawful. The eating of blood, as fuch, was never ima- gined an adion, fimply, and in itfelf, iinful ; tho' it was, and is, criminal, in certain circum- ftances, from the reafon and nature of things. * Plut. Moral, p. 998. D 3 as jS Revelation Examinecl^ &c. as well as the divine prohibition: and it was prohibited, for very wife, and very important reafons ; and when thofe reafons ceafed, as in the inllance objed:ed, the prohibition ceafed too : and therefore this objection is fo far from overthrowing the do(5trine laid down, that, in truth, it confirms itj for what can be a clearer proof, that the reafons of any divine prohibition are righdy alligned, than this, that, as foon as thofe reafons ceafe, the prohibition ceafesalfo? When the creature died of itfelf, its blood could neither be poured out upon the altar for atone- ment ; nor abufed to idolatry ; nor reverenced, in recognitition of Go d's being the Author and Giver of life ; nor fpilt to prevent cruelty in the ufe of the creatures : and therefore, there, fuch a fmall portion of it, as could not be fepa- rated from the flefh, was permitted to be eaten with it J in effecf, permitted even to the Jew^ under a very light penalty: but where there was a pofTibility either of cruelty or abufe, there it was more ftridly prohibited : and for this reafon, when a creature was torn by a heart:, there, the flefli was not to be touched by any human creature, but thrown to the dogs, as you may read in the xxiid chapter of Exodus^ at the 3 irt: verfe : and the reafon of this di- llindion is obvious; if men were permitted to makc^ any advantage of creatures torn to death by be-iits, what an inlet into all manner of fruelty (as well as villainy) might fuch a per- miilion Revelation Examined^ 8cc. 39 miffionbe! And who can fay, where it would end ? Nay, who knows, how far fuch dilacera- tions might even be counterfeited, to thepur- pofcs of idolatry, or indulgence in blood ? But however, as there might be cafes, clear of all fufpicion of cruelty or ill condud: in the owner, and wherein it might be thought hard, abfolutely to preclude men, by afevere penalty, from making any ufe of creatures fo flain (as when one ox gored another to death) ; the pe- nalty upon eating that which was torn, and that which died of itfelf, was, we find, the fame. In the cafe of a creature that died of itfelf, an heathen might eat fo much of the dead car- cafe, as his natural abhorrence of fuch food would permit, or his necellities would urge him to ( I mean, if thus much be necefTarily implied in the permiffion to the yews, of felling their tno?'ticinia to the heathen). It is true, the yew might not do even this, without a penalty : but it was only the flight penalty of wafiing his cloaths, and bathing in water ; and being un- clean till the evening. And the reafon of the diflin(5tion is added ; becaufe they were an holy people 'j a people peculiarly devoted to God. And, I hope, Chrifiiam will believe, that this reafon Ihould equally affect them; fince we are affured by St. Paul, in the iid chapter of his epiftle to l^itus^ verfe 14. that Chriji Jeju^ D 4 gave 40 Revelation Examined^ &e. gave himfelf for us, that he might redeem m from all iniquity ; and purify unto himfelj a pe- culiar people zealous of good iiDorks. And it is certain, that the primitive Chri- Jlians thought themfelves as much obliged to abftain from fuel: food, as ever the Jews were. Blood, and A G A I N, I muft befcech all gledfprohibiT ClorijUans ferioufly to attend to the ed under the tcnor of the words, bv which abfti- orne'^effar °" "^"*^^ ^'^^^^ blood, and things flran- things. ^Qdfvo 'm]omtdi: It feemed good U7i- to the Holy Ghojl^ and to us ( fay the apoftles), to lay upon you no greater burden than thefe necejjary things ; that ye abjiainfrom meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things Jirangled, and fro7n fornication : If thefe abftinences were only intended to be injoined for a feafon, could they properly be injoined under the denomination of necejjary things F Is that the proper appellation, for duties of a tran- fient, temporary obfervance ? Did neither the apollles, nor the Holy Ghofl, know the di- flindtion between necelTary and expedient ? Or fuppofe it not convenient to make that diflin- affirming that this canon is only an exemption from the obfervance of the JeiviP:) law, but contains no command or precept of abftinence, upon the points there mentioned. But the canon itfelf will heft determine this doubt; It fee?ned good unto the Holy Ghoji, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than thefe ?iecejjary things. Does any man imagine, that the words, no greater burden, imply no burden at all.? Or rather. Don't the words plainly im- ply, to common fenfe, that they did lay the load of thofe neceffary things upon them ; but would 48 Revelation Exammed^ &,c* would load them with nothing that was unne^ ceffary ? I own I fhould be ^.(liamed to men- tion thefeobjedions in a Cbriftia?2 country of common fcnfe, if fo learned a man as Dr. Hammond '* had not ferioufly urged them, as if he thought them of moment. A G A I Nj an objedlion is raifed againft this doctrine from the conclufion of the decree, ye do ivell'y infmuating, that tho' they Ihould do well to obferve it, yet they did no ill in not obferving it. I ANSWER, That doing well, in the fl:yle of Scripture, as well as common fpeech, is act- ing agreeably to our duty ; and doing well, in neceflary things, mufl certainly be, acting agreeably to necefTary duty 5 and certainly the fame duty cannot be at the fame time necefTary, ■ and indifferent. Bu T it is objeded, That, if the points con- tained in this decree are not parts of the Mojdic law, the decree has no relation to the queftion in debate; for the debate was, whether the Gentile conwcvts to Chrijlianity ihould be obliged • to obferve the law of Mofes. I ANSWER, That the decree hath the cleareft relation to the queftion ; inafmucli as * HammonJ, ihid. kKVELATiON Examined^ Sec, 49 it is a decifion, that the Gentile converts were not obliged to obferve the law of Mofes ; it hath at the fame time a plain relation to the point in qucflion : for what could be more pro- per, than to take that occafion to let the Gen- tiles know, that they were obliged to the ob- fervance of fuch duties as were obligatory an- tecedent to the law of MofeSj tho' they were exempted from that law? Again, it is urged, that this decree could only oblige thofe to whom it was dire6led ; /. e, the Gentiles oi Ant loch ^ and Syrici^ and Cilicia, A s if the decree, and the reafon of it, did not equally extend to all Gentile converts throughout the whole world : and as if this dod:rine were only taught and received in thole particular regions ; when it is evident, beyond a poffibility of being denied or doubted, that all Chrijlians, in every region of the earth, were taught and adually embraced the fame dodrine, at lead for the firft three hundred years after Cbrijl "*. Every one knows, that the queilion moved and debated in the council of yeriifalem refpeded no particular people or * Except in the inft^nce of a difpenfation, faid to have been granted by Eleutherius, Bifhop of Rome, in the fecond centUry, to eat any thing that was man's nieat j which yet was foon over- ruled by the prevalence of the doftrine of abllinence flrbm blood,; Ivhich became univerfal in the third century. Vol. II, E country^ 50 Revelation Examined^ Sec. country, but related to the heathen converts to Chrifiianity in general ; and it is certain, that the determination of that queftion was as general as the debate : and the reafon of direding the let- ters which carried this decree to the brethren at Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, plainly was, be- caufe they, and they only, had been difturbed by the dodrine of thofe Judatzing converts, who urged theneceffity of obferving the whole law of Mojes^ even after converlion to Chri^ Jiianity : and there was no neceffity, that the apoftles fhould write to any other converts on this occafion, but thofe who had been difturbed by that dodrine^ for when they were quieted upon this head, by the unanimous fentence of the apoflles, there was no danger, that any others lliould be difquieted by it; or, if they were, the fame fentence would undoubtedly be equally fatisfidory to them alfo j efpecially fince they could not but fee, that tho' the let- ter from the fynod of yerufalem was directed to the brethren at Antioch, yet it was plainly founded upon this principle, that all the con- verts from Heathenifm to Chriftianity (hould be exempted from all obfervance of the law of Mof'es, except in thofe four inftances laid down iu that canon; and thefe, as fo many precepts of the ions of Noah * (as, in truth, they con- * Whether thefe precepts were then known by that name, I fhall not take upon me to determine ( probably they were not) ; but that all the fons of isoah were obliged to obferve them, is I tiiink, undoubted. tarn Revelation Examined^ 6cc. 51 tain all fuch of them as were not already faf- ficiently known and admitted by the heathen world ) , the Jews themfelves believed to be obligatory upon all mankind, antecedent to the law of Mofes. A b D to all this, that, if the reafons of the apoftolic decifion, and the diredlion of the let- ters containing it, were not fo clear to us at this diftance, yet nothing were more fhocking, or more unchriftian, than to fuppofe, that the precepts of any apoftolic epiftle are obligatory to thofe only, to whom that epiftle is directed. B u T it is ftill objeaed, That this The main dlfpute could not have happened ^hi^doarine Otherwife than between Gentile and confidered. Judaizing converts ; and confequent- ly, the decifion of it muft have refpedl to the condud which it was then necefiary the Gen- tiles fhould hold, with regard to the Jeivs^ who could not converfe with them upon the foot of a friendly communication, could not fit at meat, &c. unlefs the Gentiles abflained from blood, ^c. Consequently, that this neceffity is now ceafed. In anfwer to this, admitting the premifes, I muft own I cannot fee how this conclufion follows from them, as long as there are Jeni'S E 2 and 51 Revelation ExamhiedyScc. and Mahometa?is in the world to be converted to the Chrijiian religion. Besides, whatever the occafion of this decree might be, Hi rely its precepts may be obligatory beyond the occafion. The precepts ofoiir Saviours fermon upon the mount were delivered on occafion of his being followed by (Treat multitudes from Galilee, Decapolis, (^c. Is the obligation of the precepts there delivered, only relative to the occafion ? Had not the apollles found this occafion of injoining thefe precepts of abilinence, is it to be imagin'd they would not have taken fime other occafion ? Or injoin^dthem without refpcdl to any occa- fion ? . Fornication, idolatry, luxury, and cru- elty to the creatures, are prohibited by this- decree; and an original precept from God to Noah, of manifold advantage to mankind, re- llored. Is it to be believed, the apoflles could Hand in need of a particular occafion to pro- hibit thofe enorrnicies ; or to redore this blelT- ing ? The heathen \vorId was over- run with idolatry *, and abandoned with regard to v.'o- * Tho' Muimonides only fays that the eating of blood gave occafion to idolatry r.mongthe ^abii, yet he gives us to under- Hand, thnt the fuperllitions of that people f.lled the whole world. See Shjohn Mu.'jham, fecul. 9- p. 195. Lond, edit, men j R E V E L A T J o N Exa Vnined, Sec. ^. ; men J and blood was fubtervient to both tliefe corruptions, Siippofe then the du t y of abd inence from blood to have ccafed with regard to idola- try, mjiiil it not lliil fubfift with regard to luxury? as it is in iti'elf an high infiaming food; and yet more fo, when blended with the fiefli, as in things llrangled. Fornication did not appear to the heathen world, to be contrary id the law of nature (nor do the libertines of the age fee it to be fo to this day) ; and, as they had no re- ftraints upon intemperance, their luxury of food greatly contributed to make them aban- doned. How then could the apoftles, whofe bufinefs it was to reform the world, pretend to amend mankind, wiihout recovering them from thefe corruptions ? And what more effec- tual method could they take to recover them, than a mofl folemn and lacred injunction of abilinence in thofe points contained in the de^ cree of 'Jeriifalem ? And that the apoltles had nothing lefs than this in view from t]iat4ecree, is, I think, fairly and fully to be colltcfted from thefe words of St. Luke^ Aois xvi. 4, 5. And as they ( i. e. Paul and his companions/) wettt thro the cities^ they delivered them the decrees for to keep^ that were ordained of the apojiles^ and elders lohich were at 'Jerufalem : and fo were the churches efahlified in the fait h^ and increafd in nwnber daily, E 3 Now 54 Revelation Examine J^ Sec. . Now the decree here referred to, is evi- dendy the decree concerning blood, &c. from the obfervance of which the churches were not only incieafcid, by opening the way to a more friendly communication with the Jews, and fo facilitating their admiffion into the C/)r/- jtia72 church, but they were hkewife ejlablijhed in the faith: Does this expreffion mean no- thing ! Ivlight v/e not conclude from it, with fome appearance of reafon, that the Chrifiian religion liad been defective without this efta- blifhmcnt ? But there are yet two other main funda- mental objeftions againft this doftrlne, taken^ from the declarations of our Saviour, St. Peter ^ and St. Paul. And the firfl of them is built upon thofe words of our bleffed Saviour in the xvth chap- ter of St. Matthew at the nth verfe; Not that which gocth into the mouth defdeth the man, but that wkich cor-ieth out of the mouth. From hence it is inferred, that a man may eat or drink any thing without fin, notwithftanding the apoflolic decree. But fu rely no Chrifiian would fay this, that favv the abfurdities of this affertion : for if this declaration of our Saviour's deftroys the validity of the apoftolic decree, then it will follow, - Flrfi, Revelation Examined^ Sec. 55 Firji, That this decree was repealed, juft twenty years before it was made, which is furely a very extraordinary fuppofition; for whoever looks into the chronology of his bible, will find, that thefe words of our Saviour were fpoken twenty years before the apoftolic coun- cil was held at jerufalem. Seco7idly, It will follow, that the whole body of the apoftles did, after fidl debate, and mature deHberation, make amofl folemn decree, in direct contradid:ion to the plain ex- prefs declaration of their blefled Lord and Saviour. And this fuppofition is furely as modeft, and as Chriflian, as the firft was extraordi- nary ! Nay more, they made this decree, un- der the immediate direction and influence of the Spirit of God, and yet made it in d'wQdi contradidion to the declaration of the Son of God. I am really at a lofs to think, whe- ther the abfurdity, or the blafphemy, of thefe fuppofitions is moil fliocking. Let us quit them then, and examine our Saviour's wprds by the common rules of reafon. And, to clear this point, I lay this down, as a plain rule of interpretation ^ that general exprejjions ought tiot to he extended beyond the reafon of them ^ and the occafwn of their being delivered. For example, St. Faulj in tlje E 4 tenth <6 Revelation Examined, Sec, tenth chapter of his firil epiftle to the Co- rinthians^ anfwering the arguments of thofe converts, who pretended they might inno- cently eat of things offered to idols, even in the idol-temples, ufes thefc words ; All thmgs are lawful for me^ but all things are not ex- pedient : Will any man infer from hence, that murder, and adultery, and inceft, were lavv^ful to St. Fault Or, that he thought they were ? No furely. What then can he mean by them ? I anfwer, That the reafon and occafion of them muft determine that queflion ; and do determine the plain {^ni^ of thofe words to be this ; All things that are lawful to any other man, are alfo lawful to m^e ; but every thing that is lawful to be done, is not always expe- dient : tho' the liberty you took of eating in the idol-temple were lawful, yet, if it gives of- fence, you ought not to take it. In the fame manner fhould that general exprellion of our Saviour's be interpreted; ISot that which goeth into the mouth defile th the niaHy but that which cometh out of the mouthy that defileth the man : Does any man imagine, that our Saviour meant to give full hcence to gluttony and intemperance by this declaration ? Or that a man might deliberately fwallow poifon by virtue of thefe words ; or, in general, might innocently eat any thing which the law of G od at that time forbad to be eaten ? Thefe were flrange abfurdities to be fuppofed. Revelation Exammed, See. 57 fuppoled. The {en(c of the declaration, jhen, mil ft be drawn from the realon and occaiion of it ; which was this : The Pharifees v/ere ofiended with our Saviour's difciplcs, for fitting down to meat before they wailjed their hands, contrary to the tradition of the elders; as if fuch a violation of a traditional precept were fin, and a pollution. In anfwer to this, after our Saviour hath fhev/n the iniquity and ab- furdity of their traditions, he adds. Not that which goeth into the mouth defiUth the man. Now the queftion is, What he meant by thofe words : and, if he himfelf had not told us, I really think, that the occafion and common fenfe would teach us to underftand no m.ore by them, than this, that it is not any little foil or filth taken into the mouth from eating with unwafh'd hands, that can be faid to defile a man ; nothing of that kind can properly be called a pollution. This, I fay, is the plain, natural, obvious fenfe of thofe words: indeed the latter part of the declaration is not fo plain ; but that "which cometh out of the tnouthy this defileth the man ; this part of it, I fay, is not fo intelligible ; neither was it fo to the difciples, and therefoire Peter defired his Lord to de- clare this parable unto them ; and accordingly he did fo, by fliewing, that whatfoever pol- lution was taken in at the mouth ivas ca/i out into the draught ; but what came out of the mouth, came forth from the heart, as did evil thoughts of all kinds- and he adds, Ihcfe 58 Revelation Examined, See. T/jefe are the things that defile the man; but to eat with miwafien hands defdeth not the man. Here you fee, that our Saviour himfelf explains his general declaration from the reafon and occaiion of it, and limits it there ^ limits it to eating with unwaflien hands; and furely he will be allowed to underftand his own declara- tion beft : and I lliould be glad to know, by what authority any man will take upon him to extend the fenfe and intention of thofe words farther than Chrift himfelf extends them; or, at leaf!:, farther than the reafon and occaiion of them will warrant; or where he will ftop, if he does : for if we may extend the declara- tion of Chhiil^ fo far as to take off our obliga- tion to the obfervance of one divine law, why not of any other that will come within the let- ter of that declaration (gluttony and intem^- perance, for example), tho' quite befide the iniention of it? The intention of it was, to take off all apprehenfion of guilt from violating a tradiiion of the elders: And fhall we extend it to take off all apprehenfion of guilt from violating a decree nifpired by the Spirit of God? B E SIDE J5, we fliould remember, that Chrifi refers to the* spirit of truth for many things ivhich he had yet to fay to /)/j difciples, which John xvi. iz, 13. they Revelation Eocamined, Sec. 59) ifbey could not bear: and fince this decree was made under the influence of the spirit of truths we may well conclude, that the pre- cepts contained in it, were of that number : and, in all probability, they could not then bear to be told, that the law of Mofes fhould be utterly abrogated 5 except fuch precepts as were obligatory upon all mankind, ante- cedent to it. But, if this decree is flill obligatory, why have we not heard of it fooner ? I ANSWER, That, as errors have gradually crept in, they mull be gradually removed ; and the earlieft laft : but, I hope, it will be allowed, that no antiquity can fandify error. As this point made xjo part of the difpute at the reformation, nothing could be determined upon it, in that contell ; and no occafion, that I know of, hath lince offered to bring it into debate. I COM E now to the laft objedion of weight, which is this : that the diflindion of clean and unclean meats is plainly taken away in the IsTewTeftament, and particularly by that voice from heaven in St. Vetera vifion j and that St. Pj2^/ clearly determines the lawfulnefs of eat- ing any thing fold in the fhambles, or fet be- fore us on the table, asking no quejlions for €onfcience-fake. 5 To 6o Revelation Examined^ &ic. T o the iirft part of this objedtion, I anfwei% That the dillinCLion of meats clean and un- clean, commonly luppofed to be introduced and eflablithed by the law of Mojes, is plainly taken away, by the voice from heaven, accom- panying St. Peters vifion: Bat how does this conceiTion affeft the prohibition of blood, efta- bliilied before the law of Mofes ; and winch hath nothing to do wiih the dilf indion of crea- tures clean and unclean, taken away at that time ? But, to cut this difpute fliort, I Hiall only obferve, that the very command to St. Peter ^ in that vifion, is fo far from taking av/ay the prohibition of blood given to Noah^ that it clearly ellabhihes it: the words are thcfe; Rife, " Peter, kill and eat. Now the Greek word :>uVoj', which is here tranfiated kill, does in the original fjgnify to facrifice: and tlie plain fenfe of the command is this; that Peter ihoald llay thofe creatures, as creatures were wont to be llain for facrilice; that is, that he ll:iould firH: draw away the blood, and thei:i eat them : and no man, that pretends to any knowlcge in the Greek tongue, vv'ill fay, that this word has, or can liave, any other mean- ing in this place; and therefore the very com- mand, which takes away the diftinction of creatures clean and unclean, is fo far from taking away the prohibition of blood, that it eflablilhes it. BeS IDESj Retelation Examined, 5cc. 6i . Besides,! defire it niay be obferved, that this command to St. Peler was given in the 4iil year from our Saviour's birth; or, in other words, in the year of our Lord 41 : and the decree of the apoftles at Jenija/em was in the year of our Lord 52; /. e. the prohi- bition of blood was ellabhlhed eleven years after the difi:in(5tlon of meats clean and unclean was taken away. Ill-fated decree ! to be again repealed, fo many years before it was made ! As to the latter part of the objedlon, I own, St. Paul allows, that Chriftiam may eat wJjatfoever is fold in the fiambleSy or Jet before them at a friend's table, asking no queftionsfor confcience-fake : But will any man in his fenfes interpret this permiiTion to extend farther, than to things lawful and proper to be fold or eaten ? What (liocking abfurdities will follow from fuch a fuppofuion ? Do thefe people imagine, that St. Paul meant to licenfe all the barbarities of the Scythians and Melan- chlceniam * in the bufinefs of food ? And yet all this will follow, from thefe conceffions, inter- preted in their utmofl extent. Can it be be- lieved, with any colour of reafon, that St. Paul gave this permiffion in contradiction to the de- cree of Jerufalem ? a decree to which he him- * The lUlanchUnians fed upon human flcfh. "\'ide Uera- d'it s, 1. iv. - , . feif 62 Revelation Etcamined^ Sec. felf confented! nay, which he him felf princi- pally occafioned! which he himfelf adually carried about, and depofited with the feveral churches ! What abfurdity, and contradidlion of condudl, would thefe men brand the apoftle with? To go himfelf, and, with his own hands, to depolit the apoftolic decree in one church, under the fandlion of a canon ratified by the Spirit of God; and then go immediately to another church, and preach againft that very canon j and decry it as inconfiflent with Chn- 7?m;? liberty ! Was this the way to eftablifli Cbri- Jlianity in the world, by contradi(flory and in- confident doctrines! It feems likewife, that his preaching was in this point ( if he did preach ) as vain, as it was inconfiftent -, for we do not hear of one convert to blood made either by his fermons or epiftles, for the firft ^oo years of the Chrijiian aera. But, after all, thefe vaunted permifllons of the apoftie will, upon inquiry, be found to have no relation either to blood, or things flrangled; but to relate intirely to meats of- fered to idols ; parts of which were fometimes fold in the fhambles, and fometimes eaten in private houfesj and thefe the apoftie per- mitted to be eaten by Chrijiians, asking no que ji ions for confcience-fake : and fince thefe permiffions no way relate to blood, or things iirangled, I fliould be glad to know, by what rule of reafon any man can take upon him to apply Revelation Examined^ Sec. 6j apply them to thefe points, beyond the inten- tion of the apoftle, and contrary to every reafonable rule of interpretation! And when- ever any man proves from thofe conceffions, that the apoftle meant to give Chrijiians a liberty of eating blood, and things ftrangled, I will undertake to prove, by the fame way of reafoning, that he intended to give himfelf a full licence to commit murder and inceil:. But flill it may be urged, that St. Paid undeniably allows Chrijiians to eat things offered to idols, contrary to the apoftolic decree: and, if he invalidates that decree in one inilance. Why not in another ? T o this I anfwer. That the plain intention of the council at Jerufalem, in commanding to abftain from meats offered to idols, was, to keep Chrifiiam from idolatry j or, as St. James expreffes it, from pollutions of idols : and the true way to effect this, they knew, was, by prohibiting all communion with idols and ido- laters, in their feails, inflituted in honour of their idols ; and this is plainly what is meant by the comunand of abftaining from meats of- fered to idols : and fince thofe feafls were kept in the idol-temples. How is this command in- validated by St. Paul's permiflion of eating any part of a creature fold in the (hambles, or fet before them in private houfes, tho' that creature might have been (lain in honour to an idol;' 64 Revelation Exammed^ 8cc, idol J fince the Chrijliaji that eat it in this manner, did not eat it in honour to the idol, nor. as meat offered to an idol, but as common food? To illuilrate this by a parallel inftance: Suppofe the apoftolic decree had commanded Chrifiians to abftain from things jlolen^ What would any reafonable man cnderftand by that prohibition? Would he not underltand, that it was meant to prohibit tlieft, and all com- munion with thieves in their villainy? Yes furely. Suppofe then any one of the council fhould, after this, tell the people he preached to, that they might buy any meat publicly fold in the ihambles, or fet before them in pri- vate houfcs, asking no queftionsjor confcience- fake, tho' poffibly the butcher, or the hoft, might have Helen that meat: Would any man in his fenfes think this permiffion was intended to annul or invalidate the decree of abftaining from things Jlolefif And if any m.an think fuch an interpretation abfurd in one cafe, he muft furely think it as abfurd in the other; efpecially fmce St. Paul himfelf fo exprefly, and fo fo- iemnly, deters Chrifiians from all participation of idolatrous feafts; that is, from all meats offered to idols, as fuch : for whereas it was pretended by fome, that they might innocently partake of idol-fealls, fmce they knew that an idol ivas ?iothi7jg, and that there was no G o i> but one; he reproves that pretence by that dread- kfiv ELATION Examined^ Slc. ^^5 dreadful denunciation in the xth chapter of the firft epiftle to the Corinthians, at the 20th and 2iftverfes* But I fay, that the things which the Gentiles facrijice^ they facrifice to devils, and not to God : and I would not, that yejhould have fellowjljip with devils. Te can- not drink the cup of the Lord, ajid the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lords table, and the table of devils. And will any man, after this, pretend to fay, that St. Paul indulg'd Chriftians, in eating meats offered to idols, contrary to the apoftolic decree ? I will fay more J I will venture to affirm, that whoever reads St. Pauh firft epiftle to the Corinthians with attention^ will find that the main pur- pofe and tendency of it is, to recommend and eftablifh the feveral particular duties contained in the apoftolic decree at ferufalem ; I mean the duties of abftinencc from fornication, idol- pollutions, and forbidden food *. It is true he does this with great addrefs, with fecming Conceffions, fubmiffion to their wifdom, &c. but ftill all thefe have no other view than to ^in them over to his own opinion to more ad- vantage. That he meant to deter them from fornication and idol- pollutions, is out of all * As the reader will fee, not only by the whole tenor of the epiftle, but by confidering, in a more particular manner, the fe- veral pafTages here referred to; viz. ch. iii. i, 2, 3, 17. ch. V. 1,6, 7, 9J 10, II. chi. vi. 9. 12, 13. ch. vii, 31. [ch. viii. intire, and ch. ix. 4, io, 21, 22, 23, 27. compare*! with ch. X. beginning at the 5th verfe. ] Vol. II. F doubt: 66 REVELAtiON ExamhedjScc. doubt: that he meant alfo to with-hold them from luxurious and forbidden foods, is, I think, evident from the following texts: Be net de- ceived: neither fornicators^ nor idolaters^ nor adulterers^ nor effeminate^ &c. fdall inherit the kingdom of God. Meats for the belly ^ and the belly for tneats : but God JJmll deftroy both it and them. And they that ufe this worlds as not abufing it : for the fajhion of this world pafeth away. Neither let us tempt Chriji^ as fome of them alfo tempted^ and were defrayed offcrpents. Now the deft ruction oixYitlfraeU ites, here referred to, was for their intem- perate longing for the delicacies oi Egypt ^ from which God had precluded them: and the verl'e that follows, is to the fame purpofe; Neither murmur ye ^ a^ fome of them alfo mur- mured^ and were defroyed of the deftroyer. And the reafon why the apoftle conveys this dodrine fo covertly, and with fuch caution, "was, becaufe the perfons to whom he wrote, were yet weak and carnal 5 The main objedions to this decree, Tsiid its dodrines, are, I think, now removed : but flill there are fome lighter cavils that deferve to be confidered: for inftaacei ObjeaioTis of I T is urgcd, That the word c^ted!'"' -^'F^^^ ( f«^-"^c^'tion) is wanting in fome manufcripts; and that St. Auguftine tellsus 'fontra FauJiJ, xxxii. c. i^), c that Revelation Examined, Sec. 6/ 'that fuch as abftained from wild-fowl, hare, &c. on account of their being killed without bleeding, were laughed at in his time ; it being underftood, that our Saviour's declaration above*mentioned licenfed all forts of food. I ANSWER, That, were thefe laughers angels from heaven^ we were obliged, in this caie, to reject them. Gal. i. 8, 9. Besides, this objedion from St. Augujiim^ and the ridicule of his contemporaries, being profe/Tedly founded upon our Saviour's decla- ration, muft manifeftly lland or fall, accord- ing to the skill or ignorance with which that declaration is interpreted : and whether fucl> interpreters, as his contemporaries, are more the objects of our admiration, our contempt, or our pity, I leave the reader to judge. It were alfo'eafy to confront this father, with other declarations of his own, inconfiftent with the licence here feemingly allowed, as alfo with many authorities, fuperior to his own j authorities, of all the earlier fathers, of em- perors, and of councils : but as thefe are eafily to be colle(5led from comments, the reader, if he thinks it worth while to fearch, may find them there. I SHALL only add, that, however ir^fig- nificant the obfervationof this precept yf abfti- F ^ ueace 68 Revelation Examined^ Sec. nence from blood may now be deem'd, it Was not fo confidered in the early ages of Chri- ftianity : quite otherwife j it was of the laft confequence to the eftablifliment of this holy religion in the world : for, whereas it wa& a known calumny upon the primitive Chriftians, that they facrificed children in their affemblies, and drank their blood, the Chriftian apologias defend them from this charge by urging the iniquity and abfurdity of fuppofing they fhould drink human blood, whofe principles obliged them to abftain moft confcientioufly and reli- gioufly from blood of every kind j as in faft they did, and were foon well known to do j info much that in the Chriftian perfecutions it became the common tell of their religion, to offer them blood ; which if they refufed to tafte (as they fteadily did, even in the ways that blood is now eaten among us), they were immediately concluded to be Chriftians, and as fuch condemn'd to martyrdom j which they patiently and chearfully fuffer'd, rather than violate the exprefs commands of God; and decree of his apoflles, againft that pradiice. Nor was this abftinence of great confe- quence in this point only^ it was of the utmoft importance to keep out one of the greateft and moil grievous errors, that difgraces.the Chri- llian -religion at this day, I mean the dodrine of tranfubllantiation : for, had this been one af the known principles of Chriflians in the early Revelation Examined^ 8>cc 69 early ages, they would then have been fo far from being able to refute the charge of their eating blood, that it muft have been retorted upon them with tenfold force. The objedion from the deiTectivenefs of the text in fome manufcripts, D.t. Gale hath fully and learnedly confuted: a\nd I fl:iall only add, that thefe fedulous ob^edors had been filent upon the point, had the\y remem- bred, that this decree is founded upon Saint yames's fentence, where no defed: is prei'ended ; and that the fame decree is again recited {L'J^s xxi. If.), and by the apoftles themfelves, ^ without any omiflion or deficiency. But flill it may be objeded, that the pro- hibition of fuch minute things as meats and drinks, are below the majeily of Goo. I ANSWER, That it may with as much juflice be objeded, that anger, and abufive appellations, are prohibited in the Gofpel: For are not thefe at leall equally beneath the majefly of G o d ? Human wifdom may ob- jed, whatever infolence and vanity fuggeft; but thefe principles will always be ill mea- fures, by v/hich to efcimate the wifdora and majefly of God. It is the perfedlion, and ever will be the glory, of the Gofpel, that it prohibits not only grofs and immediate ads F 3 Qf yo Revelation ^xamined^ Sec. of immorality, , but even its moil diftant and unfufpeded tendencies. For my o\;A'n part, I can no more fee any abfurdity in a. fubordination of duties in any law, either o,f God or man, than of magi- flrates in goYernment. The refpedt, exaded towards infe-^rior magiftrates, adds double dig- nity and veneration to the characters of thofe above ther^.i : in like manner, the religion with v/hich lit-de things are guarded, adds double fandion; to the greater. /^. And after all ; whoever looks with atten- tion into the ways of nature and providence, and conliders to what minute feeds, little acci- dents, and feemingly cafual and unimportant inftitutions and inftrudtions, the greateft pro- dudions in nature, the greateft revolutions in the affairs of the world, and the greateft cha- raders among mankind, have owed, and ftill owe, their origin, will neither find it eafy, nof prudent^ to pronounce what is Httle, or unmo- mentous, in the appointments and inftitutions of Almighty God. Give me leave to add, that iuch fentences will never be the calm decifions of a truly inlarged and enlightened ^ind. T A M but too fenfible, that a dodrine very different from this prevails at pr^fent : it is. thought Revelation Examined, See, 7 \ thought ad vi fable to demolifl) the outworks of religion, to prevent their being made, I know not what, lodgments for the^enemy. I fhould imagine, that the city of G o d had no vain works ereded about it ; at leaft, none of God's ered:ing! and theie only I contend to preferve: at leaft, I am fure, if we confider the church of Gao under another image, which the language of Scripture hath made more familiar to us, I mean, that of a vine-^ yard, this way of reafoning will ill bear the teft; deflroying the fences of the vineyard was never thought the beft way to preferve its fruit. May we not with much more juftice complain to G o d, in the words of the Fjalmifl^ of the prefent condition of that vine, which his own right-hand hath planted amongft us ? T^hou made/i room for it j and, when it had taken rooty it filled the land, The hills were covered with the fiadow of it ; and the Soughs thereof were like the goodly cedar-trees. She firetched out i?er branches unto the fea, and her boughs unto the river. Whv haji thou then broke?! dowfi her bedgCy that all they that go by^ pluck off her grapes? The wild boar out of the wood doth root it up^ and the wild beafis of the field devour it. Turn thee again, thou God of hofis-y look down from heaven \ behold and vifit this vifie^, I A M fenfible I have already detained the reader too long upon this fubjed ; I am fure, piuch Ipnger than I couU wifh: and yet, F 4 before yi Revelation Examined^ 6cc. before I conclude, I muft beg his patience foe one obfervauon more, and but one, in relatioi> to the importance of it ; viz. that it will not be eafy to produce one fo direct, plain, and authoritative prohibition of all the impiety and immorality forbidden by this decree, from any other part of the New Teft^ment befides. For, tho' St. P^w/exprelly prohibits both idolatry and fornication, yet poffibly all men may not count his fmgle prohibition as au- thoritative, as that of the whole council of the apoftles, under the immediate influence of the JIolyGhoit. In this decree, fornication, and idol- pol- lutions, are exprefly prohibited j and luxury of the worft kind, that is, luxury indulged with cruelty, prohibited in its caufe : and, I believe, no Chriftian will deny, that the per- fection of the Gofpel required, that fuch im- moral and impious pradtices fhould be prohi- bited, under the fuillen: and firmefl fandions of divine authority; the grofTer more expreily and authoritatively, and all fufficiently. I T were eafy to corroborate thefe reafonings by the authorities of fome of the beft and ablefl men that this, or perhaps any other age of the world ever produced; but that of Sir Ifaac Newton may, I hope. Hand in the ftead of all the Tcfl: as it may be found at large in p. i88, ^89, Revelation Examined^ &c. ^ j J 89, 190, of his chronology. I (hall only tranfcribe what follows: "And Mo/es adds the precept of ^eing f* merciful even to brute beafis^ fo as not to ** fuck out their bloody nor to cut off their fieJJi ** alive ivith the blood in ity nor to kill them for " the fake of their bloody nor to jlr angle them-, " te, in killing them for food^ to let out their "^^ blood, and fpill it upon the ground, Gtn. ix. " 4. and Levit. xvii. 12, 13. This law was " antienter than the days of Mofes, being ** given to Noah and his fons, long before the ** days oi Abraham : and therefore, when the ^* apoftles and elders in the council of Jeru- *' falem declared, that the gentiles were not " obliged to be circumciled, and keep the law ** of Mofes^ they excepted this law of abflain- " /V^g" jrom blood, and things flrangled, as " being an earlier law of God, impofed not " on the fons of Abraham only, but on all " nations, while they lived together in Shinar *' under the dominion ofNoah : and of the fame ^' kind is the law of abftaining from meats ** offered to idols^ or falfe gods^ and from for ^ *? nicationy Thus have I defended a divine A fummary revelation and command ; a com- P^'°^^'^'*"- mand of eafy, unexpenfive obfervance, pre- ventive of cruelty, luxury, and many other (Evils J and conducive to much good ! mani- ^- ■ ' ■ f^l^ly f 4 Revelation Examined^ Sec, fellly contributing to the bealthfulnefs and fimplicity, and, in confequence of both thefe, to the elegance and delicacy of food. A COMMAND, in its nature, negative and abfolute, as that of the forbidden fruit. A COMMAND given by G o d himfelf to Noahj repeated to M-oJ'eSy and ratified by the apoilles of Jefus Chrifi; given immediately after the tiood, when the world, as it were, began anew ; and the only one given on that great occafion j repeated with awful folemnity, to that people whom God feparated from the reil of mankind, to be holy to himfelf; re- peated with dreadful denunciations of divine •vengeance, both againft the Jeiv and the Jiraj7ger that fliould dare to tranfgrefs it; and ratified by the moft folemn and facred council, that ever was afjfembled upon earth j adling under the immediate influence of the Spirit of God! tranfmitted from that facred altembly to the feveral churches of the neighbouring nations, by the hands of no meaner meflengers, than two bifhops, and two apoflles; aiferted by the bed writers and moft philofophic fpirits of their age, the Chrijiian apologias; and feaied with the blood of the beil men, the Chrijiian martyrs 1 confirmed by the unani- mous fentences of fathers, emperors, and coun- cils^ and one of thefe as low as the iixth century; reverenced ( in conformity to the prac- tice Revelation Examhed, See. 75 tice and principles even of Jews and Maho- metans ) by the whole church of G o d for the firft 300 years after Chriji; and by all the churches of the Eaji to this day ; churches allowed to be more extenfive, and not more corrupt, than that which vaunts itfclf catholic and infallible -y and fupported by the authorities of fome of the ableft and bell writers of this or any age. And will any man, after this, dare to vilify this command ? Will any man in his fenfes pronounce a precept, fo given, fo repeated, and fo ratified by God himfelf, unmeaning and unimportant? Can we imagine, that it was afferted by the moft learned men of the early ages of Chrijlianity (and many of the later ) without knowlege ? or obeyed by the moft holy, even unto death, without con- fcience? or reverenced by the whole church pf GoDj without reafon? And lliall we, after all this, contemn this command, becaufe light libertines revile, and infolents defpife it? or, at beft, becaufe fome learned men have given very weak and ungrounded, very unlearned reafons, for believing it repealed? reafons which I have now fufficiently refuted and expofed. And fhall fuch reafons, and fuch authorities, weigh againft God, and the infpirationsof his Holy Spirit? againft the apoftles, and apologifts, and martyrs ; and the whole church of Go o, for the three firft and pureft ages of the Chri^ Jiian aera j and fome of the greateftgeniufes, and lights of learning, that ever the world beheld fince ^6 Revelation Examined^ Sec, iince that aera ? Let others glory in their Chrt- Jiian liberty, as they like beft : but, perhaps> to fome of thefe we may fay with St. Pai/l-j Tour glorying is not good: know ye not^ that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump f Thus much, at leaft, we may fay with him J Let not him that eatethj defpife him that eateth not : and let not him ivhich eateth not^ judge him that eateth. There is room for charity on both fides, but with this advantage to the abftinent, that meat (moft certainly ) commendeth us not to God : for neither, if we eat, are we the better-, neither, if we eat not, are we the ivorfe. It is fome confolation to be on the fure fide of duty. Glory who will, in his Chrijiian liberty ; Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats : but then let them not for- get what follows, Godjloall deftroy both it and them, I F mine be an error, it mull be owned, at the fame time, that it is an error on the fure fide : it is innocent : it is an error infinitely better authorized, and nearer allied to religion, virtue, and humanity, than its contrary! for ( not to mention the precepts of apoflles, the opinions of fathers, and the decrees of councils), if I err, I err with the moft men (not heathen), and with the beft! with the whole Chrijiian world of the beft ages! and the whole Eajiern world to this day! I err, on the fide of huma- nity REVELAtiON Examined^ Sec, yf nity and health ; and a religious gratitude to the Author and Giver of life, for every crea- ture flain for my fupport ! I err, in oppofition to a pradice manifeftly brutal and favagej a prac- tice v^hich human nature abhors; a favage prad:ice! which over-ran the Weft, together with the Goths and Vandals ; a pradice intro- duced by Scythian barbarity, and eftablifhed, by popery, when it had paved the way to one of its greateftand worft corruptions; eftablifhed, with other works of darknefs, in the ages of error and ignorance, and their neceflary ton- fequences, immorality and irreligion. ApRAGTiGE, which, undcr its only co- lourable pretence, of aflerting Chriftian liberty, can, in the ordinary courfe of things, neither anfwer nor propofe any end worth mentioning, but thofe of floth, luxury and cruelty ; ends, of all others, leaft Chrijiia7i! But, tho' all this be demonftrably true, yet am I fufficiently fenfible, that I have all this time been fpeaking in a great meafure to appetite, which hath no ears ; and to prejudice, which hath no eyes; to perverfenefs, incapable of attention ; and to pride, incapable of con- vi^lion : and am fo far from being able to brincr fome men to reafon, that I am myfelf, per- haps, become the object of their pity, for attempting it; that I have been feeding the raillery of libertines, and the feoffs of infidels ; that ^8 Revelation Examinedy 8cc. that even dulnefs will droll on this occafioni and ftupidity break ftale jeftSi Alas ! who is fo ignorant, as not to know, that the /corner^ foe to every virtue and excellence ip life ! muft, in that veiy character, be the fworn enemy of every part of religion j of that religion, by which every virtue lives, and is efteemed in the world ? Who is {o ignorant, as not to kno w^ that this meanefi: denomination of men fubiifls upon earth, Uke the meaneft fpecies of infedts: by tieslng and tainting to the utmofl: of their malignant might j and then feeding where they have infe and the brick, Herodotus affures us, "was baked in fu?~ijaces ; fo perfectly does his teftimony agree with Mofes^ who records the purpofe of thofe builders, and their performance of it, in thefe words : And they J'aid o?ie to another^ Go to, let us make brick^ and burn them throughly ; and they had brick for ft one ^ a?idjlime had they for morter. Then follows ; And they faid. Go to, let us build us a city^ and a tower ^ whofe top may reach unto heaven. The expreffion of reaching unto heaven is ufed, according to the known idiom of the Hebrew^ and the Greek alfo, to lignify very G 2 great 84 Revelation Exa^nhied, Sec, great height. And, in fli6l, the height of this tower was prodigious j it was an hun- dred and nineteen feet higher than the higheft of the Egyptian pyramids j even according to their accounts, who rate it lowed ■*. Now the accounts of the heathen, concerning this city, are all either fabulous or contradictory : fome lay, that Belus built it 5 others, Semiramis ; and we know, that Nebuchadnezzar took all the glory of it to himfeif. Ctefms (and after him Diodoriis) afcribes all the buildings of that great city to Semiramis j which yet were the known works of many fucceeding generations ; and which were fo prodigious, that it was im- poflible they could be otherv/ife executed. But, as he is an hiflorian of no credit, and demonflrably and notorioully falfe in his account of this matter ; and as other hea- then hiflorians are not fo much as agreed ' who was the founder of the city (tho' all agree, that this tower was the temple of BehiSy who is fuppofed the Nimrod of the Scripture) j fome "f- feeming of opinion, that it * StraBo determines the height of it to be a furlong ; and, upon this foot, the authors of the Univerfal Hiftory compute it to be 179 feet higher than the greateft of the Egyptian pyramids. •f- Pliny, vol. i. p. 356. Durat adhuc ihi JowsBeli templum : inventor hie fiiit Jideralis fcientiee. And Diod. Siculus, 1. i. gives us to underftand, that the Chaldeam made their aftro- nomical cbliervaiions therc^ was Revelation Examined, Sec. 85 was ereifled by him for aiironomical cbier- vadons ; and others, that it was built a litde later, and dedicated to him ; it is plain we have no account of this matter to reft upon, with any clearnefs and confidence, except that of Mojes ; who, as he is doubt- Icfs the mod antient, is alio found, after all poffible fcrunity, to be infinitely the mod authentic hillorian, of all antiquity. And as this tower of Babel, confidered upon the foot of the antient chronology, is doubdcfs the oldefl work, of the oldeft (at lead, one of the oldell) city, of the oldeft empire of the world ; and confefTedly at- chieved in the beginning of that empire ; the queflion, then, is. How it could be performed fo early, otherwife than in the manner Mofes relates it ? for Belus i$ allowed, by mofl: and bed heathen writers *, to be the founder of the city, as well as the empire ; and it never was doubted, that the tower was built by the founder of the empire, when the fame perlbn is fuppofed the founder of the city : and, being at the fame time allowed the moil prodigious work of all antiquity, the queflion is, How Belus could build it? It is not to be imagined, how it could be attempted by any * See Quint. Curt. 1. v. and Pliny, ut fupra. Prideaux's connei^ion, part I. I. if. G 3 prince S6 Revelation Exaniined^ &:c. prince in the infancy both of empire and arts ; in the infancy of empire, when royalty was confined, for the moft part, to the domi- nion of one or two cities ? as it certainly was, as low as Abrahdm -, and no more than four are attributed even to Nimrod in the Scripture J and Mofes's account of him is, that he began to be a mighty one in the earth : which the beft writers explain, by his being the firfl that laid the foundation of regal authority among mankind : and to imagine, that fuch a beginner of fovereign power could effed fuch a ftrudure as the tower of Babel^ is a wild fuppofition. Nor is it imaginable, how an empire, able to effedt fuch a work, could be intirely acquired, and fo thoroughly eftabliilied by the fime perfon, as to allow leifure for amufements of fuch infinite toil and trouble. It is true, great empires have fince been feemingly acquired by fingle perfons, as Cyrus and Alexander : but there is a great error in this fuppofition ', they began, upon the founda- tion of kingdoms already acquired by their anceflors3 and efiablillied, by the care and wifdom of many fucceffive rulers, for feveral generations ; and after a long improvemerit and exercife of their people in arts and arms, which gave them fingular advantages over thofe they conquered : fo that tho' thefe empires rofe to their height under Cyrus and Alexander^ yet were they in reality the v/ork Revelation Examhied^Scc, Sy work of many ages. Even Genghijca?t^ and Tamerlane the Great, let out upon the credit and ftrength of conliderable principa- lities long in the polleffion of their anceflors ; nor is there any initance (that ever I could learn) of any great empire, from the founda- tion of the world, intirely eredled and efta- blidied by one private perfon : and there- fore there is all the reafon in the world to believe, that Nimrod's dominion was not very great; or, if it were, there is no in- rtance of works of this kind attempted from that day to this, but from the fulnefs of wealth, and wantonnefs of power ; after peace, luxury, and long leifure, had intro- duced and eflabliflied arts : and therefore nothing can be wilder, than to attribute this work to the power and vanity of one man, in the infancy both of arts and empire ; and when we can fcarce fuppofe, that there was any fuch thing as artificial wealth in the world. And lince this building is un- doubtedly very antient, nay, demonflrably as antient as the Scriptures make it, and yet cannot be fuppofed the work of any one man in that period, to what can it, with any appearance of probability, be afcribed, but to the united labours of all mankind ? And that it was completed in that union, before the confuiion of their language, feems highly probable from thefe words of Mojes^ in the eighth verfe of this chapter, So the Lord G 4 ' fcat^ 88 Revelation Examined^ Sec, fcaftered them abroad f rem thence upon the face of all the earth-, and they left off to build the city. If the tower had not been finifhed before this time, their ceflation from that alfo would naturally have been mentioned ; but vanity being a main motive to this work, as fhall be fliewn immediately, it is proba- ble, the work of greateft vanity was firft begun and executed ; and executed doubt- lefs it might be, by fuch an immenfe num- ber of men fo united ; but impoffibie to be executed by the power o'i any feparate fo- ciety of men, for many ages after the di- fperfion, Besides, if ^ix Ifaac Newtor'^ zqu^€x\ox\ of antient chronology be right, neither Be-r luSj nor Ninus, nor SemiramiSy the fuppofed builders of .this tower, in the accounts of the heathen, had fo much as a being till many hundreds of years after Mofes\ account of this matter : and yet Mofes fpeaks of this tower and city, as of any other affairs well known in his time : Can we then, with any colour of reafon, doubt of its exigence at that time ? And what end could he have in giving a falfe or fiditious account of its ori- gin ? unlefs to difcredit the reft of his write- ings, and defeat his own purpofes, with a people, with whom the tradition of this mat- ter was very freili ; as it could not but be, in fo fmall a fpace from the mofl remarkable event Revelation Exammedy S^c. 89 event that ever was, fince the foundation of he world, except the deluge. And therefore, take this matter either way, either upon the foot of the antient chronology, or the correction of it, Mo/es's account is the only one that can be relied on with any appearance of reafon. I CANNOT in this place forbear ' taking notice of a paflage in Diodorus Sictdus (1. i.]^ which gives great confirmation to this part of the Mofaic hiflory : he tells us, that on the walls of one of the Babylonian palaces was pourtrayed a general hunting of all forts of wild beafls j with the figure of a woman on horfeback piercing a leopard, and a man fighting with a lion ; fuppofed to reprefent Semiramis and Ninus j and, on the wall of the other palace, armies in batr. talia, and huntings of feveral kinds. Now MofeSy when he hath told us, that Nimrod began to be a mighty one on the earthy adds alfo, that he was a mighty hunter before the Lord, i. e. according to the Hebrew idiom, he was a very great and remarkable huntf- man 3 fo remarkable, that it became a com- mon faying in the world, Even as Nimrody the mighty hunter before the Lord, Now, as hunting is the befl means of training up pien to war, and was the mofl natural means qf attaining to empire, in thofe early ages, by 50 Revelation Eyamhied^ Sec, by the glory gained, and public good done, m deftroying thofe wild beafts which infefled the world at that time : and alfo by drawing together a body of men under one leader ; and as boars and lions are ftill carried in the elcutcheons of great families, in memory of ibme exploits atchieved by their anceftors on fuch creatures, as Mr. Selden obferves , and fince Mofes tells us, not only that Nim- rod v/as a mighty huntfm.an, but like wife, that Babel was the beginning of his kingdom : what can be fo rational an account of thelc ornaments on the Babylonia?! palaces, as that they were fet up by fome of Nmrod's de- fcendants, in their anceftor's imperial city, jn memory of the great founder of their family, and the empire ? And thus having cleared the firft head of my inquiry, viz. Whether there ever was fuch a tower as that mentioned in my text, ?.nd who were the builders of it ; I now proceed, in the fecond place, to inquire what end thefe builders propofed by ereding fo magnificent a ilructure. And that, I think, is fufficiently ex- plained to us, Gejz. xi. 4. And they /aid, Go to, let us build a city, and a tower, ivhofe top may reach unto heaven ; and let us make MS a name, left (or, as the LXX. render it, before) Revelation Exam'med, Sec. gi before) we be fcattered abroad upon the face cf the 'whole earth. Now in this refolution two ends feem plainly to be aimed at j to prevent a difperfion, and to make a name : let us confid^r each of thefe diflindtjy. First, then, we are to inquire, how they could propofe to prevent a difperfion, by building this tower : and this, I think, is obvious : they were now in the midft of a vafl plain, undiftinguifhed by roads, build- ings, or boundaries of any kind, except rivers. The provifion of pafture, and other neceiTaries, obliged them to feparate ; and, when they were feparated, there was a ne- ceiTity of feme guidance, to bring them to- gether again, on cccafion : otherwife all regular and eafy communication mufh be cut off 3 and, with that, all the pleafures of fo- ciety. Now what could fo naturally and properly prevent all thefe inconveniencies, as a tower large and lofty enough to be feen at great diftances ; and, confequently, fuffi- cient to guide them from all quarters of that immenfe region ! and, when they had occa- fon to correfpond, or come together, no- thing was more proper, than the contiguous buildings of a city, for their reception, and more convenient communication. Before - in the eaft. The part oi Mefopotamia^ciXQ^QXx *' out by the aftronomers in the time of Khallfah al Mamv.v^ " for meafuring the content of a degree of a great circle, was *' the defart of Scnjdr ; which the nature of that experiment *' fhews to have been large, as well as a level country ; and th 3 *' we take to have been, at leaft, a part of the antient plain of " Skinainr.'' I difperfe 94 Revelation E^aminedy &cc difperfe inglorious, and eflranged, over the face of the earth. Commentators have puzzled themfelves to find out forced reafons for this union of mankind in fo extraordinary an undertaking ; when the plain natural reafons of it lay fo fully and fairly before them in the text. They were all the fons of one man bred up in brotherly affedion, and under all the motives of friendly union, that can be imagined j their common father was their common governor : they were the only men on the globe ; and they had no property to contend for. What would not fuch friends, fo united, undertake 1 What attempt could be too arduous, or too difcouraging, to con^ tinue, and, if poffible, to perpetuate, fuch an union ! But, beiides all this, all the pride and magnificence of their anceftors were defaced, and utterly deftroyed, by the deluge, with- out the lead remains or memorial of their grandeur ! confequently the earth was now a clear ftage, whereon to eredt new and unrivalled monuments of glory and gran- deur to themfelves : nor could they want art to efFed their purpofe ; it being in itfelf a work Revelation Examined^ &c. 95 a vvork of the utmoft plainnefs and fimpli- city, which required little art or contrivance ; or, if it had, Noah knew, at leaft an hun- dred and twenty years beforehand, that the earth was to be deflroycd, and peopled again from him ; he knew, that he, and his fons, would want houfes after the flood ; and therefore he muft be very negligent (to fay no worfe), if he did not acquire fome knowlege and fkill in building ; and take care alfo, that his fons fliould he in- fl:ru<5led in architedure. And they had all the inventions and improvements of their ancefhors for their guides and models. And, being aiTured by God himfelf, that the world fhould be deflroyed no more in the fame manner, they liad reafon to believe, that what- ever monuments of magnificence they fhould now ered, would laft in proportion to the ftrength of the ftrudture, and durablenefs of the materials. As to the firft, I believe it will be allowed, that no other llrudure ever vied with this in point of Ibength (except the pyramids) ; and, whether it was through necelTity or choice, is hard to fay, but cer- tainly they chofe the moft durable materials for their ftrudure, that this world affords ; fmce right good brick clay, throughly burnt, and fuch was that of which this building wholly confifled, is found to oudaft marble ; and ^6 Revelation Examined^ dec. and is, I believe, more durable even than metals of any kind ■*". Nor let any man think it flrange, that I lay lb great a firefs upon the motive of vanity, towards effecting this work, when it is notorious, that this is the very principle, which hath ever governed and incited the whole race of mankind, in all the works and monuments of magnificence, that ever were ereded, from the foundation of the world, to this day : that which could ered fo many cities, maufoleums, palaces, pillars, and pyramids, may well be allowed fuffi- cient for one BabeL But here I would have the reader cau-^ tioned, not to imagine, that I think this tower and city could be for ever the means of an Immediate union and communication among, this people, and their pofterity, or that they thought it could : the conllant increafe of their numbers would perpetually demand a proportionable difperfion, till the whole earth was overfpread by them ; and confe- quently, there would foon be a necefTity of * Dio obferves ( 1. Ixviii. p. 783. ed. Leuencl.) that ihtafphal- ius, with which Babylon was built, gives fuch a firmnels and fecurity [dj-tpetKeietf'j to burnt brick, or fmail ftdnes, that it makes them ftronger than either rocks, or iron. AndDhderus Siculu: (1. xix. ) afcribcs the duration of embalmed bodies to the mixture of this drug. building Revelation Examined^ Sec. 97 building other cities ; but ilill this genera- tion would enjoy the immediate benefit of this great undertaking ; which, in all pro- bab lity, was all they propofed by it, betides the buiinefs of vanity before-mentioned. These are the plain obvious reafons for which mankind united in this mighty work o^ Bcibel : as is fufficiently evident, both from the words ox Mofes, and the nature of the thing ; and I am perfuaded, thinking men would never have ibught for any other reafon, could they have conceived why God lliould interpoie in fo extraordinary a man- ner, to defeat this dclign ; w^hich they think he v/ould not have done, if the delign had not been, fome way or other, monflroufly wicked and deteftable : and indeed this feems to have been the common fenfe of mankind, upon the point, from the heathen mythology, of the impious attempt of the old giants to invade heaven, by heaping Peliofi upon Ojja ; which is, in all appear- ance, a fable, founded upon fome obfcure memory of the dsfign here mentioned by Mofes, to huild a tower whofe top jnay -reach unto hea'^cen ; efpecially confidering, that this firucflure, as Herodotus defcribes it, confided of eight towers, piled one upon another. And therefore I now proceed, in the thira place, to inquire, what end Almighty God Vol, I. I. II propofed, pS Revelation Examined^ See, propofed, by defeating this projed, in the manner here recorded by Mojes^ viz. by confounding their language. And the main purpofe of God, in con- founding the language of mankind, at that time, moft probably was, to prevent the early eftabliihment of one great empire in the world J and, in confequence of that, the proportionable growth of every vice and im- piety, among mankind. For, if this city were once fmiflied, the immediate conlcquence would have been, the eftablidiment of fome civil government 3 and, as the people were all the fons of one man, that government in the hand of Ncah^ or his heir, would have eflabllfhed this city the metropolis of an empire over all man- kind, then in being ; and that empire would naturally, and almoft neccllarily, become univerfal, when the ties of regal authority were fupperadded to the paternal ; and, wdien all the fubordlnate degrees, of rulers and magiftrates, of all kinds, were in the fame analogy ; that is, when their power, in the ftate, fliould be in the order of their natural authority, as, in all probability, it would be, for fom.e ages, at leaf!:. And what ■^ould have been the confequence of fiich an eflablifliment ? Why, plainly this, that im- piety Revelation Examined^ Sec, 99 piety and immorality, of all kinds, would have kept pace with the empire, and in- creafed and inlarged in the lame propor- tion ; iince it is notorious, that the wicked- nefs of men, in all focieties, is in propor- tion to their number. Increafe of men exacfts an increafe of indufiry ^ induftry brings wealth 3 wealth, luxury j and luxu- ry, vice of every kind. This is the known and ordinary train of things. Hence it is, that the greateft cities, being moft wealthy, are found, in fadt, to be moft luxurious, and moft vicious ; and, in proportion to the duration of that affluence, and the numbers of men infedled by it, the arts of luxury, and all the confequent corrup- tions, muft eternally endure and increafe alfo : and, as an empire, founded at this time, mull, from the nature of the thing, become mere extenfive than any other ever was, at leall^, fmce the flood, be- caufe all the members of it mull be joined together, by the cement of one common blood, and by all the ties of the fame language, manners, religion, interefl, and authority ; confequcntly, the corrup- tions of mankind v/ould, of neceflity, in- creafe, and extend, in the fame propor- tion : and as fuch an empire, muft, in all- probability, foon fl:retch itlelf to the utmolt limits of the earth, and fo become univerfal, II 1 wicked- 100 Revelation Examined, &c. wickednefs would undoubtedly be as uni- verfal *. This God i\lmighty plainly forefaw; and, by one ad; of infinite and adorable wifdom, prevented j prevented, not only . for the prefent, but to the end of the v^orld : by that fingle a6t, of confounding their lan- guage, he crumbled mankind, at once, into feparate affections and interefls ; and re- duced them to the virtue and the difcipline of fmall focieties ; v.'hich can fubfift no othervvife, in the neighbourhood of other focieties, of feparate interefls, but by difci- pline, and virtue, and induftry : and, as the variety of languages, now diffufed among mankind, would naturally increafe, from the mixtures arifing from the commerce of one people with feveral others, of different tongues ; and different languages will al- ways create a difference of inclinations, and, in confequence of that, a difference of intcr- efts J it is evident, that the difunion of man- kind muft, from this one principle, eter- nally increafe with their numbers ^ and, by this means, univerfal monarchy, and the con- fequence of that, univerlal corruption, muft for ever be kept out of the world. * There feem to have been, at leaft, two empires fubfifling in the world at once, before the flood : nor did wickednefs be- come univerfal, 'till the families oiSeth and Cain united. And Revelation Examined^ Sec. loi And that this was the exprefs purpofeof Providence, in confounding the language of the world, at this time, feems to me clear, from God's own words (recorded by Mofes) on this occalion, in the xith chapter of Gf;/. at the 6 th and 7th verfesj And the Lord f aid , Behold y the people is one 'y and they have all one language : and this they begi?i to do : and now nothing will be rejirained from them, which they have imagined to do. The people is one (faith God) ; one in fuch a fenfe, as no other people ever were, from that day, to this ; all brethren, the children of one father, then alive, and, in all probability, at their head : and, being thus united by blood, they have alfo all one lan- guage J cemented by every principle of union that can be imagined ; and this they begin to do ', or, as it is in the original, this is their beginning to do : and Jiow nothing will be re- jirained from them, which they have imagined to do ; /. e. this is their firfl attempt ; and, if they fucceed in this, the fame brotherly af- fection, and focial vanity, which united them in this attempt, and made it profperous, will infpire them with a ftrong delire of attempt- ing, and a proud confidence of efFe(5ling, every wifli, and every vanity, that comes into their hearts ; the confequence of which mufl be, that they will run into all manner H 3 of 101 Revelation Examine d^ Sec. of irregularity and extravagance ; to pre- vent which, God immediately enters into this refoliition : Go to, let us go down, mid there confound their language, that they may 7jct underjland one another's fpeech. So the Lord fcattered them abroad from thence (fays Mofes) upon the face of all the earth y and they left of to build the city. And by what means he did this, is more fully explained in the following verfe : Therejore is the name of it called Babel (i. e. cojifufwn), becatfe the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth : and from thence did the Lord fcatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth j i. e. having, by the confulion of their language, divided them into diftind tribes, the confe- quence was, that each of thofe tribes chofe to live feparate -, as it is the nature of man- kind to feparate from thofe with whom they cannot converfe, and to unite where they can. And fo they became fo many diftind: nations, and colonies, over the face of the whole earth. What the number of thefe colonies was, is not fo clear from the Scriptures ; tho' (w^ith feme reafon) fuppofed 70 or 72 : but it feems fufficiently evident, that God Al- mighty fo far confalted their happinefs, as to unite particular families, by one tongue, and probably, under one head, from thofe words of Mofes, in the xth chapter of Gen, where. Key EL ATio-i^i Examhiedy Sec. 103 where, recounting the delcendants fi"om each of Nod/fs Ions, he fays firfl, of the defcend- ants of Japbetby By thcfe were the ijles of the Gentiles divided^ in their lands ^ every one after his tongue ^ after their families^ in their nations. And fo hkewife of the fons of Ham^ Thefe are the fons ofHam^ ajter their families^ after their tongues^ in their countries^ and in their nations. And, in the fame manner, he fays of the defcendants of Shem, Thefe ate the fons of Shem, after their families^ after' their tongues^ in their lands, after their na- tions. From whence it feems evident, that a certain number of famihes, having one tongue, pofTeffed themfelves of one country ^ and fo became one nation. And thus having, I hope, fufficiently ex- plained for what reafon, and with what in- finite wifdom, the difperfion of mankind was efFeifted, by the fingle ad: of confounding their language ; having fhewn alfo, that it was not in punidiment of guilt, but in pre- vention of it ; not to corredt corruption, but to keep it out, and to preclude it from a poffibility of becoming univerfal in the world ; and that in fad: he hath done fo ; the com- mon opinion of divines, that this was only the w^ork of Ham., and his defcendants, is~ plainly without foundation. Befides, the . Scripture aifures us, that Afiir, a defcendant of SheniSj went out from that very land, and H 4 built I04 Revelation Examined, dec, hmXtNiniveh ; and therefore there is no doubt, ^but that he, and all his defcendants, were ' there alfo. I COME now, in the laft place, to anfwer the only objection, of any moment, which lies againft this account j which is this : That the Increafe of mankind muft of lieceffity caufe a variety in their language ; and, confequently, that there was no need of a miraculous interpofition, to produce this variety. In anfwer to this, I could wifh thefe ob- jectors would fupport their objection with fome more colour of reafon, or fhew of proof j becaufe, until they do fo, the abfurdity of the pofition itfelf can only be confuted and ex- pofed J whereas, fince abfurd poiitions can only be fupported by weak and idle reafons, if the reafon of an abfurd opinion were ad- ded, the falfhood of it would be capable of dearer, and more complicated confutation. It is true, a late ingenious writer hath, in his letter to Dr. Waterhnd^ in fome meafure, removed this difficulty, by telling us (p. 38.), that the caufe of the variety of languages in the world is grounded, in reafon and nature j in the necejfary mutability of human things^ the rife and fall of ftates and empires, change Revelation Examined^ Sec, loj of modes and ctijioms^ which necejfarily intro' duce a proportionable change in language. Now, in anfwer to the main of this ob- jedioiij I beg leave to ask this gentleman, for whofe learning and abilities I have long had an high efteem (with much grief to fee them degraded in defence of an ill caufe), this plain queftion ; Whether he believes, that, if the Normam and South-Britons had fpoke the fame language at the time of the conqueft, the importation of French fafhions and laws would have changed the Ejtglifh tongue, fo far as to make it a new language ? I will anfwer for him, that he will not, upon due deliberation, believe fo great an abfur- dity ; and, for the reft of his reafoning, up- on this fubjed:, refer my reader to the very learned remarks upon this letter, by Philo^ hiblicus Cantabrigienfis^ which, I doubt not, will give him the fame intire fatisfadion, upon this point, which I here acknowleg« that it hath given me. In the mean time, I appeal, to every man of common itx^it^ whether any thing in na- ture be more credible or reafonable, than to believe, that any number of men, defcending from one father and mother, fpeaking one language, and teaching the fame to their children, would for ever continue 'to fpeak that language, and no other. The fame rea~ fon io6 Revelation Examined^ Sec. fon why Shem, Ham, and Japhetby would ipeak one language, 'viz. becaufe they were taught it by their parents, would furely hold as good, why their children fhould fpeak it, and their childrens children, and fo on, eridlefly. There are now fome millions of men in Englafidj that fpeak the fame language, becaufe they were taught it : Might not as many more, or ten times as many more, or ten thou f and times as many more, fpeak it, for the fame reafon ? It is true, the E?iglijh^ and all living languages, are in a perpetual flux ; new words are added, and others die, or grow obfolete. But whence does this arife ? Not at all from the necejjary mutability of human things 5 but moft evidently from the mixture of other tongues : fcholars add new words, or terminations, froni the learned languages, either thro' affed:ation of learn- ing, or a defire of adorning their native tongue with fome words of more elegance or fignificance- and others, from a commerce with countries of different languages, natu- rally adopt fome of their phrafes and expref- lions into their own ; and fo our language varies. And what then? How does this af- fe6t the queftion concerning the continuance of the fame language, where no other was ever taught, or heard? The Revelation Examined^ Sec. \ 07 The jfews are allowed to have fpoken the fame language from Mofes to the Ba^y- Io?2ifi captivity. If their polity had continued, would they not fpeak the fame language to this day ? Some of the inland inhabitants of Africa are found to fpeak the fame language nov/, which they fpoke 2,000 years ago (und, in all probability, the fame obfervation is true of our near neighbours the Weljh). Could they keep to one language for 2000 years, and could not the defcendants of Noah keep to one language for 200 ? Could they keep their language amidfl a variety of fo many others all about them, and when it is fcarcely poffible they fliould be clear of all commerce with people of different tongues ? and could not thefe keep their language, when it was impoffible they could have any commerce but with one another ? Thefe Africans (to fay nothing of the IVelfi) now keep their own tongue, tho' there are fo many others in the world, to taint, and by degrees abolifh it. If there were no other language in the world, but theirs, does any man believe they would not continue to fpeak it for 2000, or loooo years more, if the world lafted fo long ? And if all the reft of mankind were deftroyed, and no traces of their learning or languages left behind, and the world were to be wholly peopled from thefe Africans^ would not the whole world then To8 Revelation Examined, Sec. then fpeak one language ? It is true, as arts increafed, and cuftoms changed, new terms and phrafes mufl be added. What then ? New words would increafe, and adorn the tongue i but furenoman will lay, they would deftroy it ! unlefs it be believed, that new branches, or fruit, or flowers, do daily de- ftroy the tree they Ihoot out from. The learned autlior of the letter to Dr. Wafer land J p. 39. feems to think, that all other lafiguages fprang as naturally from the Hebrew, as many fhoots from the fame root, many branches from the fame fiock : but I am confident, that whoever carefully conliders the genius of each of the antien!: languages now extant^ will find as little reafon to be- lieve, that they all had their origin from the Hebrew^ as that all the variety of foreft and fruit-trees in the world were originally but fo many fhoots and branches from the palm- tree oijudea^. Besides all this, if we confider, that the language of Adam (if we could fuppofe it * For example : yS[\\.tx^Jacoh2,rALahan entered into covenant, and witnelTed it by a heap of flones, Z-^2/ba« called hjegar-faha^ dutha, in tViQChaidee ; zvi Revelation Exatuhiedy Sec. 1 1 1 And thus having ihevvn, that the tower of Bai>el was, and could only, be built in the manner in which Mofes relates it ; that vanity, and fecial affedions, were the motives to it; and that vanity alone could accom- pliih it ; having alfo ll:iew^n, that the pro- vidence of God interpofed with infinite wif- dom on this occafion, by the confufion of their language ; and by that one adl pre- vented the growth of univerfal corruption, from that day to this ; and lailly, having, I hope, fully confuted the mighty objections of infidelity to this part of the Mofaic hiftory; I fhall beg leave to add one, and but one, obfervation. more upon this head ; and that is, How injurioufly and unrea- Ibnably men object to the Mofaic account of God's endowing the firlf man with a perfed: knowlege and skill of language at once, when the fame miraculous ad of power hath fince been more than once repeated ; and not one language only, but many, infufed in an inftant ! feveral languages infufed into feveral men at Babel,, and many into feveral men at ^erufalem. ' The firft of thefe facfts fufficiently proves itfelf at this day ; and the fecond will, I trull: in God, be placed out of the reach of all reaionable doubt, when it comes to be confidered. I iLall only add, that the wifer heathen faw the neceffity of afcribing the origin of language to Almighty God. 1 1 1 Revelation Examined^ Sec. God. Plafo tells us*, that the firft names were impofed on things by the gods : and, in truth, without the advantage of language divinely taught or infpired, it is evident, that man would be (at leaft, for a long time) mutum 6? turpepecuSy a dumb and bafe herd ! would, with regard to their condition here, be no way diftinguifhed (unlefs, per- haps, to difadvantage) from the ,meaneft order of brutes. * In Cratylo, Dis- RicvELATiON Examinedy &c. iij Dissertation IV. Cvncerning the prediElmn relating t& Ifhmaei. F T E R the deftruc- The intrb- tionofJ5jK the next ^"^^^°"- remarkable event we meet with in the Scripture, is the calling of Abraham j the leveral manifefta- tions of the divine prefence, which Goo vouchfafed unto him j and the feveral fignal bleffings beftowed upon him. For what reafons God called Abraham from his own country, is not exprefly and formally declared in the Scripture 5 but the event, I think, fufficiently fhews, that it Was to preferve true religion in the world by me^ns of him and his pofterity. The common, and, 1 believe, the true opinion is, that the world was by this time grown greatly corrupt; and hat God now delivered Abraham from that toL II. I ^ood 1 14 Revelation Examined^ Sec, food of idolatry that overfpread it, as he did Noah, not long before, irom the flood of waters. That God did call Abraham from his own country, fufficiently appears from the Scriptures. Thus Gen. xii. i, &c. Now the Lord had fetid unto Abraham, Get thee out of thy country, and jrom thy kindred, and from thy father's houfe, wito a land that I will fhew thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will blefs the, and make thy name great, and thou foalt be a bleffing \ and 1 will blefs them that blefs thee, and curfe hi?n that curfeth thee: and in thee fiall all families of the earth be blefjed. So Abraham departed, as the text tells us, from Horan, where Terah laft dwelt. That he alfo firft left Chaldea by a command from God, appears from G^-;^. xv. 7. I am the Lord J that brought ttee out of Ur of the Chal- dees. The firft part of the bleffing here promifed to Abraham., is, that he fhould be made a great nation. And the bufinefs of this diflertation fliall be, to inquire how that promife was made good to him in his fon Iflmael. H AV ING, at my firft entrance upon this work, determined neither to incumber the reader with quotations, nor trouble him with repetitions of what others had obferved upon the fame fubjc:amined^ dec. 115 Upon my iirft inquiry, that I (liould have little new to offer upon the lubje^ft of IJhnael% ftrange character, and the predidions relating to him (at leafl, much lefs than upon any of tlie foregoing fubjedts), that point having been anticipated, and fo amply, and with fo much learning, difculTed, by a divine of great note in the lalf age * j I determined for fome time to leave that fubject untouched, barely referring my reader to the works of that eminent man : but, finding, upon further confideration, that thofe works were not in every man's hands, and that the argument was capable of fom.e additional illuftration ; that this point was a fubjed: of fingular curiofity, as well as great importance towards clearing the truth of the Mojhic predicftions i and that the omifiion of it might be objefted by libertines, and afcribed to a confcioufnefs, that the writings of Mofcs could not be juftified in that point; I deter- mined, in the end, not to let it go untreated : and therefore, I hope, the learned reader will forgive me, and the unlearned thank me, for laying this matter before him, in the cleared order, and in the fewefl: words I can. In the xvith chapter of Gcnefis we find thefe words pronounced by the angel of the Lord uuto Hagar in her diflrefs; / W// multiply thy * Dr. Thomas Jack/on, of Corpus Chrifii Colhgi, Oxon, whofe works were printed Lond. 1653. I 2 feed \\6 Revelation Examhied, &cc, feed exceedingly^ that it fiail not be 7iumhered for multitude. Behold^ thou art with child^ and Jhalt bear a jon^ and P:alt call his name Ilhmael ; becaufe the Lord hath heard thy affiiBion, And he will be a wild man\ his hand will be againft e^oery man ; and evejy man's hand againft him ; and he JJ:all dwell in the prefen'Ce of all his hrethren. And again, in thexviith chapter, we find this, among other promifes of God to Abra- ham -y And as for Ifhmael, / have heard thee : behold^ I have blefj'cd him^ and will make him fruit filly and will multiply him exceedingly : twelve princes fiall he begety and I will tnakt him a great nation : and loon afrer this we find, that Ifmael was circumcifed by his fa- ther when he was thirteen years old. Now the known ftyle of the Old Tefta- ment requires us to underftand, that what is here faid of Ifhmael^ was likewife intended to be true of his defcendants; in the fame man- ner as what "Jacob predids of Judah^ and his other fons, was to be true of their defcendants ; was to be the charadteriftic of the feveral tribes. And indeed fome parts of this prediction relate- ing to Ifmiael neceffarily tie us down to this way of thinking, and explaining, I wil multi- ply him exceedingly. By him^ in this place, is evidently mean his pofterity; for, I believe, no man imagines, that he himfelf was, or was meant Revelation Examined^ &c, 1 17 meant to be, literally multiplied, by virtue of this promife. So likevvife, in the fubfequent promife, I will make him a great natioji: it is evident, that one man cannot be a nation ; and therefore IJhmael is throughout this whole predidion the reprefentative of his pofterity : and what is declared of him, and promifed to him, was intended to be verified of his pofterity, and fiilhlled in them : for fince fome parts of this predidion were evidently meant of his pofterity, and mufl of neceliity refer to them, and be under flood of them, and them only, common ix:v&.^ and all the rules of rational explication, require that all the reft fhould be underftood ( if there be no abfurdity in fuch an interpretation) to have them alfo in view, tho' more immediately true of their parent. In the fame manner then fhould the pre- cedent predidion be likewife underftood, as intended to be alfo true of his pofterity : he will be a ivi Id man-, the word which is tranllated wild in this place, fignihes, in the original, a wild afs (the literal conftrudion of the phrafe in Latin is, erit onager homo) : and it is explain- ed in the margin of the hiblQ Jierce and cruel, or as a wild afs. Novv this lame wild mail, who was to be as a wild afs, multiplied into a great nation, (hould feem, as defigncd by this charader, to be multiplied into a great nation of wild men; as a wild afs, greatly multiplied, I 3 mull II 8 Revelation Examhied^ 3cc, inufl be multiplied into a great nation of wild affesj for otherwife where is the analogy? At leaft, if we find, that the analogy holds in the defcendants, as much as in the parent, I think we have all the reafon in the world for under- ftanding the predidlion in this fenfe: and furely there is all the reafon in the world to believe, that this character was intended to be true of his pollerity; inafmuch as they have been remarkable fuch, I mean wild men, for many ages; and m-any oi them unquedionably are fuch to this day; as alfo, bccaufe the fubfe- quent words muit neccfiarily be underltood of them (his pofierity) : His hand will be again]} e'uery mans hand^ and every mans hand again/} him. And he Jt jail divell in the prefence of all bis brethren. Now it is evident, that one man could not fublill alone, at open enmity with ail the world ; nor could one man's hand be literally againfi every man's ; and therefore this could only be true, and intended, of that nation which was to arife from him ; and the fenfe of it could only be, that this nation fliould fab- fifc, tho' at enmity with all others: and indeed it is fiifiiciently Ikange, that this (hould be true of any one nation under heaven; and yet it is indifputablv true of the race of Iflmiael^ as fliail be feen more fully immediately. And he ft:all dwell in the prefence of all his brethren. This, in the immediate literal fenfe of tlie words, was verified in Ifimaeh fituation^ Revelation Exam'med^ Sec. 119 fituation ; being encompaiTed by his near kinf- men the Ifraelites^ the fons of Abraba?7J by Keturah, the Mcabites, Ammonites, and Idu- means : but as ail manlcind are brethren in a larger fenfe, and as Ifhmael was ftill to fubfift, tho' at open enmity with all mankind, I think thofe words, he fiall dwell in the prefence of all his brethren^ may very well be underftood as further intended to fignify, that the defcen- dants of IJJomael^ notwithftanding their enmity with mankind, flioiild flill fubfifl: in the face of the world j for the words, all his brethren^ can, in their full import and extent, imply nothing lefs than all mankind (at leaft, I think, the event makes it no way unjuft or irrational to under ftand them fo here) : and as the IJhjnael- ites have ever fubiifted thus, it is alfo remark- able, that they, and the 'Jews only, have fub- lifted from the remoteft accounts of antiquity, as a diflind: people from all the reft of mankind, and the undoubted defc'endants of one man. And, that it might be clearly and undubi- tably known, whofe defcendants thefe were, to whom this promife was made ; and fo, certainly known, whether that promife was fulfilled ; they ( the Ijhmaelites ) have been the moft fingular diftinguifhed race of mor- tals ( more diftinguifhed even than the Jews, if pofTible), by every mark both of their father and mother, from that day to this, I 4 ISHMAEL t lo Revelation Examined^ &c. IsHMAEL was circumcifed at thirteen, years of age; fo have all his fons * from, him, till the eftablifhment of Mahometifm-y and many of them to this dayj tho' fome of them circumclfe indifferently on any year, from the eighth to the thirteenth; but all profeffing to derive the pradice from their father IJhmael, And this furely is a flrong atteftation of the truth of the Mofaic hiftory ; that the defcendants from Ifaac and IJlomael; continued for fo many ages, and ftill con- tinue, to pradife the rite of circumcifion upon their children, at thofe different diftances from their birth, at which Mojh informs us it was firll: pra6tifed upon their fathers. II E was an archer in the wUdernefs : his funs the Arabs have been the moft remarkable archers in the world, and are fo to this day; and in the wildernefs too, where culture is not known. And tho' travellers fometimes talk of a few ftraggling Arabs ^ with guns ; Theve- 7jct^ and other writers, affure us, that the greater part of them are flill Grangers to fire- arms -f . It is true, the Turks haye forbidden, that * And even his daughters. See Heideg. hijl. patriarch, torn. 2. exercit. 7. feSi. 2g. p. 241. Reland. de relig. Mpham. Ludolf. %ij}. JE.thicp. -f- Thofe Arabs who dwell on the confines 0? Syria and Perjta, are reported to carry lire-arms ; and the latter are faid to be fur- -•-■-■ nifhe(^ Revelation Exammed^ &c. m that any (hould be fold to them ; but their caur tion {hould feem to be needlels : for tho' thefe Arabs have a great terror of fire-arms, yet it is remarkable, that they at the fame time abhor the ufe of them. And as their father Ifumael was a ftranger to culture, fo are thefe his fons. Ammianus Marcellinus obferves of them. Nee eoriim quifquam aliquando ftivam apprehendit^ vel arbor em coHt^ aut ar-oa J'ubigendo queer it at 'viBum J not one of them ever touches a plough, plants a tree, or feeks a fuftenance by cultivate- ing the earth. And the lateil travellers give the very fame accounts of them j obferving at the fame time, that there are very fruitful portions of ground fcattered thro' their deferts j and doubtlefs would be more, if they were cultivated. I s H M A E l's mother was a concubine, arid an hireling j who had conceived him in one place, and was perhi^ps delivered of him ia another ; for Abraham then dwelt in tents, and was in a fojourning Hate. And it fufii- ciently appears from Mo/ess account of him, that he never continued long in one place ; the providence of God fo ordaining, that nilhed with them by the Perfians, the better to enable them to annoy the Turks ; tho' La Roque affirms the cont ary, in his voyage, p. 96. However, he takes notice of fome few, that carry fufils, p. 244. thro' 12 2 Revelation Examined^ Sec.