7 2. The Inspiration of the Prophets and Apostles, or Evangelists, did not exclude the use of their own Words and Style. All Laws become obligatory, not from any Elegancy of Style, or Fairness of the Character, in which they are written or printed, but from the Authority of the Lawgivers, by whom they are enacted. And it is as unreasonable for any now to cavil at the Style and Language of the Divine Writers, as it would have been in those, who saw the Sacred Books in their Hand-writing, to have objected, that they did not write the most exact and beautiful Hands. For they might as well use their own way of Expression, as their own manner of Writing. And as they might be permitted the use of these, so they might be permitted, or in some cases directed to use the Words of others. Many things delivered in one Book of the Scriptures, are likewise delivered in another; and some things are repeated in the fame words, that God revealing the fame things, and in the fame express words, at different times, and by different persons, might make the Revelation of them the more evident and remarkable. For that, in which several inspired Persons concur, is the more taken notice of, and becomes the more observed, as a thing of great weight and moment. The reason why the Dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice, was because the thing was established by God, and God would shortly bring it to pass, Gen. xli. 32. It is in this as it is in all other things, it is expedient, that in Matters of great Concernment, there should be the more Solemnity, and that they should be the oftner repeated, and the more insisted upon; and if they be express'd in the fame words, this implies, that those words carry more than ordinary weight in them: And therefore not only all the Divine Writers agree in the fame purpose and design, and teftifie the fame things, as to the chief Points of Religion; but some Prophets have foretold the fame things, even in the fame words with others, 1 others, as Ifaiah ii. 2, 3, 4. Mic. iv. 1, 2, 3. and several Laws and Matters of Fact, are repeated in words which are very near the fame. 3. Tho' some things are set down in the Scriptures indefinitely, and without any positive assertion or determination, this is no proof against their being written by Divine Inspiration. For this doth not prove, that the Pen-men of those Passages were uncertain and doubtful in the Particulars so express'd, because the things were of that nature, that it was needless to speak precisely of them: As when St. John says, John xxi. 8. They were not far from Land, but as it were two hundred Cubits; it cannot from hence be concluded, that the Evangelist was ignorant how far they were from Land: For it was not material to his design to be more particular in a circumstance of that nature; but it was sufficient to say, that they were about two hundred Cubits off at Sea; and it is usual with all Writers to omit Fractions, and infert only whole Numbers, when it is not material to their purpose to infift upon every minute Circumstance. It is ordinary with the best Writers to express things uncertainly, which they were notwithstanding throughly acquainted withal; and to seem ignorant of things, which they perfectly understood, but pass'd over as not worth the taking notice of, or not confiderable enough for them to own the knowledge of them. It is a known Elegancy to say, nescio quid, or nefcio quem, when the Author, so speaking, was not ignorant of the Thing or Person there meant, but either signified his contempt of the Person, or Thing, or intimated that it was not worth his while to trouble himself, or his Hearers, or Readers, with a more particular Relation. The Romans, out of that Awe and Reve D rence b Credo hæc eadem Indutiomarum in teftimonio timuisse aut cogitasse: qui primum illud verbum confideratiffimum noftræ confuetudinis rence which they had for Oaths, never spoke positively in giving evidence of things which they were certain of, and had seen themselves. And uncertain Forms of Speech are observed, by Ulpian, to have have been usual with the Ancient Greek Authors in their speaking of things, whereof they were very well assured. It could be of no use or moment in relation to the miraculous draught of Fishes, to know whether the Ship were two hundred Cubits, or half a Cubit, or a quarter of a Cubit over or under from the Land; and it is usual with St. John to express himself in this manner, John ii. 6. vi. 10. xix. 14. Either then (to keep to the same instance) St. John might know the precise distance, and for the Reasons mentioned, not declare it; or, it not being of any use or consequence for us to be more particularly informed in a matter of that nature, the Holy Ghost might suffer him to be ignorant of it, if he had no other means of knowing it but by Inspiration: For the Holy Ghost assisted the Apostles and Evangelifts to write infallible Truth, but not always to write every little circumstance concerning the things which they relate. Many Miracles are wholly omitted, and many Circumstances not considerable or material to be mentioned, are omitted, of those Miracles which are recorded. But if nothing be related which may lead us into ErFor, and nothing omitted which is necessary to be known; this is sufficient, and is all that can be expected in a Book, which is to be a Rule of Faith and Manners to us. It is necessary that nothing but Truth should be contained in it, but not that every Truth tudinis Arbitror, quo nos etiam tunc utimur, cum ea dicimus jurati, quæ comperta habemus, quæ ipfi vidimus, ex toto teftimonio suo fuftulit, atque omnia se scire dixit. Cic. pro M. Fonteio. Vid. Acad. Qu. 1. 2. fub fin. • Τὸ ἢ Νομίζω, ὡς ἤδη ἐν τοῖς Σωκραλικοῖς, κὰ τὸ Δοκεῖν, κὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα, ὁ πάντως ἐπὶ ἀμφιβόλε τάτλεσιν οἱ πεγαιοί, ἀλλὰ πολλάκις κὶ ἐπὶ ἢ ἀληθεύειν. Ulp. in Demoft. Olynth. 1. should should be in it: for then the World it self could not contain the Books that should be written. Suppose therefore that St. John did not know precisely, how many Cubits the Ship was from Shore; what doth this prove? That he did not know the Miracle which he there relates? Doth it prove, that he was not inspired in what he doth relate, if he were not inspired in what he omits? If he had determined the precise distance, and had not known it, this might have difcredited the Authority of his Gospel; but when he has not determined it, can this be an Argument in diminution of its Authority, if he did not know what he did not profess to know? Is it not a good Argument in confirmation of its Authority, that he would affert nothing but what he certainly knew, if in what he was not perfectly assured, he mentions no farther than he knew of it? So St. Paul acquaints us, when he spoke himself, and not the Lord, I Cor. vii. 6, 12, 25, 40. 2 Cor. viii. 10. which is an Argument to us, that in all other cases he did not speak of himself, but the Lord spoke by him: it is a confirmation of his Integrity, that he would impose nothing upon us as of Divine Authority, which is not really so, because he that told us in any one cafe, that he spoke of himself, not as from the Lord, would have made the same Declaration in other cafes, whenever he had written any thing without express Revelation. 4. In things, which might fall under humane Prudence and Observation, there the Spirit of God seems not to have dictated immediately to the Prophets and Apostles, but only to have used a directive or conducting Power and Influence, so as to supply such Thoughts and Apprehenfions to them as might be most proper and seasonable, and to keep them in the use of their own Reason, within the bounds of Infallible Truth, and of Expediency for the present cafe and occafion. They might be permitted to infert such things as the state of Affairs required; which, tho' not imme D2 ) immediately dictated by the Holy Ghost, yet were agreeable to the end and design of his Inspiration, and serviceable to the Ministry, to which they were appointed. There seems to be no necessity to affert, that St. Paul sent for his Cloak and Parchments by Inspiration of the Holy Ghost, or that he had any immediate command or direction to falute the particular Persons named at the end of his Epistles; but only that his Doctrine was immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost; and as he might be permitted to put that into his own words, but so as never to be fuffered to express it otherwise than in fuch a manner, as was fully agreeable to the mind and intention of the Holy Spirit, and therefore infallibly true: So in these lesser and indifferent matters, which some present occasion made requisite to be written of, he had the guidance and assistance of the Holy Ghost to prevent him from writing any thing, but what was expedient in those Circumstances, and serviceable to his Calling and Ministry in the propagation of the Gospel. But things of an indifferent nature in themselves might become necessary as to Time, and Place, and Perfons, and therefore might in some cases be of Divine Inspiration. St. Paul's journying into Macedonia rather than into any other Country, was in it felf a thing indifferent; but the Salvation of many Souls might depend upon it; and therefore he was warned by Revelation, not to preach the Word in Afia, nor to go into Bithynia, but into Macedonia, Acts xvi. 6, 7, 9. In like manner, the Salutations of particular Persons at the end of his Epistles, tho' they may seem to us to be of no great importance, yet might be of mighty confideration and consequence to those who were concerned in them. To be saluted by an Apostle in fo particular and folemn a manner, might revive their Spirits, and encourage them to perseverance under their Temptations and Afflictions: for his Salutations * |