CHAPTER II. ON THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. Nature and defign of the Scriptures.-Their claim to our Regard, and to the Belief of their being divinely infpired.-Objections answered-First, to their Genuinenefs and truth. Next, to their Infpiration.-All related of good men not intended for imitation.-Impar. tiality of the Scriptures.-Great Judgment neceffary in applying them.-Poffibility of placing too much Dependence on them.-Remarks on calling them the Word of God. THESE HESE writings are divided into two parts, the Old and the New Teftaments. They commence with an account of the creation of the world, and contain a history of more than four thoufand years. Their object appears to be, to exhibit the various difpenfations of God to mankind; to manifeft many of his general and particular acts of Providence; to fhow the good effects of religion and virtue; and to fet forth the lamentable evils which are the confequence of walking in the paths of irreligion and profaneness. For the prevention of thefe evils, the fcriptures inculcate thofe principles of piety and morality, which contribute to the happiness of mankind, both here and hereafter; and there is not any general duty, religious or moral, in which they do not afford instruction and direction. The fcriptures alfo contain many remarkable B predictions concerning nations and individuals, with several prophecies of the coming of the Meffiah, and of the difpenfation of the gofpel. Antient hiftory, both facred and profane, gives account of circumftances which fhow the fulfilling of many of these predictions; and the New Teftament particularly relates the completion of those, which are given concerning "Him, of whom Mofes in the law and the prophets did write.”* When we confider who were the writers of these volumes; what are the subjects; and what appear to be the objects of them; they claim at first view a high degree of regard and esteem. But when, as Christians, we believe in a divine influence and direction, we find abundant cause to conclude, that this influence was extended to those who wrote or compiled the scriptures, and therefore believe with the apostle Paul, that they were "given by inspiration of God ;" and are productive of those important advantages which he attaches to them. But notwithstanding the ftrong belief which is generally entertained of the truth of these writings, and of their having been communicated under the influence of divine inspiration; there are persons, who do not acknowledge one or both of these claims to that credibility and reverence which are attached to the scriptures. It will therefore be neceffary to pay some attention to the objections advanced by these persons; in doing which it may Tim. iii. 16. * John i. 45. be proper, firft to confider those which are made Thefe objections may be divided into two claffes. 1.-To the writings, as the genuine productions of the authors to whom they are ascribed. 2. To the works themselves, as being a true history. With respect to the objection against their genuineness, in relation to their imputed authors, if it could in some cafes be well fupported, it would by no means invalidate either the truth or the inspiration of these writings; because the books do not always declare their authors. They have, however, been transmitted through so regular a channel of evidence, by a people for whom they were especially written, and by whom they were religiously preserved, as to render it as indubitable as any thing of the kind can be, that they were written by thofe to whom they are afcribed. fome cases the authors may be confidered as dubious; and seeing that, in these instances, the books are not imputed in fcripture to any individual, no objection can reasonably be made on this ground. In An objection is sometimes made to the fupposed author, on account of his fpeaking of himself in the third perfon; but this cannot have much weight, when it is confidered that it is a mode of writing not peculiar to them, but has been adopted by other historians, whose works have been generally admitted without disputation. Another more plaufible reafon for disputing the authors, arifes from some places being mentioned by names, which appear to have been given to them fubfequent to the alleged writer's existence; or from faying, that a place is called by a particu-. lar name" to this day," with other fimilar expreffions. Now all this is easily obviated by confidering, what is generally admitted, that, after the Babylonian captivity, Ezra revifed the Jewish fcriptures; and it appears, that, in fome inftances, he either made use of modern names, or added remarks of his own to elucidate the hiftory. He was a religious character, and one whom the Jews. confidered as acting under divine direction; they therefore received his comments, and added them, if he did not do it himfelf, to the original text. This is a fact which the Jews acknowledge, and accounts for the causes of this objection in fuch a manner, as muft, I apprehend, be fatisfactory to every impartial mind. The account of the death of Mofes, at the end of Deuteronomy, was probably added by Joshua or Samuel, to complete the hiftory of Mofes in those books that were written by him; and is a circumftance which no reasonable man, who is acquainted with literary publications, would make a ground of objection to the authenticity of any book. Nor are the objections to the truth of the matters related in the holy fcriptures, of more weight than thofe alleged against their authenticity. They arise from some apparent inconfiftencies of one part with another, and from a fuppofed difference in fome inftances, from other hiftorics. In moft cafes, the inconfiftencies objected are only in appearance; they may be, and indeed have been, removed by a critical examination of the fubjects; and if we admit a few to arife from incorrectnefs in tranfcribers or translators, furely no wife man would confider fuch a circumstance as a reasonable ground for rejecting even writings much lefs authenticated than thefe. As to the few variations from other writers, if they cannot otherwise be reconciled, a fair confideration of the probability, which of them had the best means of information, will, I believe, give a clear preference to the facred hiftorian. But the fcriptures are in general found to be well fupported by other authors; and, what is worthy of obfervation, the completion of prophecies, recorded in various parts of holy writ, is confirmed by profane historians of good credit, who, it must be admitted, could have had no inducement to give any unfair teftimony in their favour.* That fome verbal difficulties fhould occur in a collection of books, which were written from more than one thousand feven hundred, to upwards of three thoufand years ago, and which contain a history of above four thousand years, is what may reasonably be expected; but that writings of fuch antiquity fhould come down to us so perfect as they appear to be, is cause of admiration ; *For the truth of thefe affertions, fee Grotius on the Truth of the Chriftian Religion, 3 Se&t. 14 and 16. Newton on the Prophecies, and Prettyman on the Study of the Bible. |