the sense of that passage, consistent with my proposition; but a strong support is provided for what will be further said in the third and last volume, concerning the gradual decay of the extraordinary providence, from the time of Saut to the return from the great Captivity, and resettlement in the land of Judea. But this dissertation has still a further, and very impor tant use, regarding Revelation in general. For showing therein, how the principles of the Gospel doctrine opened by degrees, fully obviates the calunnies of Tindat and Collins: who pretend that the priests and leaders of the Jews refined their old doctrines concerning the deity, and invented new ones, just as they advanced in knowTedge or the people in curiosity; or as both were better instructed in the country to which they were led captives. In examining the texts of the New Testament, the famous eleventh chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews was not forgotten; the sense of which is cleared up from the strongest and most inveterate mistakes of systematical divines. In this place is occasionally explained and illustrated a matter of the highest moment for the understanding St. Paul's epistles, namely, the nature of the Apostolic reasoning against the errors of the Jewish converts; and this likewise contributes still further to support the truth of our two MINOR propositions. 1 As in all this I taught nothing contrary to the doctrine of our excellent Church, my profession, in common decency, not to say justice both to myself and others, required I should vindicate the reality of my conformity. Having therefore declared it as my unfeigned opinion that, "though a future state of rewards and punishinents "made no part of the Mosaic dispensation, yet that the “Law had a spiritual meaning, to be understood when "the fulness of time should come, and hence received "the nature, and afforded the efficacy of prophecy: and "that in the interim, the mystery of the Gospel was "occasionally revealed by God to his chosen servants, the "leaders and fathers of the Jewish nation; and: the "datening of it gradually opened by the prophets to the people:" Having, I say, declared this to be my unfeigned opinion, I shew, from the words of the Seventh Article of Religion, that it is the opinion of our excellent Church Church likewise. And that I may not be suspected of tergiversation, when I subscribe to this article, that They are not to be heard which feign, that the old Fathers did look only for transitory promises, I attempt to illustrate the words of Jesus, where he says that Abraham rejoiced to see Christ's day, and saw it, and was glad, by the noblest instance that ever was given of the harmony -between the Old and New Testament, on the principles before laid down in the discourse on the hieroglyphics; and shew that the command to Abraham to offer Isaac was merely an information (given at Abraham's earnest request) in a representative action, instead of words, of the redemption of mankind by the great sacrifice of Christ. From whence we gain two other advantages, besides that more immediate, of justifying the doctrine of our national Church. The first of which is the supporting a real and essential connerion between Judaism and Christianity. The other is, disposing the Deists to think more favourably of their Bible: for our interpretation overthrows all objections to this part of Abraham's history. The matter therefore being of this high importance, it was proper to fix it on such principles as would leave no room for doubt or objection. And this could be done only by explaining the nature of those various modes of information in use amongst the Ancients; for which explanation likewise a proper foundation had been laid in the discourse on the hieroglyphics. But this is not all; we get a yet further and much more considerable benefit by it, and that is the clearing up and vindicating the - logical truth and propriety of types in action, and secon·dary senses in speech: whereon the divinity of the ancient prophecies concerning Christ are to be supported; and which, at this time, most needed a support. For though the greater part of these prophecies relate to Jesus only in a secondary sense, yet had some men of name and in the interests of religion, through ignorance of the true original and nature of secondary senses, rashly concurred with modern Judaism and infidelity, to give up all such as illogical and enthusiastic, to the imminent hazard of overturning the very foundation of our faith. In the course of this inquiry, I had an opportunity of examining and confuting one of the most able and plausible books ever written against Revelation, the Grounds and Reasons of the Christian Religion, which goes entirely upon the illogical fanaticism of a secondary sense of prophecies The intelligent reader will, I presume, allow these reasons sufficient to justify the length of this dissertation: but there were two other more immediately relative to my question, that engaged me in the inquiry. The was to shew, that those, who contend for the Christian, does trine of a future state's being revealed to the early Jews, destroy all reason of a secondary sense of prophecies; (a matter, as we have shewn, of the utmost importance to Revelation :) for how can it be certainly known, from the prophecies themselves, that they contain double senses, but from hence, that the old Law was preparatory to, and the rudiments of, the New? How shall this relation be certainly known, but from hence, that no future state of rewards and punishments is to be found in the Mosaic dispensation? So close a dependence have all these momentous principles on one another. The other more immediate reason for this dissertation, on types and secondary senses, was this: As I had shewn that a future state of rewards and punishments was revealed under no part of the Jewish economy any otherwise than by those modes of information, it was necessary, in order to shew the real connexion between Judaism and Christianity (the truth of the latter religion depending on that real connexion) to prove those modes logical and rational. For as on the one hand, had the doctrine of life and immortality been revealed under the Mosaic economy, Judaism had been more than a rudiment and preparation of Christianity; so had no covert intimations at all been given of the doctrine, it had been less: That is, the dependency and connexion between the two religions had not been sufficiently marked out and ascertained. With this necessary dissertation, therefore, the sixth and last book of the second volume concludes. Thus the reader sees at length, how regularly and intently these two volumes have been carried on the first in proving the MAJOR, and the second, the MINOR propositions of the two syllogisms. In which, though the Author (whose passion is not so much a fondness for -his own argument as for the honour and support of religion religion itself) has neglected no fair occasion of inforcing very circumstance, that might serve to illustrate the truth of Revelation in general; yet he never loses sight of his end; but, as the rule for conducting the most regular works prescribes, you at vitulor Semper ad eventum festinat. This volume too I thought fit to publish alone, as I did the first; though not merely for the same reason, its being a perfect and entire whole of itself, explaining the nature and genius of the Jewish constitution; but for a much better that it fairly finished the argument. For my logic teaches me, that, when the MAJOR and the MINOR are once proved, the CONCLUSION follows of course. And this is, that THE JEWISH RELIGION AND SOCIETY WERE SUPPORTED BY AN EXTRAORDINARY PROVIDENCE: For be this never so furious a PARADOX, may be rendered as tame and harmless as any other truth by the common advantages of argument; unless a raiser of paradores, like a raiser of rebellion, is to be ipso facto, outlawed; and the one denied all benefit of the logic, as the other is, of the law, of his country. III. VII. It may be asked then, what I mean by a third volume, if the argument be ended in the second? To this I answer, That it is one thing to satisfy truth; and another, her pretended followers. He who for Reveengag lation, has many prejudices to encounter; but he who engages for it, under reason only, has many more. I cannot then make too sure of my reader. And, luckily, the plan of my work obliging me to continue the history of the religious doctrines of the Jews, from the time of the first Prophets, to that of the Maccabees, when the doctrine of a future state of rewards and punishments first became national; this history will afford abundant proofs for the further illustration of the MAJOR propositions of the two syllogisms. And this will make the subject of the seventh book of The Divine Legation, or the first part of the third volume. VIII. Having in this manner gone through my generat argument, what remains is an examination of the principal objections that may be urged against it; and, these moinfor being being founded in the supposed views and objects of the Jewish Lawgiver, this examination will be chiefly employed in explaining and vindicating the true CHARACTER of MOSES: from whence will arise a new series of argu ments for the support of the MINOR propositions of the two syllogisms and, particularly, a demonstration that shews the conclusion of the second syllogism*, to have all the force of the first: the only thing it might seem to want. This demonstration may be reduced to this syllogism: None, but one ignorant of the world, or an enthusiast, who had received a promise like that given to the Jews, and had lived to the time marked for its accomplishment, could be mistaken either about the promise or its completion. But Moses received such a promise, and lived to the time marked for its accomplishment, and was neither ignorant of the world, nor an enthusiast. Therefore Moses was not mistaken either about the promise or its accomplishment. This will make the subject of the eighth book, or the second part of the third volume. IX. But having, towards the conclusion of the eighth book, in answer to various infidel objections, examined the pretended reasons of the omission of the doctrine of a future state of rewards and punishments in the Mosaic dispensation; I am naturally and necessarily led to inquire, further, into the TRUE. For now it might be finally objected, that though, under an extraordinary providence, there might be no occasion for the doctrine of a future state of rewards and punishments, in support of religion, or the ends of government; yet, as that doctrine was true, and, consequently, under every regimen of Providence, useful; it seems hard to conceive that the religious Leader of the Jews, because, as a lawgiver, he could do without it, that therefore, as a divine, he would omit it. The objection is of weight in itself, and receives much additional strength from what we have observed in Namely, that Moses, who taught, believed likewise, that the Jewish religion and society were to be supported by an extraordinary providence. Namely, that they were under an extraordinary providence. the |