2 The fixth book concludes with a long recapitulation, confifting of about fifty pages, wherein his Lordship takes a retrospec tive feries of predictions to be fulfilled in order, there is a fair end of this new interpretation. First, then, it is to be obferved, that the epiftle, in which the paffage in queftion is found, is a fare-well epiftle to the Churches. St. Peter (as he tells them, chap. i. ver. 14.) knowing that shortly he must put off this bis Tabernacle:-Now the great topic of confolation urged, by these departing Saints, to their widowed Churches, was the fecond coming of their Master. And of this coming it is that St Peter fpeaks, in the words of the text-For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift. He fubjoins the reafon of his confidence in this fecond coming, that he and the rest of the Disciples were eye-uitreffes of the ma jefty of the firft, ver. 16. That the fecond coming is the fubject of the difcourfe, appears further from the recapitulation in the concluding part of the Epistle, where he reproves thofe fcoffers of the last days, who would say, where is the promife of his coming? for fince the Fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were, &c. [chap. iii. ver. 3, 4.] The primitive Chriftians, as we have seen, had entertained an opinion that the fecond coming of their Mafter was at hand. And the cause and occafion of their mistake has been explained. Thefe Scoffers the Apostle confutes at large from ver. 5th, to the 13th. And recurring again, at ver. 15, to that more fure word of prophecy, mentioned chap. i. ver. 19. he refers evidently to those parts of St. Paul's writings, where the Prophecies in the Revelations concerning Antichrift are fummarily abridged, of which writings he gives this character-As alfo in all his Epiftles, Speaking in them of thefe things, in which are fome things hard to be underfood, which they that are unlearned and unftable wreft, as they do all the other Scriptures, unto al their own deftruction. [ver. 16.] In which words, we have the truekt picture of thofe indifcreet Interpreters who fet up for Prophets in predicting the events of unfulfilled Prophecies, inftead of confining themfelves to the explanation of thofe already accomplished. But not only the general fubject of the Epiftie, but the very expreffion used in the text in queftion, fhews that this power and coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift is his fecond coming.For we have not followed (tays he) cunningly devised Fables (érois μvbois] when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift. Now, an atteftation of a voice from Heaven at his firft coming, tho' it had been a figment of the Relater, could with no propriety be called a cunningly de wifed Fable. But fuppofe the Apoftle to fpeak of Chrift's fecond coming, when according to the promise, there was to be a new Heaven and a new Earth, wherein was to dwell righteousness, after the old had been burnt up and deftroyed by fervent heat [chap. iii. ver. 12, 13.] if this awful fcene were an invention, it was truly characterised by a cunningly devifed Fable, fuch as thofe in which Paganiím abounded, where, in their mythologic relations, they speak of the Regions of departed Heroes, &c. also tive view of his whole argument. Part of the introduction to this recapitulation is as follows: • As -Locos lætos & amoena vireta Purpureo: Selemque fuum, fua fydera norunt. And, to afcertain his meaning, the Apoftle ufes a phrafe by which only the mythologic fables of Pagan Theology can be defignedu yaş σεσοφισμένοις ΜΥΘΟΙΣ ἐξακολουθύσαντες—not following or imitating the cunningly devifed fables of the Greek Sophifts and Mythologifts. Secondly, it fhall be now fhewn, that, by the more fure word of prophecy, the Apostle does not mean, as Mr. Markland's interpretation fuppofes, a Prophecy fulfilled, but a long feries of Prophecies to be fulfilled in order, and in the courfe of many ages. We may obferve then, that concerning this more Sure word of prophecy, the Churches are told, they do well to take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day ftar arife in their hearts. [chap. i. ver. 19.] Now, from Prophecy thus circumftanced, it plainly appears, that it could not be a complete Prophecy of any event fulfilled, fuch as that of Ifaiah, chap. xlii. ver. 1, which Mr. Makland fuppofes is the Prophecy here fpoken of, because it was not a light shining in a dark place until the day daron; fince, with regard to the Prophecy in queflion, the day was not only dawned, but advanced; yet the Apoftle fuppofes the darkness to exift, and the day dawn to be far diftant. Neither, on the other hand, could it be a Prophecy totally unfulfilled, for fuch are totally dark and unintelligible; but this, here spoken of, is a light fhining, though in a dark place. In a word, the character given of the more fure word of Prophecy, as being a light that fbineth in a dark place, can agree with nothing but the Prophecies of St. Paul and St. John: and with thefe, it agrees admirably. Thefe Predictions relating to one great event, the future for tune of the Church, under the furpation of the Man of Sin, are emphatically called the word of prophecy. They began fulfilling even before St. Peter wrote this Epiftle; for St. Paul, fpeaking of the Man of Sin, to the Theffalonians, fays, the mystery of iniquity doth already work. [2d Ep. chap. ii. ver. 7.] This Prophecy therefore, is, with the greatest elegance and truth, defcribed as a light shining in a dark place. Just so much of the commencing completion was feen as to excite Men's attention; but this glimmering was still furrounded with thick darkness: And as the eager curiofity of man tempts him to plunge even into ob fcurity in purfuit of a light just beginning to emerge from it, he fub. joins a very neceflary caution.-Knowing this first that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. [ver. 20.] As much as to fay, I exhort you to give all attention to this more fure sword of prophecy, but previously to guard yourfelves with this important truth, that the Interpreter of Prophecy is not Man but God, and the full completion of it, its only true interpretation. He fupports this obfervation by a factFor the Prophecy came not in old time by the will of Man, but holy Men of Gud fpake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, [ver. 21.] i. e. the very Pro As the Argument is indeed drawn out to an uncommon length; raised upon a great variety of fupports; and fought out from every quarter of antiquity, and fometimes out of corners the most remote and dark, it was the lefs to be admired if every inattentive Reader did not fee their force and various purpofe; or if every attentive Reader could not combine them into the body of a compleated Syllogifm; and ftill lefs if the envious and the prejudiced fhould concur to represent these Volumes as an indigefted and inconnected heap of difcourfes, thrown out upon one another, to difburthen a common-place. For the fatisfaction therefore, of the more candid, who acknowledge the fairness of the attempt, who faw fomething of the progrefs of the argument, but, mifled by the notice of a re-. maining Part, neglected to pursue the proof to the conclufion here deduced, I fhall endeavour to lay open, in one plain and fimple view, the whole conduct of thefe myfterious Volumes. Nor fhall I neglect the other fort of Readers, tho' it be odds, we part again as diflatisfied with one another, as the Toyman' of Bath and his Cuftomer. Of whom the ftory goes, that a grave well-dreffed man coming into the fhop of this ingenious inventor, and reliever of the diftreffes of those who are too dull to know what they want, and too rich to be at eafe with what they have, demanded to fee fome of his beft reading-glaffes; which when he had tried to no purpose, he returned. The Toyman furprised at fo ftrange a phænomenon, gravely afked him, whether ever he had learnt to read? to which the other as gravely replied, that if he had been fo happy he should have had no need of his affiftance. Now, before I bring the diftant parts of my argument to converge, for the use of these dimfighted gentlemen, may I afk them, without offence, a fimilar queftion? They have anfwered; without afking; but not with the fame ingenuity.' His Lordship concludes his recapitulation with an account of what is to be contained in the remaining part of his work, and introduces another tale, to ridicule the complaint against him, for not having performed his convention with the public. To this, fays he, a great deal might be faid, and perhaps to little purpose. The following tale will put it in the fairest light. In a folemn treaty lately concluded between the governor of one of our American provinces and the neighbouring favages, it had, Prophets themselves, under the old Law, often underflood not the true purport of what they predicted, being only the organs of God's Holy Spirit; much lefs are we to fuppofe the common minifters of the word qualified for the office of Interpreters of unfulfilled prophecies. And in the 3d chapter ver. 16, as has been obferved above, he speaks of the mifchiefs attending this prefumption. N 3 it feems, been ftipulated, that the fettlement fhould fupply thofe warrior-tribes with a certain number of good and ferviceable mufkets. Which engagement was fo ill performed, that at their next general meeting, the chiefs of the barbarians complained, that, though indeed the colony had fent them the number of mufkets agreed upon, yet, on examination, they were all found to be without locks. This mifchance (occafioned by the muskets and the locks being put into two different cargoes) the governor promifed fhould be redreffed. It was redreffed accordingly; and the locks fought out, and fent. He now flattered himfelf that all caufe of umbrage was effectually removed; when, at their next meeting, he was entertained with a fresh complaint, that the colony had fraudulently fent them locks without muskets. The truth was, this brave people, of unimpeached morals, were only defective in their military logic; they had not the dexterity, till they were firft fhewn the way, to put the major of the mufket and the minor of the mufket-lock together; and from thence to draw the concluding trigger. But then it will be faid, "If, as is here pretended, the premiffes have been indeed proved, in these two volumes, with all the detail which their importance required, and with all the evidence which a moral fubject can fupply; and the conclufion, therefore, established with all the conviction which the laws of logic are able to enforce; Why was another volume promised? For no other end, as would feem, than to mislead a well-meaning reader, in the vain pursuit of an Argument already ended." It was promifed for a better purpofe-To remove all conceiv able objections against the conclufion, and to throw in every collateral light upon the premiffes. For it is one thing to fatisfy truth, and another, to filence her pretended friends. He who defends Revelation has many prejudices to encounter; but he who defends it by reafon only, has many more. The third and laft volume, therefore, is deftined to fupport what hath been already proved: not, as has been abfurdly fuggefted, to continue and conclude an unfinished Argument. It confifts of three books, like each of the preceding volumes. 1. The feventh book therefore is employed in fupporting the major and the minor propofitions of the firft fyllogifm: in a continued hiftory of the religious opinions of the Jews, from the time of the earlier prophets, who first gave fome dark intimations of a different difpenfation, to the time of the Maccabees, when the doctrine of a future ftate of rewards and punishments was become national. 2. The eighth book is employed in fupporting the major and minor propofitions of the fecond fyllogifm, in which is confidered the perfonal character of Mofes and the genius of the law, as as far as it concerns or has a relation to the character of the Lawgiver. Under this latter head, is contained a full and fatisfactory answer to those who may object "That a revealed religion with a future ftate of rewards and punishments is unworthy the divine Author to whom it is afcribed." 3. The ninth and laft book, explains at large the nature and genius of the Chriftian difpenfation: For having towards the end of the eighth book, examined the pretended reafons (offered both by believers and unbelievers to evade my conclufion) for omitting the doctrine of a future ftate of rewards and punishments in the Mosaic difpenfation, I was naturally and neceffarily led to inquire into the true. For now, it might be finally objected, "That tho', under an extraordinary providence there might be no occafion for the doctrine of a future state, in support of religion, or for the ends of government; yet as that doctrine is a truth, and confequently, under every regimen of Providence, useful, it feems 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 additional moment from what hath been obferved in the fifth book, concerning the reafon of the law of punishing children for the crimes of their parents. I held it therefore infufficient barely to reply, "Mofes omitted it, that his law might thereby fland, throughout all ages, an invincible monument of the truth of his pretences:" but proceeded to explain the great and principal reafon of the omiffion. And now,-ventum ad verum eft. < The whole concludes with one general but diftinct view of the entire course of Gods univerfal Economy from Adam to Christ. In which it is fhewn, that if Mofes were, in truth, fent from God, he could not teach a future ftate; that doctrine being out of his commiffion, and referved for him who was at the head of another difpenfation, by which life and immortality was to be brought to light. This discourse, befides the immediate purpose of supporting and illuftrating the argument here compleated, ferves another end,. which I had in view, as to the general difpofition of the whole work: which was to explain and difcriminate the diftinct and various natures of the Pagan, the Jewish and the Chriftian religions: the Pagan having been confidered in the firft volume, and the Jewish in the fecond; the Chriftian is referved for the third and laft. Let me conclude therefore, in an addrefs to my reverend brethren, with the words of an ancient apologift. Quid nobis invidemus, fi veritas divinitatis, noftri temporis ætate maturuit? Fruamur bono noftro, et recti fententiam temperemus: cohibeatur fuperftitio, impietas expietur, vera religio refervetur.' To the fixth book is added an appendix concerning the book out/ |