THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For SEPTEMBER, 1765. Conclusion of the Account of the new Edition of the Divine Legation of Moses. See the Review for last Month. 'AVING, in our last number, given an account of the most confiderable additions to the fourth and fifth books of the Divine Legation, we now proceed to the remaining part of the work. In a pretty long appendix to the fifth book, his Lordship confiders what Lord Bolingbroke has advanced in regard to the omiffion of the Doctrine of a future state of rewards and punishments, and the administration of an extraordinary providence, in the Mofaic dispensation. It is not worth while, however, to detain our Readers with a particular account of what is contained in this appendix, as the noble author's inconfistencies and contradictions are too palpable to escape the notice of any but the most superficial reader. Our Author points out these inconsistencies in a spirited and agreeable manner, and shews himself greatly superior to his antagonist in critical sagacity, learning, and knowlege of his subject. This fuperiority to Lord Bolingbroke, and, indeed, to most other writers, is readily acknowleged; but it is disgraced by that illiberal, that haughty, that infolent manner, in which he treats almost all those who differ from him; and of which the Reader will have a striking instance before we conclude this Article. In this respect, indeed, the noble Author is by no means inferior to him; but though arrogance and abuse reflect the greatest dishonour upon every gentleman, and every scholar, yet we cannot but think that they are more inexcusable in the Author of the Divine Legation, than in his philosophic Lordship, as the former is a professed and strenuous advocate for a religion which most especially recommends meekness and humility; of which there are no traces in any of his writings. Little does he seem to consider, that the man, who adorns his character with the amiable virtues which Christianity fo VOL. XXXIII. strongly N strongly recommends, will do his religion infinitely more service, than he, who, without these virtues, should write an hundred volumes in its defence. In the fixth section of the fixth book, we find the following adddition in regard to that prophecy, wherein our Saviour, to use his Lordship's own words, hath embroidered into one piece the intermediate judgment of the Jews, and the final judgment of mankind. • If St. Paul exhorted his followers not to be fhaken in mind on this account; his fellow-labourer, St. Peter, when he had in like manner reproved the scoffers, who faid, where is the Promise of bis coming? went still further, and, to shew his followers that the Church was to be of long continuance here on earth, explains to them the nature of that evidence which future times were to have of the truth of the Gospel; an evidence even fuperior to that which the primitive times enjoyed of miracles * ; We have also a more fure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light which shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arife in your hearts +. This evidence of prophecy is justly qualified a more fure wordt, when compared to miracles, whose demonstrative evidence is confined to that age in which the power of them was bestowed upon the Church: whereas the prophecies here meant, namely, those of St. Paul and St. John 1, concerning the great apoftacy, were always fulfilling even to the last confummation of all things; and so, affording this demonftrative evidence to the men of all generations §. 2 Ep. Peter chap. i. ver. 17. + Ver. 19. The * Βεβαιότερον, more firm, constant, and durable. || See Sir Ifaac Newton on the Prophecies, c. i. of his Obfervations upon the Apocalypse of St. John. Mr. Markland has discovered a new sense in this passage of St. Peter (concerning the more fure word of prophecy) with which his brother-critic is so enamoured, that he says, he mav prophecy there will be no more dif putes about it. Mr. Markland's discovery is very simple," it is only placing a colon at the end of the 18th verse, that the beginning of the 19th may connect with it'; and so lead to the true and obvious sense of a paflage, which of late has in vain exercised the pens of many learned Writers, viz. This voice, saying, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleafed, [taken from liaiah xlii. 1.] we beard in the mount, and we have by that means (prophecy or) the words of the Prophet more fully cons firmed." This interpretation supposes that Peter is here speaking of the first coming of the Meffiah, and that the word of prophecy refers to a Prophecy already accomplished. Now, if it can be shewn, that he is speaking of the second coming of Jesus, and that the ward of prophecy refers to a long The fixth book concludes with a long recapitulation, confifting of about fifty pages, wherein his Lordship takes a retrospèćtive series of predictions to be fulfilled in order, there is a fair end of this new interpretation. First, then, it is to be observed, that the epiftle, in which the pafsage in question 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 second coming of their Master. And of this coming it is that St Peter speaks, 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 Jesus Christ. He subjoins the reason of his confidence in this fecond coming, that he and the rest of the Disciples were eye-witnesses of the majefty of the first, ver. 16. That the second coming is the subject of the discourse, appears further from the recapitulation in the concluding part of the Epistle, where he reproves those scoffers of the last days, who would say, where is the promise of his coming? for fince the Fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were, &c. [chap. iii. ver. 3, 4] The primitive Christians, as we have seen, had entertained an opinion that the second coming of their Master was at hand. And the cause and occasion of their mistake has been explained. These 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 Antichrist are summarily abridged, of which writings he gives this character-As alfo in all bis Epifiles, Speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do all the other Scriptures, unto their own deftruction. (ver. 16.] In which words, we have the truest picture of those indiscreet Interpreters who fet up for Prophets in predicting the events of unfulfilled Prophecies, instead of confining themselves to the explanation of those already accomplished. But not only the general fubject of the Epistle, but the very expref. fion ufed in the text in question, shews that this power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is his fecond coming-For we have not followed (lays he) cunningly devised Fables (σεσοφισμένοις μύθοις] when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, an attestation of a voice from Heaven at his first coming, tho' it had been a figment of the Relater, could with no propriety be called a cunningly dewifed Fable. But suppose the Apostle to speak of Chrift's Second 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 destroyed by fervent beat [chap. iii. ver. 12, 13.] if this awful scene were an invention, it was truly characterised by a cunningly devised Fable, fuch as those in which Paganism abounded, where, in their mythologte relations, they speak of the Regions of departed Heroes, &c. N2 Locos : tive view of his whole argument. Part of the introduction tơ this recapitulation is as follows : -Locos lætos & amoena vireta Fortunatorum nemorum, fedesque beatas. As And, to afcertain his meaning, the Apostle uses a phrafe by which only the mythologic fables of Pagan Theology can be designedου γαρ σεσοφισμένοις ΜΥΘΟΙΣ ἐξακολουθύσαντες not following or imitating the eunningly devised fables of the Greek Sophifts and Mythologists. Secondly, it shall be now shewn, that, by the more fure word of prophecy, the Apostle does not mean, as Mr. Markland's interpretation fupposes, a Prophecy fulfilled, but a long series of Prophecies to be fulfilied in order, and in the course of many ages. We may observe then, that concerning this more fure word of prophecy, the Churches are told, they do well to take beed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day-ftar avise in their bearts. [chap. i. ver. 19.] Now, from Prophecy thus circumstanced, it plainly appears, that it could not be a complete Prophecy of any event fulfilled, such as that of Ifaiah, chap. xlii. ver. I, which Mr. Markland supposes is the Prophecy here -spoken of, because it was not a light shining in a dark place until the day dawn; fince, with regard to the Prophecy in question, the day was not only dawned, but advanced; yet the Apostle supposes the darkness to exist, and the day dawn to be far distant. Neither, on the other hand, could it be a Prophecy totally unfulfilled, for such are totally dark and unintelligible; but this, here spoken of, is a light shining, though in a dark place. In a word, the character given of the more fure word of Prophecy, as being a light that shineth in a dark place, can agree with nothing but the Prophecies of St. Paul and St. John: and with these, it agrees admirably. These Predictions relating to one great event, the future fortune of the Church, under the ufurpation of the Man of Sin, are emphatically called the word of prophecy. They began fulfilling even before St. Peter wrote this Epistle; for St. Paul, speaking of the Man of Sin, to the Theffalonians, says, the mystery of iniquity doth already work. [2d Ep. chap. ii. ver. 7.] This Prophecy therefore, is, with the greatest elegance and truth, described as a light shining in a dark place. Juft fo much of the commencing completion was seen 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 obscurity in pursuit of a light just beginning to emerge from it, he fubjoins a very necessary caution.- Knowing this first that no prepbecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. [ver.20.] As much as to say, I exhort you to give all attention to this more fure word of prophecy, but previoufly to guard yourselves 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 supports this observation by a factFor the Prophecy came not in old time by the will of Man, but boly Men of God spake 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 sometimes out of corners the most remote and dark, it was the less to be admired if every inattentive Reader did not see their force and various purpose; or if every attentive Reader could not combine them into the body of a compleated Syllogism; and still less if the envious and the prejudiced should concur to represent these Volumes as an indigested and inconnected heap of discourses, thrown out upon one another, to disburthen a common-place. For the fatisfaction therefore, of the more candid, who acknowledge the fairness of the attempt, who saw something of the progress of the argument, but, misled by the notice of a remaining Part, neglected to pursue the proof to the conclufion here deduced, I shall endeavour to lay open, in one plain and fimple view, the whole conduct of these mysterious Volumes. Nor shall I neglect the other fort of Readers, tho' it be odds, we part again as dissatisfied with one another, as the Toyman of Bath and his Customer. Of whom the story goes, that a grave well-dressed man coming into the shop of this ingenious inventor, and reliever of the distresses of those who are too dull to know what they want, and too rich to be at ease with what they have, demanded to fee some of his best reading-glasses; which when he had tried to no purpose, he returned. The Toyman surprised at so strange a phænomenon, gravely asked him, whether ever he had learnt to read? to which the other as gravely replied, that if he had been so happy he should have had no need of his assistance. Now, before I bring the distant parts of my argument to converge, for the use of these dimfighted gentlemen, may I ask them, without offence, a similar question? They have answered; without asking; 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, says 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 savages, it had, Prophets themselves, under the old Law, often underslood not the true purport of what they predicted, being only the organs of God's Holy Spirit ; much less are we to suppose the common ministers of the word qualified for the office of Interpreters of unfulfilled prophecies. And in the 3d chapter ver. 16, as has been observed above, he speaks of the mischiefs attending this presumption. N3 |