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"ALL these things,” that happened between the creation and fall of man, "are "faid to have been tranfacted in one day's "time, or perhaps but in half a day 1.” *** "And that very fame day mistress bride be“ing, to I know not what intent, pleased to "ramble among the groves of the garden, "chanced to meet with the ferpent, &c." *** « But I cannot bear to fee, that in fo "short a time all things were inverted and "put into a total diforder; and that the whole "frame of nature, which had been but just "now compofed and polished, fhould, before "the first time of the fun's fetting, fall to "ruin and confufion. In the morning God "faid, all things were good; and in the even"ing of the fame day, all things are accurfed. "Alas! how fleeting and unconftant is the "glory of things created! A work that was

fo elaborate as to be fix days ere it could "be brought to perfection, and that by an " omnipotent architect, to be thus ruined by fo vile a beaft ".".

REALLY it feems a very cruel and very hard thing, that God fhould be faid to have tormented, nay, and ruined man"kind for fo fmall a fault, and that too "committed through the levity of a woman's "mind. Wherefore fome are of opinion,

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ર (which I am not much averse to) that Mofes

laid fo vaft a punishment on so small a "crime, only to the end he might procure "the greater deference and authority to his "own laws, which often decree with the greatest feverity things frivolous, and in their "own nature indifferent. For who would "not fear to violate the moft petty, inconfi"derable precept that comes in the name of "God, if the eating of one forbidden apple "could bring perdition to all mankind 3 ?”

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TOWARDS Our author's conclufion of this treatise, he fays, "As we are christians, we worship the fupreme Deity, a God of the greatest power and goodness, or, as he is ufually defined, a being infinitely perfect. "Now can we fay, that a being infinitely perfect made coats of fkins, and put them

on

the man and the woman? with many "other things which are related concerning "the being of infinite perfection in that col"loquy with Adam, the woman, and the

ferpent. When therefore we attribute any "thing to the Deity which is unworthy of him, "not in words only, but really as to the matter

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itself, we offend against the dignity of the "Divine Nature; which, if it were done with "a wicked mind, would not only have an air of REPROACH, but of BLASPHEMY'.

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BY

• Ibid. p. 77.

• Ibid. p. 23, 24.

By these few extracts from this treatise of our worthy and pious author, particularly the laft paragraph, his fentiments concerning the Mofaic account of the original of men and things, fufficiently appear. Could the reverend Doctor poffibly believe, that a book which attributed to the Deity fo many things unworthy of him, as our learned divine himfelf plainly infinuates this does, was written by divine inspiration?

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SECTION V.

CCORDING to the opinions of those eminent divines quoted in the last fection, there are many parts of the bible in which revelation was not at all neceffary. Relations of facts that men themselves had been eye-witneffes of, or fuch as they might hear from others, or learn by tradition, needed no divine revelation. The fame may be faid of giving advice, or perfons fignifying their defire, about the most common and trivial things as when Paul advifes Timothy to drink no longer water, but use a little wine for his ftomach's fake"; or when the fame apostle defires Timothy to bring the cloke and parchments with him that he left at Troas "'; furely

" I Timothy V, 23.

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2 Timothy iv. 13.

furely there could be no manner of occafion for revelation in these cafes. Moreover, to prove evidently, that the fcriptures were not all given forth by divine revelation, we will appeal to the fcriptures themfelves. Let us hear what one of the most eminent writers even of the New Teftament frequently declares.

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THE apoftle Paul, who, as he fays of himfelf, "was in nothing behind the very chiefeft

apostles*;" yet in feveral places tells us, that on many occafions he did not write in his epiftles, which are fome of the most esteemed parts of the fcriptures, by revelation. "But to the rest speak I, not the Lord. "Now concerning virgins, I have no com"mandment of the Lord: yet I give my

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judgment. That which I speak, I speak "it not after the Lord, but as it were foolifhly." Then certainly not by divine revelation. Again," I speak after the manner " of men." On which St. Jerom observes, as I find him quoted in Dr. Middleton's works", "that he, the apoftle, makes good "what he says, and by his low and vulgar way of reasoning, might give offence to "understanding men, if he had not prefaced "it as he does, by fignifying, that he was delivering only his own human fenti

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"ments."

* 2 Cor. xii. 11.

Y Vol. II. p. 19.

"ments." And the fame author informs us from Erafmus, that cardinal Hugo was fo far from thinking all parts of fcripture were written by divine revelation, that he treats a paffage in St. Matthew," as little better than " a lie, or fuch an account as one would ex"pect from a man in his cups ".

By the foregoing account which the scriptures give of themselves, we feem to be under a neceffity of allowing, that all parts of these writings were not divinely revealed: but if this did not convince us, the many and palpable inconfiftencies in several places must put this matter beyond difpute. Tis true, this will occafion a great, and it may be feared, an almost infuperable difficulty; which is, to diftinguish what parts were, and what were not fo revealed. Probably the apprehenfion of this difficulty hath caufed many divines of more zeal than knowledge, or more art than honefty, to contend fo earneftly for fuch an apparent falfehood, as that every word of the bible was by divine inspiration. But let what difficulties foever arise, that which is true fhould not be denied or concealed. In mens conduct and actions they should pay especial regard to confequences: but in disputes, or fearching after truth, which ought to be the end of all dis

z Ibid. p. 37

putes,

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