actions of those inferiour creatures. That fatal necessity of the stoicks is nothing but the immutable law of his will. Those that heretofore denied the divinity of the Holy Ghost have been condemned but as hereticks; and those that now deny our Saviour, though more than hereticks, are not so much as atheists: for, though they deny two persons in the trinity, they hold, as we do, there is but one God. That villain and secretary of hell, that composed that miscreant piece of the three impostors, though divided from all religions, and neither Jew, Turk, nor Christian, was not a positive atheist. I confess every country hath its Machiavel, every age its Lucian, whereof common heads must not hear, nor more advanced judgments too rashly venture on. It is the rhetorick of Satan; and may pervert a loose or prejudicate belief. 2 SECT. XXI.-I confess I have perused them all, and can discover nothing that may startle a discreet belief; yet are their heads carried off with the wind and breath of such motives. I remember a doctor in physick, of Italy, who could not perfectly believe the immortality of the soul, because Galen seemed to make a doubt thereof. With another I was familiarly acquainted, in France, a divine, and a man of singular parts, that on the same point was so plunged and gravelled with three lines of Seneca, that all our antidotes, drawn from both Scripture and philosophy, could not expel the poison of his errour. There are a set of heads that can credit the relations of mariners, yet question the testimonies of Saint Paul: and peremptorily maintain the traditions of Ælian or Pliny; yet, in histories of Scripture, raise queries and objections: believing no more than they can parallel in humane authors. I confess there are, in Scripture, stories that do exceed the fables of poets,3 and, to a captious reader, sound like Garagantua or Bevis. Search all the legends of times past, and the 2 ... three lines of Seneca,] viz:- An toti morimur! nullaque pars manet Post mortem nihil est, ipsaque mors nihil. 3. ... there are, in Scripture, stories that do exceed the fables of poets,] So the author of Relig. Laici. "Certe mira ad modum in S. S. plusquam in reliquis omnibus historiis traduntur;" (and then he concludes himself with the author) "Sed quæ non retundunt intellectum, sed exercent."-K. Garagantua or Bevis.] For the former see Rabelais :-for the latter, Syr Bevis of Southampton.-Ed. fabulous conceits of these present, and 't will be hard to find one that deserves to carry the buckler unto Sampson; yet is all this of an easy possibility, if we conceive a divine concourse, or an influence but from the little finger of the Almighty. It is impossible that, either in the discourse of man or in the infallible voice of God, to the weakness of our apprehensions there should not appear irregularities, contradictions, and antinomies: myself could show a catalogue of doubts, never yet imagined nor questioned, as I know, which are not resolved at the first hearing; not fantastick queries or objections of air; for I cannot hear of atoms in divinity. I can read the history of the pigeon that was sent out of the ark, and returned no more, yet not question how she found out her mate that was left behind: that Lazarus was raised from the dead, yet not demand where, in the interim, his soul awaited; or raise a law-case, whether his heir might lawfully detain his inheritance bequeathed unto him by his death, and he, though restored to life, have no plea or title unto his former possessions. Whether Eve was framed out of the left side of Adam, I dispute not; because I stand not yet assured which is the right side of a man; or whether there be any such distinction in nature. That she was edified out of the rib of Adam, I believe; yet raise no question who shall arise with that rib at the resurrection.5 Whether Adam was an hermaphrodite, as the rabbins contend upon the letter of the text; because it is contrary to reason, there should be an hermaphrodite before there was a woman, or a composition of two natures, before there was a second composed. Likewise, whether the world was created in autumn, summer, or the spring; because it was created in them all: for, whatsoever sign the sun possesseth, those four seasons are actually existent. 5 That she was edified &c.] This clause is wanting in Edts. 1642, and in MSS. W. & R. On the subject, see Pseudodoxia Epidemica, lib. vii, cap. 2.-Ed. 6. as the rabbins &c.] Wanting in MS. R.-Ed. 7. . . . whether the world were created in autumn, summer, or the spring;] Two learned poets of antiquity are of opinion that it begins in spring;-Lucretius, lib. v, 800, 816;-Virgil. Georg. lib. ii, 335. But there is a difference respecting it among church doctors; some agreeing with these poets, and some affirming the time to be Autumn. Strictly speaking, it was not created in any one, but in all, of the seasons, as the author saith here, and hath shewn at large, Pseudodox. Epid. lib. vi, cap. 2.—K. It is the nature of this luminary to distinguish the several seasons of the year; all which it makes at one time in the whole earth, and successive in any part thereof. There are a bundle of curiosities, not only in philosophy, but in divinity, proposed and discussed by men of most supposed abilities, which indeed are not worthy our vacant hours, much less our serious studies. Pieces only fit to be placed in Pantagruel's library, or bound up with Tartaretus, De Modo Cacandi.9 SECT. XXII.-These are niceties that become not those that peruse so serious a mystery. There are others more generally questioned, and called to the bar, yet, methinks, of an easy and possible truth. "T is ridiculous to put off or drown the general flood of Noah, in that particular inundation of Deucalion.1 That there was a deluge once, seems not to me so great a miracle as that there is not one always. How all the kinds of creatures, not only in their own bulks, but with a competency of food and sustenance, might be preserved in one ark, and 8 in Pantagruel's library,] That of St. Victor, described by Pantagruel, Rabel. tom. ii, cap. 7.—Ed. 9. ... or bound up with Tartaretus, De Modo Cacandi.] The work here alluded to, or more properly speaking, the imaginary work here alluded to, is thus spoken of by a French Commentator on the works of Rabelais. "(Pierre Tartaret). Il faudroit recourir aux regitres de la Sorbonne pour pouvoir dire au juste en quel tems vivoit ce docteur, dont tout le mérite consista autrefois à raffiner encore et à enchérir sur les ridicules subtilitéz de Jean Scot, dans une infinité de questions quodlibétaires et autres matières, où Tartaret s'exerça avec tant de temérité, souvent même avec tant d'impiété, que H. Etienne met le Sorboniste Tartaret au nombre de ces malheureux qui avec le tems avoient fait revivre par leurs écrits le detestable évangile éternel qu'anciennement les moines mendians opposérent aux Vaudois et à leur doctrine. Les Contes d'Eutrapel, chap. 26, parlent d'une dispute de ce Tartaret avec Mandeston, autre quodlibétaire de cette maison, sur la prononciation du mot mihi, laquelle dispute fut assoupie par le grammairien Caillard. Seroit-ce par rapport aux ordures et aux blasphêmes qui étoient sortis en si grand nombre de la plume et de la bouche de Tartaret, ou à propos de la vicieuse coûtume qu'avoit peut-être ce docteur, de dire et d'écrire chi pour hi dans le mot mihi, que Rabelais lui attribue un livre d'un sujet si vilain? L'un et l'autre est possible; mais selon moi l'auteur l'y considère principalement comme disciple de ce même Jean Scot qu'eù égard aux scandaleuses matières par lui remuées, le peintre Holbein avoit déjà plaisamment representé, conime rendant l'ame par la bouche, sous la figure d'un enfant stulta cacantis logicalia." œuvres de Pierre Tartaret furent réimprimés in 8vo. à Lyon, l'an 1621.-Rabelais, tom. ii, cap. 7. Amst. 1711.-Ed. Les 1'T is ridiculous &c.] Lucian's description of the flood of Deucalion so strikingly accords, in its particulars, with the Mosaick account of the deluge, that it is difficult not to refer the two narrations to the same event.-Ed. 2. . . . seems not to me &c.] Il n'est pas besoin de douter, qu'en plusieurs places du monde la mer est plus haute que la terreferme; de façon que c'est une merveille, qu'on n'entende pas parler davantage de déluges: notre Hollande est si basse, qu'elle pourroit être entièrement engloutie en peu de temps de la mer, si elle n'en étoit empêchée par les dunes de sable, les digues, les moulins, et les écluses.-Fr. Tr. bears. within the extent of three hundred cubits, to a reason that rightly examines it, will appear very feasible. There is another secret, not contained in the Scripture, which is more hard to comprehend, and put the honest Father to the refuge of a miracle; and that is, not only how the distinct pieces of the world, and divided islands, should be first planted by men, but inhabited by tigers, panthers, and How America abounded with beasts of prey, and noxious animals, yet contained not in it that necessary creature, a horse, is very strange.5 By what passage those, not only birds, but dangerous and unwelcome beasts, came over. How there be creatures there, which are not found in this triple continent. All which must needs be strange unto us, that hold but one ark; and that the creatures began their progress from the mountains of Ararat." They who, to salve this, would make the deluge particular, proceed upon a principle that I can no way grant; not only upon the negative of Holy Scriptures, but of mine own reason, whereby I 3. feasible.] On the contrary, Edts. 1642 read, difficult; and MSS. W. & R. read, difficile.-Ed. 4.... and put the honest Father to the refuge of a miracle;] This honest father was St. Augustine, who delivers his opinion, that it might be miraculously done, De Civ. Dei, lib. xvi, cap. 7; but saith not that it could not be done without a miracle.-K. 5.... is very strange.] These words are omitted in Edts. 1642 & MS. W.-Ed. 6 How there be creatures there,] In Edts. 1642 and MS. W. the passage is thus : "How thereby creatures are there."-Ed. 7 There is another secret, &c.] The diffusion of the animal creation over the face of the earth does indeed involve a most interesting and difficult inquiry. Whence came the innumerable tribes of human beings, diversified in form, complexion, and character, which inhabit every continent and island of our globe? Whence the myriads of animals, and birds, and lesser creatures, which every where teem in the most astonishing profusion and variety; peopling its mountains, and plains, and forests, and glittering on its surface? Who can solve the problem? Who will undertake to make out successive returns of this mighty po pulation, to mark out the progress of its migrations, and trace back its genealogies through a succession of 4000 years, up to its cradle, the ark, reposing on the summit of Ararat, amidst the silence of universal desolation? It is a question about which so little is known, and so much must depend on conjecture, that it seems rather calculated for the exercise of ingenuity, or even the indulgence of scepticism, than likely to lead to the development of truth. We may observe, however, that to us the difficulty seems the same, whether the deluge existed or not; whether we suppose the migration to have proceeded from the mountain of Ararat or the garden of Eden. The French translator quaintly remarks; "il y a eu beaucoup de personnes qui ont brouillé beaucoup de papier, pour trouver la verité de cette affaire; mais il n'y a personne qui en ait pu jamais trouver une parfaite assurance, ou certitude." Moltkenius quotes Tostatus, in Gen. chap. 8. Among the principal writers of our own country on the deluge, and questions connected with it, we may enumerate Delany, A. Fuller, Cockburn, Burnet, Whiston, Bryant, Catcott, Cumberland, Hurdis, Hutchinson, Ray, Shuckford, &c.-Ed. can make it probable that the world was as well peopled in the time of Noah as in ours; and fifteen hundred years, to people the world, as full a time for them as four thousand years since have been to us. There are other assertions and common tenets drawn from Scripture, and generally believed as Scripture, whereunto, notwithstanding, I would never betray the liberty of my reason. "T is a postulate to me, that Methusalem was the longest lived of all the children of Adam; and no man will be able to prove it; when, from the process of the text, I can manifest it may be otherwise.' That Judas perished by hanging himself, there is no certainty in Scripture: though, in one place, it seems to affirm it, and, by a doubtful word, hath given occasion to translate it; yet, in another place, in a more punctual description, it makes it improbable, and seems to overthrow it. That our fathers, after the flood, erected the tower of Babel, to preserve themselves against a second deluge, is generally opinioned and believed; yet is there another intention of theirs expressed in Scripture. Besides, it is improbable, from the circumstance of the place; that is, a plain in the land of Shinar. These are no points of faith; and therefore may admit a free dispute. There are yet others, and those familiarly concluded from the text, wherein (under favour) I see no conse 9... 8. . . . and fifteen hundred years, &c.] See Pseudod. Epid. lib. vi, cap. 6.-K. · generally believed as Scripture,] Not in MS. R.-Ed. 1'T is a postulate to me, that Methusalem &c.] See Pseudod. Epid. lib. vii, cap. 3.-K. 2 That Judas perished by hanging himself, there is no certainty in Scripture: &c.] The doubt arises from the word ahyaro, in Matthew xvii, 5, which signifieth suffocation as well as hanging; but Erasmus translates it "abiens laqueo se suspendit." The words in the Acts are, "When he had thrown down himself headlong, he burst in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out;" which seems to differ much from the expression of Matthew, yet the ancient writers and fathers of the church do unanimously agree that he was hanged. Some are so particular, that they even mention that it was with a cord, on a fig-tree, the day after VOL. II. 3 the kiss, &c.; but there are two, that is, Euthymius and Ecumenius, who assert that hanging did not kill him; but that either the rope broke, or that he was cut down, and afterwards cast himself down headlong, as it is related in the beforeinentioned place of the Acts. And this may serve to reconcile these two seemingly disagreeing Scriptures.-K. Keck, in quoting from the Acts, c. i, v. 18, evidently used the Geneva translation, which differs very materially from the commonly used version. See Rosenmüller, Schol. in loc., and Pseud. Epid. lib. vii, cap. 11.-Ed. 3 That our fathers, after the flood, erected the tower of Babel,] For this see what the author saith in his Pseudodox. Epidemic. lib. vii, cap. 6.-K. Josephus témoigne, Antiquitatum Judaicarum, lib. i, qu'ils commencèrent cet ouvrage afin qu'un nouveau déluge ne vint pas à les endommager.-Fr. Tr. Ꭰ |