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SECT. XV.

An Answer to the Objection of the Scriptures being altered.

I SEE no other Objection can be made against these Books; unless it be that they have not continued to be the same as they were at the Beginning. It must be owned, that as in other Books, so in these, it might happen, and has happened, that through Carelessness or Perverseness in the Transcribers, some Letters, Syllables, or Words, may be changed, omitted, or added. (a) But it is very unreasonable, that because of such a Difference of Copies, which could not but happen in so long Time, there should arise any Controversy about the Testament or Book itself; because both Custom and Reason require, that that should be preferred before the Rest, which is to be found in the most ancient Copies. But it can never be proved that all the Copies are corrupted by Fraud or any other Way, especially in those Places which contain any Doctrine, or remarkable Point of History; for there are no Records that tell us that they were so, nor any Witnesses in those Times: and if, as we before observed, any Thing be alledged by those who lived a long Time after, and who shewed the most cruel Hatred against those who were Defen

(a) But it is very unreasonable, &c.] This is now very manifest, from the most accurate Collection of the various Readings of the New Testament, and especially from the Edition of Dr. Mills. Though there is a great Variety, yet no new Doctrine can be raised from thence, nor no received one confuted; no History of any Moment, in regard to the Truth of the Christian Religion, which was before believed from the Books of the New Testament, is on that Account to be rejected; nor any that was before unknown, to be collected from the various Readings. And what is said of the Books of the New Testament, the same we are to conceive said of the Old Testament. Le Clerc.

ders of these Books; this is to be looked upon as Reproach, and not Testimony. And this, which we have now said, may suffice in Answer to those, who object that the Scripture may have been altered: Because he that affirms this, especially against a Writing which has been received so long and in so many Places, (a) ought himself to prove that which he presumes. But that the Folly of this Objection may more plainly appear, we will show that that which they imagine to be, neither is, nor can be done. We have before proved these Books to have been wrote by those whose Names they bear; which being granted, it follows that one Book is not forged for the Sake of another. Neither is any remarkable Passage altered; for such an Alteration must have something designed by it, and then that Part would plainly differ from those other Parts and Books which are not altered, which is no where to be seen; nay, as we observed, there is a wonderful Harmony in the Sense every where. Moreover, as soon as any of the Apostles, or Apostolical Men, published any Thing, doubtless the Christians took great Care to have many Copies of it, as became pious Persons, and such as were desirous of preserving and propagating the Truth to Posterity; and these were therefore dispersed as far as the Name of Christ extended itself, through Europe, Asia, and Egypt, in which Places the Greek Language flourished; and, as we before observed, some of the original Copies were preserved for two hundred Years. Now no Book, of which so many Copies had been taken, that were kept, not by some few private Persons, but by the Care of whole Churches, (b) can be corrupted. To which we may

(a) Ought himself to prove, &c.] L. ult. C. de Edicto Divi

ani tollendo.

(b) Can be corrupted, &c.] That is, so as that it should run through all the Copies, and corrupt all the Versions; for

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may add, that in the very next Ages these Books were translated into the Syriac, Ethiopic, and Latin Tongues; which Versions are now extant, and do not any where differ from the Greek Books in any Thing of Moment. And we have the Writings of those, who were taught by the Apostles themselves, or their Disciples, who quote a great many Places of these Books in that Sense which we now understand them. Nor was there, at that Time, any one in the Church of so great Authority, as to have been obeyed, if he had designed to alter any Thing; as is sufficiently manifest from the Liberty taken by Irenæus, Tertullian, and Cyprian, to differ from those who were of the highest Rank in the Church. And after the Times now mentioned, many others followed, who were Men of great Learning, and as great Judgment; who, after a diligent Inquiry, received those Books, as retaining their original Purity. And further, what we now said concerning the different Sects of Christians, may be applied here also; that all of them, at least all that own God to be the Creator of the World, and Christ to be a new Lawgiver, make use of these Books as we now have them. If any attempted to put in any Thing, they were accused of Forgery by the Rest. And that no Sect was allowed the Liberty to alter these Books, according to their own Pleasure, is sufficiently evident from hence; that all Sects fetched their Arguments against the Rest from hence. And what we hinted concerning the Divine Providence, relates as much to the principal Parts, as to the whole Books; that it is not agree

otherwise wicked Men, who are obstinately bent on their own Opinions, may here and there corrupt their own Copies; as not only Marcion did, but also some Library-keepers, who had a better Judgment; as we have shown in our Ars Critica, Part III. Sect. 1. Chap. 14. Le Clerc.

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able thereto, that God should suffer so many thousand Men, who were regardful of Piety, and sought after eternal Life with a sincere, Intention, to fall into an Error that they could not possibly avoid. And thus much may suffice for the Books of the New Testament, which, if they were alone extant, were sufficient to teach us the true Religion.

SECT. XVI.

The Authority of the Books of the Old Testament.

BUT since God has been pleased to leave us the Records of the Jewish Religion, which was of old. the true Religion, and affords no small Testimony to the Christian Religion, it is not foreign to our Purpose, to see upon what Foundation the Credibility of these is built. That these Books are theirs, to whom they are ascribed, appears in the same Manner as we have proved of our Books. And they, whose Names they bear, were either Prophets, or Men worthy to be credited; such as Esdras, who is supposed to have collected them into one Volume, at that Time, when the Prophets Haggai, Malachi, and Zacharias, were yet alive. I will not. here repeat what was said before, in Commendation of Moses. And not only that first Part, delivered by Moses, as we have shewn in the first Book, but the latter History is confirmed by many Pagans. (a) Thus the Phoenician Annals mention the Names

(a) Thus the Phoenician Annals, &c.] See what Josephus cites out of them, Book VIII. Chap. 2. of his Ancient History; where he adds, "that if any one would see the Copies of those

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Epistles, which Solomon and Hirom wrote to each other, they may be procured of the public Keepers of the Records at Tyrus." (We must be cautious how we believe this; however, see what I have said upon 1 Kings v. 3.) There is a remarkable Place concerning David, quoted by Josephus, Book VII. Ch. 6. of his Ancient History, out of the IVth of Damascenus's History. "A long while after this, there was a

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"certain Man of that Country, who was very powerful, "his Name was Adadus, who reigned in Damascus, and the "other Parts of Syria, except Phonice: He waged War "with David King of Judea, and having fought many Bat"tles, the last was at Euphrates, where he was overcome: "He was accounted one of the best of Kings, for Strength "and Valour: After his Death, his Children reigned for ten "Generations, each of them continuing his Father's Go"vernment and Name, in the same Manner as the Egyp "tian Kings are called Ptolemies. The Third being the "most potent of them all, being willing to recover the Vic"" tory his Grandfather had lost, made War upon the Jews, "and laid waste that which is now called Samaria." The first Part of this History we have in 2 Sam. viii, 5. 1 Chron. xviii. and the latter Part in 1 Kings xx. where see Josephus. This Adadas is called by Josephus, Adar; and Adores by Justin, out of Trogus. Eusebius, in his Gospel Prepar. Book IV. Ch. 30. teils us more Things concerning David, out of Eupolemus. And the aforementioned Josephus, in the same Chap. and in his First against Appion, brings this Place out of Dius's Phenician History. "After Abibalus's Death, "his Son Hirom reigned; this Man increased the Eastern "Part of the City, and much enlarged the City; and he joined Jupiter Olympius's Temple to the City; which before "stood by itself in an Island, by filling up the Space be“tween; and he adorn'd it with the Gifts of Gold offered

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to the Gods; he also went up to Libanus, and cut down "Wood to adorn the Temple with. And they say that Solomon, who reigned in Jerusalem, sent Riddles to Hirom, and "received some from him; and he that could not resolve the "Riddles, was to pay a large Sum of Money. Afterwards "Abdemonus, a Man of Tyre, resolved the Riddles that were "proposed, and sent others, which Solomon not resolving, "paid a large sum of Money to Hirom." He afterwards adds a famous Place of Menander, the Ephesian, who wrote the Affairs of the Greeks and Barbarians. "After Abibalus's Death, "his Son Hirom succeeded in the Government; he lived

thirty-four Years, and inclosed a large Country, and erected "the Golden Pillar in Jupiter's Temple. He afterwards "cut down Wood from the Mountain called Libanus, Ce"dar Trees for the Roof of the Temple, and pulled down "the old Temples, and built new. He consecrated the "Grove of Hercules and Astarte. He first laid the Foundation of Hercules's in the Month Peritius, and afterwards "Astarte's, about the Time that.he invaded the Tyrians for

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