SECT. XV.

Answer to the Objection, That the Scriptures were changed.

OW what can be farther objected against

NOW

thefe Books, I fee not, unless it be faid that they remained not altogether the fame that they were from the beginning. And indeed it must be granted, that what is common to other Books might happen, nay did happen to thofe ; namely, that by the carelesness, or the perverfe care of the Tranfcribers, fome letters, fyllables or words might be changed, left out, or added. But it is an unjust thing to bring in queftion the truth of fuch a Book, or evidence, only because in fo many ages there could not but be great variety of Copies, fince both cuftom and reafon requires, that what appears in the most, and most ancient Copies, be preferred to the reft. But that either by fraud or any other way, all the Copies were corrupted, and that in point of doctrine, or fome remarkable piece of Hiftory, will never be proved: for there are neither any evidences, nor any witneffes of thofe times, which atteft it. But if, as was faid before, there be any thing urged, in much later times, by thofe who bare an implacable hatred to the Disciples of thefe Books; that ought to be look'd upon as a reproach, not as a teftimony.

And this truly, which we have faid, may be well thought a fufficient Answer to thofe, who object a change in the Scripture; for he who affirms that, especially againft a writing which

hath

hath been long, and in abundance of places, received, ought himself to prove his Charge. But to make the vanity of this Objection more fully appear, we will fhew, that what they feign, neither was, nor could be done.

We have proved before, that the Books were written by the Authors whofe Names they bear : Which being granted, it follows, that other Books were not foifted into their room, nor was any notable part of them changed, For, fince that change muft needs have fome defign, that part would notorioufly differ from the other Parts and Books which were not changed; which cannot now any where be difcerned: Nay, there is an admirable agreement, as we faid, in their Senfes.

Befides, as foon as any of the Apoftles or Apoftolical Men published any thing, there is not doubt to be made, but Chriftians, with great diligence, (as became their piety, and care to preferve and propagate truth to Pofterity) took from thence many Copies for their ufe: Which therefore were difperfed as far as the Chriftian Name, through Europe, Asia and Egypt; in which places the Greek Language was spoken.

And more than this, the Original Copies alfo, as we faid before, were preferved till two Hundred Years after Chrift. Now it was not poilible that any Book, diffufed into fo many Copies, and kept, not only by the private diligence of particular Perfons, but the common care of the Churches, fhould be altered by the hand of any falfifier. Add farther, that these Books, in the following Ages, were tranflated into the Syriack, Ethiopick, Arabick and Latin Tongues: Which Tranflations are yet extant; and do not differ in H

any

any thing of moment from the Greek Copies

themselves.

Befides, we have the Writings of thofe Men, who were taught by the Apoftles themselves, or by their Difciples, wherein many places are cited out of thefe Books, to the fame fenfe and meaning which now we read them. Neither was there any in the Church of fo great authority in those times, as to have met with obedience, if he would have changed any thing: As is plain enough by the free and open diffent of Irenaus, Tertullian and Cyprian, from those that were moft eminent in the Church. After which time there fucceeded many other Men, of great Learning and Judg ment, who having firft made diligent enquiry thereof, received thefe Books, as retaining their original purity. Hitherto alfo may be referred what but now we faid of divers Sects of Chriftians; all which, at leaft fuch as acknowledged God to be the Maker of the World, and Chrift to be the Author of a new Law, did receive and use these Books accordingly as we do the fame. And if any had attempted to alter, or put any thing new into any part thereof, they fhould have been accufed by the reft for forgery and falfe-dealing therein. Neither was there ever any Sect that had the liberty at their pleafure, to alter any of thefe Books for their own turns: For it is manifeft, that all of thein did draw their arguments, one against another, out of the fame. And as for that which we touched concerning Divine Providence, it belongs no lefs unto the chiefeft parts, than unto the whole Books; namely, that it is not agreeable to it, that GOD fhould fuffer fo many Thousand Men, which fincerely defired to be godly, and earneftly fought after eternal Life, to

be

be led headlong into that error which they could no way avoid. And thus much fhall fuffice to be fpoken for the authority of the Books of the New Covenant, whence alone, if there were no other helps, we might be fufficiently inftructed concerning the true Religion.

SECT. XVI.

For the Authority of the Books of the Old
Teftament.

OW, forafmuch as it hath pleafed God to

N leave us alfo the writings and evidences of

the Jewish Religion, which was anciently the true, and affords no fmall teftimonies for Chriftianity; therefore it will not be amifs, in the next place, to juftifie the authority of the fame. First then, That these Books were written by the fame Men, whofe Names they bear, is manifeft in like manner as we have proved of ours before, of the New Covenant.

Thefe Authors were either Prophets, or other very faithful and credible Men, fuch as was Efdras, who is thought to have collected the Books of the Old Teftament into one Volume, during the life-time of the Prophets Haggai, Malachi, agd Zachary. I will not here repeat again what is faid before, in the commendation of Mofes. Both that part of Hiftory, which at firft was delivered by him, as we have fhewn in the first Book; and that also which was collected after his time is witnessed even by many of the Heathens. Thus the Annals of the Phoenicians have recorded

H 2

the

the names of David and Solomon, and their Leagues with the Men of Tyre. As well Berofus, as the Hebrew Writers, makes mention of Nebuchadonofer, and of other Chaldean Kings. He whom Jeremy calls Vapbres, King of Egypt, is termed Apries by Herodotus. In like manner the Books of the Grecians are replenished with Narrations concerning Cyrus and his Succeffors, until the times of Darius. And many other things concerning the Nation of the Jews are related by Jofephus, in his Books against Apion: Whereunto we may add what before we have touched out of Strabo and Trogus. But as for us Chriftians, we cannot in the leaft doubt of the truth of these Books, out of every one of which almoft there are teftimonies extant in our Books, which are found likewife in the Hebrew. Neither do we find, when Christ reprehended many things in the Doctors of the Law and Pharifees of his time, that ever he accused them of Forgery committed against the Writings of Mofes, or the Prophets; or that they used counterfeit Books, or fuch as were changed.

Then, after Christ's time, it cannot be proved, neither is it credible, that the Scripture was corrupted in matters of any moment, if we confider rightly how far and wide, over the face of the Earth, the Nation of the Jews was spread, who every where were the Keepers of thefe Books. For, firft of all, the Ten Tribes were led away captive by the Affyrians, into Media; then afterward the two other Tribes: And many of thefe alfo, after Cyrus granted them liberty to return, fetled theinfelves in foreign Countries. The Macedonians invited them, with great promifes, to come into Alexandria. The cruelty of Antiochus,