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1 Sam. 9.9.

fequence: For to folve the Objection he infers from thence against us, we need but there was a time when this was a common Saying in Ifrael, Come and let us go to the Seer; and another time it was more ufual to call this Seer by the Name of Nabi,which is all that's true in this matter. For because I do not believe that this Author would deny but that the Prophets were called among the Ifraelites, the Seers of the Lord till Efdras's time, nay, in his very Days, too, (though they were more ufually called by the name of Prophets,) fo likewife I do not deny, but that there was a time in Ifrael, when common use required they fhould call them Seers rather than Prophets; and this is all that can be inferred from the Place that is quoted against us in this respect.

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A Method to prove the truth of the Jewish Re ligion against all the crafty Subtilties of the Incredulous...

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E had need be very much inclinable to Incredulity, to be able to find any thing in the Critical Objections of Spinofa, or in any that can be made by any Man elfe against us, capable to make us doubt but one Moment of the Foundations of Religion. For what, because we find Two or Three Parenthefes in the Books of Mofes, which

fome

fome will by no means allow that Mofes was the Ad thor of, and which would be of no force against us, for that very reason, because they appear to be no part of his Works, does that at all hinder it to be true, that the Prophets did actually foretel the Calling of the Gentiles, with all the Circumftances of it? That Mofes and Jefus Chrift illuftrate one another, and that the Foundations of Religion are fo clofely link'd with the Lights of Common Senfe, that we muft neceffarily renounce all Reason fhould we in the least fufpect them?

But to keep within the bounds of the Subject I now treat of, I demand whether it be poffible for any reasonable Man not to perceive, that the truth of the Jewish Religion confidered feparately by it felf, is grounded on fuch folid Foundations as are never to be shaked by any fuch frivolous Obfervations?

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In effect, though we should not view it on all its advantagious fides, as in respect of its Morality, knowledge of the true God, agreement with Natural Religion, wonderful Harmony with the Gospel, its Prophefies, Characters of Piety and Self-Denial, which appears in the Doctrin of it, and of that great and fenfible advantage it had over all other Religions, we might however eafily demonstrate its Divinity, and that in fuch a manner, as would effectually convince all Men of Senfe and Reason to believe it.

In order thereunto, we need but diftinctly to prove thefe Three Capital Truths. I. That all the Effential Matters of Fact contained in the Pentateuk, were either written by Mofes himself, or by his Orders. II. That fince Mofes has left them to us in writing, by confequence they cannot but be true. III. That being true, they fufficiently

prove

prove the Divinity of the Jewish Religion, against all the efforts of Impiety.

But the First of thefe Three Principles is the hardest to prove; yet I will clearly prove, that if Mofes penn'd his own felf thofe Miraculous Matters of Fact we are told of in the Pentateuk, he could never have done it against the truth and the publick knowledge which every one had of them; which thing no longer admits of any difficulty, fo foon as you have examined the circumstances of thofe Matters of Fact,

I shall no lefs easily make it appear, that fuppofing all thofe Miracles were true, it will follow that God who is the Author of thofe Laws of Nature, whose course was interrupted by thofe Miracles, must have neceffarily manifested himself to the Ifraelites.

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So that our main and principal business at prefent will be to fhew, that the Effential Matter of the Pentateuk, I mean thofe fingular and remarkable Matters of Fact, in which the Finger of God was fo visibly feen, are no fabulous Matters of Fact, but fuch whofe Memory Mofes has preferved to us in certain and infallible Monuments. In effect, there is nothing more certain, than that we find thofe Matters of Fact in Writing: First, In the Law of Mofes. Secondly, In the other Books of the Pentateuk. Thirdly, In the Writings of all the Prophets. Fourthly, In the very Hearts, and in the Remembrance of the 1raelites, who were bound continually to meditate upon them, and could not but have fome Notions of them after that Mofes had taken fuch certain Measures for that purpose. Fifthly, In the practice and publick Worship of the Jews, whofe Ceremonies were nothing else but repre

fentations

fentations of those ancient Events. And Sixthly, 'Tis fo true that all thofe Matters of Fact were fo infeparably interwoven with the wellfare of the Commonwealth of the Jews, and the Establishment thereof, that if I may fo Speak, they still appear painted out in their pre fent dejected Condition. But we fhall fee in the fequel of this work, the certainty of all those different Monuments which were the Inftruments whereby the Jewish Revelation was preserved entire down to us.

CHAP

CHAP. XI.

The First Monument of the Jewish Revelation: That the Jews ever preferred amongst themfelves the Law of Mofes, which contained the main Substance and Effentials of their Religion.

T

HE Incredulous themselves are forced to acknowledge, that Mofes was the Author of fome Writings. Spinefa pretends that he never penned but two Books, the Book of the Covenant, which contained only the Laws, that are defcribed from the 22. verse of the 20. chap. of Exodus, to the 24. of the fame, and which he compofed in Horeb at the time when God made a Covenant with Ifrael at the foot of Mount Sinai The fecond which he wrote long after, at the renewing of the faid Covenant; and that Mofes more fully enlarged thefe Laws in a Book wherein he included his other little Book of the Covenant, this last Book being afterwards called, The Book of the Law.

But the Character which Spinefa bears in the World, tis cafie to judge, that had it been left to his choice, he would never have granted us this Principle. But how could he have been bold enough to deny but that the Jews had a Book of the Law, and that Mofes was the Author of that Book, fince it is a conftant and univerfal Tradition among the Jews thenfelves; fince the Prophers have continually mentioned this Law in their Writings, and that to it only did relate the Establishment of the Jewish Religion with all the Ceremonies of ir. Certainly it it be true, that Mofes was the Lawgiver of the Jews, 'tis true alfo, that he compofed a Law which contained all the X

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