THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For SEPTEMBER, 1765. Conclufion of the Account of the new Edition of the Divine Legation of Mofes. See the Review for laft Month. TAVING, in our laft number, given an account of the HAVIN moft confiderable additions to the fourth and fifth books of the Divine Legation, we now proceed to the remaining part of the work. In a pretty long appendix to the fifth book, his Lordship confiders what Lord Bolingbroke has advanced in regard to the omiffion of the Doctrine of a future ftate of rewards and punishments, and the adminiftration of an extraordinary providence, in the Mofaic difpenfation. It is not worth while, however, to detain our Readers with a particular account of what is contained in this appendix, as the noble author's inconfiftencies and contradictions are too palpable to escape the notice of any but the most fuperficial reader. Our Author points out thefe inconfiftencies in a fpirited and agreeable manner, and fhews himfelf greatly fuperior to his antagonist in critical fagacity, learning, and knowlege of his fubject. This fuperiority to Lord Bolingbroke, and, indeed, to most other writers, is readily acknowleged; but it is difgraced by that illiberal, that haughty, that infolent manner, in which he treats almost all those who differ from him; and of which the Reader will have a striking inftance before we conclude this Article. In this respect, indeed, the noble Author is by no means inferior to him; but though arrogance and abuse reflect the greatest dishonour upon every gentleman, and every scholar, yet we cannot but think that they are more inexcufable in the Author of the Divine Legation, than in his philofophic Lordfhip, as the former is a profeffed and strenuous advocate for a religion which moft especially recommends meeknefs and humility; of which there are no traces in any of his writings. Little does he feem to confider, that the man, who adorns his character with the amiable virtues which Chriftianity fo VOL. XXXIII. ftrongly N ftrongly recommends, will do his religion infinitely more service, than he, who, without thefe virtues, fhould write an hundred volumes in its defence. In the fixth section of the fixth book, we find the following adddition in regard to that prophecy, wherein our Saviour, to ufe his Lordship's own words, hath embroidered into one piece the intermediate judgment of the Jews, and the final judgment of mankind. • If St. Paul exhorted his followers not to be baken in mind on this account; his fellow-labourer, St. Peter, when he had in like manner reproved the fcoffers, who faid, where is the Promife of his coming? went ftill further, and, to fhew his followers that the Church was to be of long continuance here on earth, explains to them the nature of that evidence which future times were to have of the truth of the Gospel; an evidence even fuperior to that which the primitive times enjoyed of miracles * ; We have alfo a more fure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light which spineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-ftar arife in your hearts t. This evidence of prophecy is juftly qualified a more fure wordt, when compared to miracles, whofe demonftrative evidence is confined to that age in which the power of them was bestowed upon the Church: whereas the prophecies here meant, namely, those of St. Paul and St. John, concerning the great apoftacy, were always fulfilling even to the laft confummation of all things; and fo, affording this demonftrative evidence to the men of all generations §. + Ver. 19. · 2 Ep. Peter chap. i. ver. 17. The See Sir Ifaac Newton on the Prophecies, c. i. of his Obfervations upon the Apocalypfe of St. John. Mr. Markland has difcovered a new fenfe in this paffage of St. Peter (concerning the more fure word of prophecy) with which his brother-critic is fo enamoured, that he fays, he may prophecy there will be no more dif putes about it. Mr. Markland's difcovery is very fimple," it is only placing a colon at the end of the 18th verfe, that the beginning of the 19th may connect with it; and fo lead to the true and obvious fenfe of a paflage, which of late has in vain exercifed the pens of many learned Writers, viz. This voice, faying, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleafed, [taken from liaiah xlii. 1.] we heard in the mount, and we have by that means (prophecy or) the words of the Prophet more fully con firmed." This interpretation fuppofes that Peter is here fpeaking of the fir coming of the Meffiah, and that the word of prophecy refers to a Prophecy already accomplished. Now, if it can be fhewn, that he is fpeaking of the fecond coming of Jefus, and that the ward of prophecy refers to a long feries The fixth book concludes with a long recapitulation, confifting of about fifty pages, wherein his Lordship takes a retrofpećtive feries of predictions to be fulfilled in order, there is a fair end of this new interpretation. First, then, it is to be observed, that the epiftle, in which the paffage in queftion is found, is a fare-well epiftle to the Churches. St. Peter (as he tells them, chap. i. ver. 14.) knowing that shortly he must put off this bis Tabernacle.-Now the great topic of confolation urged, by thefe departing Saints, to their widowed Churches, was the second coming of their Mafter. And of this coming it is that St Peter fpeaks, in the words of the text-For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift. He fubjoins the reafon of his confidence in this fecond coming, that he and the reft of the Difciples were eye-witnesses of the majefly of the firft, ver. 16. That the fecond coming is the fubject of the difcourfe, appears further from the recapitulation in the concluding part of the Epistle, where he reproves thofe fcoffers of the laft days, who would say, where is the promife of his coming? for fince the Fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were, &c. [chap. iii. ver. 3, 4] The primitive Chriftians, as we have feen, had entertained an opinion that the fecond coming of their Mafter was at hand. And the cause and occafion of their mistake has been explained. Thefe Scoffers the Apostle confutes at large from ver. 5th, to the 13th. And recurring again, at ver. 15, to that more fure word of prophecy, mentioned chap. i. ver. 19. he refers evidently to thofe parts of St. Paul's writings, where the Prophecies in the Revelations concerning Antichrift are fummarily abridged, of which writings he gives this character-As alfo in all bis Epifles, Speaking in them of thefe things, in which are fome things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do all the other Scriptures, unlo their own deftruction. (ver. 16.] In which words, we have the trueft picture of thofe indifcreet Interpreters who fet up for Prophets in predicting the events of unfulfilled Prophecies, inftead of confining themfelves to the explanation of those already accomplished. But not only the general fubject of the Epiftle, but the very expref fion ufed in the text in queftion, fhews that this power and coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift is his fecond coming For we have not followed (lays he) cunningly devifed Fables (oppérois potos] avhen we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift. Now, an atteftation of a voice from Heaven at his firft coming, tho' it had been a figment of the Relater, could with no propriety be called a cunningly dewifed Fable. But fuppofe the Apoftle to speak of Chrift's Second coming, when according to the promife, there was to be a new Heaven and a new Earth, wherein was to dwell righteousness, after the old had been burnt up and deftroyed by fervent heat [chap. iii. ver. 12, 13.] if this awful fcene were an invention, it was truly characterised by a cunningly devifed Fable, fuch as those in which Paganism abounded, where, in their mytho logic relations, they fpeak of the Regions of departed Heroes, &c. tive view of his whole argument. Part of the introduction tơ this recapitulation is as follows: • As -Locos lætos & amoena vireta And, to afcertain his meaning, the Apoftle ufes a phrafe by which only the mythologic fables of Pagan Theology can be defigned—is yaş σεσοφισμένοις ΜΥΘΟΙΣ ἐξακολουθύσαντες—not following or imitating the cunningly deviled fables of the Greek Sophifts and Mythologifts. Secondly, it fhall be now fhewn, that, by the more fure word of prophecy, the Apostle does not mean, as Mr. Markland's interpretation fuppoles, a Prophecy fulfilled, but a long feries of Prophecies to be fulfilied in order, and in the course of many ages. We may obferve then, that concerning this more Sure word of prophecy, the Churches are told, they do well to take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day-ftar arife in their bearts. [chap. i. ver. 19.] Now, from Prophecy thus circumftanced, it plainly appears, that it could not be a complete Prophecy of any event fulfilled, fuch as that of Isaiah, chap. xlii. ver. 1, which Mr. Markland fuppofes is the Prophecy here fpoken of, because it was not a light shining in a dark place until the day dawn; fince, with regard to the Prophecy in question, the day was not only dawned, but advanced; yet the Apoftle fuppofes the darkness to exift, and the day dawn to be far diftant. Neither, on the other hand, could it be a Prophecy totally unfulfilled, for fuch are totally dark and anintelligible; but this, here spoken of, is a light shining, though in a dark place. In a word, the character given of the more fure word of Prophecy, as being a light that shineth in a dark place, can agree with nothing but the Prophecies of St. Paul and St. John: and with thefe, it agrees admirably. Thefe Predictions relating to one great event, the future fortune of the Church, under the ufurpation of the Man of Sin, are emphatically called the word of prophecy. They began fulfilling even before St. Peter wrote this Epiftle; for St. Paul, fpeaking of the Man of Sin, to the Theffalonians, fays, the mystery of iniquity doth already work. [2d Ep. chap. ii. ver. 7.] This Prophecy therefore, is, with the greate elegance and truth, defcribed as a light shining in a dark place. Just so much of the commencing completion was seen as to excite Men's attention; but this glimmering was flill furrounded with thick darkness: And as the eager curiofity of man tempts him to plunge even into ob fcurity in pursuit of a light just beginning to emerge from it, he fubjoins a very neceffary caution.-Knowing this firft that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. [ver. 20.] As much as to fay, I exhort you to give all attention to this more fure word of prophecy, but previously to guard yourselves with this important truth, that the Interpreter of Prophecy is not Man but God, and the full completion of it, its only true interpretation. He fupports this observation by a fact— For the Prophecy came not in old time by the will of Man, but holy Men of God fpake as they were moved by the Holy Ghoft, [ver, 21.} i. e. the very As the Argument is indeed drawn out to an uncommon length; raised upon a great variety of fupports; and fought out from every quarter of antiquity, and fometimes out of corners the most remote and dark, it was the lefs to be admired if every inattentive Reader did not fee their force and various purpofe; or if every attentive Reader could not combine them into the body of a compleated Syllogifm; and ftill lefs if the envious and the prejudiced fhould concur to reprefent these Volumes as an indigefted and inconnected heap of difcourfes,' thrown out upon one another, to difburthen a common-place.. For the fatisfaction therefore, of the more candid, who acknowledge the fairness of the attempt, who faw fomething of the progrefs of the argument, but, mifled by the notice of a re-. maining Part, neglected to pursue the proof to the conclufion here deduced, I fhall endeavour to lay open, in one plain and simple view, the whole conduct of thefe myfterious Volumes. Nor fhall I neglect the other fort of Readers, tho' it be odds,. we part again as diffatisfied with one another, as the Toyman of Bath and his Cuftomer. Of whom the story goes, that a grave well-dreffed man coming into the fhop of this ingenious inventor, and reliever of the diftreffes of those who are too dull to know what they want, and too rich to be at ease with what they have, demanded to fee fome of his best reading-glasses; which when he had tried to no purpose, he returned. The Toyman furprised at fo ftrange a phænomenon, gravely asked him, whether ever he had learnt to read? to which the other as gravely replied, that if he had been fo happy he should have had no need of his affiftance. Now, before I bring the distant parts of my argument to converge, for the use of these dimfighted gentlemen, may I ask them, without offence, a fimilar queftion? They have anfwered; without asking; but not with the fame ingenuity.' His Lord hip concludes his recapitulation with an account of what is to be contained in the remaining part of his work, and introduces another tale, to ridicule the complaint against him, for not having performed his convention with the public. To this, fays he, a great deal might be faid, and perhaps to little purpose. The following tale will put it in the fairest light. In a folemn treaty lately concluded between the governor of one of our American provinces and the neighbouring favages, it had, Prophets themselves, under the old Law, often underflood not the true purport of what they predicted, being only the organs of God's Holy Spirit; much lefs are we to fuppofe the common minifters of the word qualified for the office of Interpreters of unfulfilled prophecies. And in the 3d chapter ver. 16, as has been obferved above, he speaks of the mifchiefs attending this prefumption. |