Numbers of his Creatures to glorify himself, by exercifing his arbitrary Justice in executing eternal Vengeance upon fuch who had no Way to escape therefrom, is fuch a monftrous Paradox in Divinity, that nothing worfe cou'd be faid, or imagin'd of the Devil, if he had had the Sovereignty to difpofe of Mankind.

The Maintainers therefore of these Doctrines must be influenced with a Diabolical Spirit, under the Pretence of an Angel of Light, and a flaming Zeal for Religion, which generally carries them on (when in Power) to Perfecutions (for Chrift's Sake) whofe Doctrines were ever diametrically oppofite thereto.

But thefe, of whom there are Multitudes of Parties, each of them take Care to make themfelves of the only Number of the Elect, and fuch whom God has purpofed and decreed to fave; and each of them condemn one another, as well as all befides them, that have not imbibed thefe pernicious Principles!

But in every of these there is a flaming Zeal, contrary to Knowledge, to make Profelytes to themfelves, and when in Power, to perfecute and destroy all honeft Men, who will not run with them to the fame Excess of their pretended Sanctity, of which the Devil only can be the chief General, under the Shadow of an Angel of Light; and thereby making Zeal for Religion (thus adulterated) a Screen and a Shelter to cover thefe hellish Defigns.

Hence it is that many Men, 1 hope of boneft Principles, are taken in by this Device of

A 4

the

the Devil, they truly believing that God is a just and good Being; and that thefe Attributes do really belong to him, according to our common Conception of them; and to the highest Degree without any arbitrary Decrees, from a fecret Will and Purpose, contrary to our com mon Conception of Goodness, Juftice and Mercy; who for want of being able to fee thro' the Mift that has thus been put upon the Jacred Oracles of the Scriptures, by the aforesaid Abules of them, have not thought it an Error to caft off the Belief of their divine Authority.

And indeed, could it be really proved that the Scriptures did truly maintain fuch Doctrines as thefe, no honeft Man, that conceives of the Almighty Being as he ought, or as he really muft be, a Being of exquifite Perfection and Purity, can ever believe that fuch Doctrines proceeded from himself, or had any Commiffion from his Holy Spirit.

So that the Titles of God's Attributes are more justly conceived of, even by the Deifts, wko, upon the account of the former Enthufiafts bave caft off the Belief of Revelation, than by them whofe Pretences to vindicate it have thereby given the other a Reafon to deny it.

It is true, thefe Enthufiafts, who arrogate God's Mercies to themselves only, think they have good Reafon to compliment him with the Titles of his real Attributes of Justice, Love, Goodness, and Mercy, because they think themfelves under his particular Love and Favour, having the inward Marks and Charac

ters

ters clearly wrote within their own Hearts, by that flaming Zeal they feel within to promote the Doctrines of his uncontrolable Authority and Sovereignty, from which he has a Right to execute his fuftice upon others according to his unalterable Decrees: But they are not concerned to regard the Terrors of his fovereign Justice exercised upon the Fatality of others, fince they were happily included in the Attribute of his Mercy, which is fufficient for them; and therefore the leaft Retaliation they can make, is to give him these Titles themfelves, and which others, fay they, cannot deny; fince his uncontroulable Authority can never be refifted.

But that the Doctrines maintained by thefe Zealots are not the Doctrines of the Scriptures, but quite reverfe thereto, I have made plain in most of my former Works; and particularly my Preface and Introduction to my Divine Authority of the Scriptures, philofophically proved; wherein I laid down three Rules, which I think not unworthy of a Repetition; they being defigned to discover wrong Interpretations and Conftructions of the facred Writings, without Recourfe to the original Languages, which themselves may have fuffered Abuse by after Tranfcribers from the first original Copies: For I could never obferve, that Men of Learning in the original Languages, through their fuffering Abuse by after Tranfcribers, cou'd, by having Recourse thereto, be reconciled to one another, but that as many

Dif

Difputes and Cavils are raised amongst them as others, and therefore far from closing the Breach: And wherever the Biafs of the Judgment is drawn by vicious Morals, or a Spirit of Enthufiafm, the greatest Learning, which Jhould give Direction, is quite loft, and only Noife and Nonfenfe can be from thence expected, as amongst School-Boys in fhewing their Excellencies in their Contentions about the Derivations of Words, &c.

But if the three Rules, mentioned in my divine Authority of the Scriptures philofophically proved, were but impartially obferved among ft Mankind, moft Contentions about the true Intent and Meaning of the Scriptures would certainly be prevented, and their divine Authority allowed. The Rules therein laid down are thefe: In reading the Scriptures, firft, obferve the main Scope, Tendency, and Defign of the Writers of them. Secondly, interpret no dark and obfcure Places in the Scriptures to contradict thofe that are plain and obvious; and Thirdly, interpret none to contradi&t the Attributes of God.

And be affured, that there are no Parts of the Scriptures, that will not bear a true Interpretation by thefe Rules, but what must have fuffered by Tranferibers or Iranflators, and must have loft a divine Sanction: For whatever will not agree with the Attributes of God in the common Tranflation; in the common Acceptation of Truth, Justice, Love, Mercy, and Holiness, can never be justly re

ceived for divine Revelation; fo that whatever, cannot find a Place to be fo interpreted, must either be the Fault of the Tranfcribers of the original Copies, or of our own Tranflators from them; though many of our Commentators upon them, have lent an helping Hand to depreciate the Beauty of the Dress in which our Laws and Precepts, if truly understood, do even `now appear.

How many Transcriptions there may have been of the Law and Prophets amongst the Jews, before thole tranfmitted down to us, which we call Originals, is very uncertain.

But I am perfwaded, that if the Originals of the Law and Prophets, had been truly and impartially tranfcribed, and from thence as purely tranflated, they would have appeared in fo harmonicus an Order, that their Authority would have carried along fo bright a Splendor, that none could have had the Opportunity to have expofed or ridiculed them.

Since even in the prefent Dress they appear, there is that divine Authority in their Laws and Precepts, which neither Tranfcribers nerTranflators have ever fo far obliterated (whatever Commentators may have done) but that the very Enemies of Revelation themfelves are forced to acknowledge that they are the bet Platform of Laws and Precepts that cou'd be poffibly compofed; from which it must be a neceflary Inference, that they must be more than human Inventions of Prieftcraft, whatever Prieftcraft may have, fince their