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IT is the Opinion of many Divines, That when the Scriptures attribute Hands, and Eyes, and Feet, and Face to God, we are not to understand that God really has thofe parts, but only that he has a power to execute all those Actions, to the effecting of which those parts are neceffary in us. And when the Scriptures attribute fuch Paffions to God as Anger, Pleafure, Love, Hatred, Repentance, Revenge, and the like; the meaning is, that he will as certainly punish the Wicked, as if he was inflam'd with the Paffion of Anger; that he will as infallibly reward the Good, as if he had a love for them; and that when Men turn from their Wickedness, he will fuit Difpenfations to them, as if he really repented or chang'd his Mind: So that thefe Scripture-Attri butes belong not to God in a proper and juft Senfe, but only improperly, or as the Schools fpeak, analogically. But when the Scripture attributes to God an Understanding, Wifdom, Will, Goodnefs, Holiness, Juftice and Truth, thefe words are to be underflood ftri&tly and properly, or in their common fenfe. Dr. TILLOTSON, the late Archbishop of Canterbury, throughout his Works maintains this Syftem of the Deity. I need only cite his words with refpect to thofe Attributes laft mention'd; his Notions, with refpect to Parts or Passions in God, being fufficiently known without any

proof.

proof. He fays, *It is foolish for any Man to pretend he cannot know what Justice, and Goodness, and Truth in God are; for if we do not know this, it is all one to us whether God be good or not, nor could we imitate his Goodness; for he that imitates, endeavours to make himSelf like fomething that he knows, and must of neceffity have fome Idea of that to which he aims to be like. So that if we had no certain and fettled Notion of the Goodness, and Fustice, and Truth of God, he would be altogether an unintelligible Being; and Religion, which confifts in the Imitation of him, would be utterly lost. Thus that Religious and FreeThinking Prelate. But on the other fide, Dr. KING the prefent Archbishop of Dub lin tells us, That the best Reprefentations we can make of God, are infinitely short of Truth; That Wisdom, Understanding, and Mercy, P. 7,8. Foreknowledg, Predeftination, and Will, when afcrib'd to God, are not to be taken properly. Again, That Justice and Virtue (and by P. 34, 35% confequence all the moral Attributes of God) are not to be understood to fignify the Same thing when apply'd to God and Man; and that they are of fo different a nature from what they are in us, and fo fuperiour to all that we can conceive, that there is no more likeness between them, than between our Hand and God's Power. But all these Attributes, according

* Sermons, vol. 6. p. 15, 16. Sermon on Divine Predeft. p. 16. D 2

to

P. 6.

to his Grace, are to be understood in the fame manner, as when Men afcribe Hands, and Eyes, and Feet to God; or as when Men afcribe Anger, Love, Hatred, Revenge, Repentance, changing Refolutions, and in the fame improper Analogical Senfe. So that as his Grace of Canterbury would define God to be a Being without Parts and Paffions, Holy, Wife, Just, True, and Good; his Grace of Dublin muft on the contrary define God to be a Being not only without Parts and Paffions, but without Understanding, Wisdom, Will, Mercy, Holiness, Goodness, or Truth.

2dly. THE Priefts throughout the World differ about Scriptures, and the Authority of Scriptures. The * Bramins have a Book of Scripture call'd the Shafter. The Perfees have their Zundavastaw. The Bonzes of China have Books written by the † Difciples of FO-HE, whom they call the God and Saviour of the World, who was born to teach the way of Salvation, and to give fatif faction for all Mens Sins. The Talapoins of Siam have a Book of Scripture written by ††SOMMONOCODOM, who, the Siamese

* Lord's Religion of the Banians and Perfees.
+ Navarette's Voyages, p.86.

Salvator Generis Humani. Conf. Sin. Phil. Proem.
Diff. p. 28.

Il eft

Le Dieu Fo-he a eté le Sauveur du monde. né pour enfeigner, le voye du Salut, & pour expier pour

tous les Pechez. Le Comte, vol. 2. p. 132.

tt Tachard Voyage au Siam, vol. 1. p. 408.

fay,

fay, was born of a Virgin, and was the God expected by the Universe. The Dervizes have their Alchoran. The Rabbi's among the Samaritans, who now live at Sichem in Palestine, receive the five Books of MOSES (the Copy whereof is very different from ours) as their Scripture; together with a Chronicon, or Hiftory of themselves from MOSES's time, quite different from that contain'd in the Hiftorical Books of the Old Teftament. This | Chronicon is lodg'd in the publick Library of Leyden, and has never been publifh'd in print. The Rabbi's among the common Herd of Jews receive for Scripture the four and twenty Books of the Old Teftament. The Priests of the Roman Church, of the English and other Proteftant Churches, receive for Scripture the four and twenty Books of the Old Teftament, and all the Books of the New Teftament: but the Roman receives feveral other Books, call'd Apocrypha, as Canonical, which all the Proteftant Churches utterly reject, except the Church of England; which, differently from all other Chriftian Churches, receives them as half Canonical, reading fome parts of them in their Churches, and thereby excluding fome Chapters of Canonical Scripture from being read.

* Vol. 2. p. 253..

+Le Dieu attendų de l'univers. Ib. p. 254, 255. Relandi Differ, vol. 2. p. 16,

D 3

54

I MUST obferve, That the Priests of all Chriftian Churches differ among themfelves in each Church about the Copys of the fame Books of Scripture; fome reading them according to one Manufcript, and others according to another. But the great Difpute of all, is concerning the Hebrew and Septuagint, between which two there is a great difference; (the latter making the World 1500 Years older than the former :) to name no other Differences of greater or less importance.

LASTLY, As the most antient Chriftian Churches and Priefts receiv'd feveral Gofpels and Books of Scripture which are now loft, fuch as the Gospel according to the Hebrews, the Gospel according to the Egyptians, the Traditions of Matthias, &c. and as not one of their Succeffors in the two firft Centurys (whofe Works now remain) but receiv'd Books of Scripture, which are either loft to us, or that we reject as Apocryphal : fo the feveral Sects of Chriftians in the East and in Africa receive at this day fome Books of Scripture, which are fo far loft to us, that we know only their Names, and others which we have and reject. As for inftance, the Reverend Dr. GRABE tells us of a Bookreceiv'd by the † Copticks, call'd the Secrets

* Millii Proleg. in Nov. Teft. p. 5, 6, 7.
+ Spicileg. Sec. 1. p. 73,

of

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