*

of PETER, of which we have no Copy; and LUDOLPHUS tells us, That the Abyffinian Chriftians receive the Apoftolick Conftitutions; and || POSTELLUS brought from the Eaft, where it was in ufe, the Gofpel of JAMES: both which we reject as Apocryphal.

THE fame Books of Scripture have, among those Priefts who receive them, a very different degree of Authority; fome attributing more, and others lefs Authority to them.

THE Popish Priefts contend that the Text of Scripture is fo corrupted, precarious, and unintelligible, that we are to depend on the Authority of their Church for the true Particulars of the Chriftian Religion. Others who contend for a greater Perfection in the Text of Scripture, differ about the Inspiration of those Books; fome contending that every Thought and Word are infpir'd; fome that the Thoughts are infpir'd, and not the Words; fome that those Thoughts only are infpir'd, which relate to Fundamentals; and others that the Books were written by honeft Men with great Care and Faithfulness, without any Infpiration either with refpect to the Thoughts or Words.

Hift. Ethiop. 1.3. c. 4. §. 27.
Fabricii Codex Apocr. p. 48.

D 4

IN

IN like manner, the Bramins, Perfees, Bonzes, Talapoins, Dervizes, Rabbi's, and all other Priests who build their Religion on Books, muft from the nature of things vary about Books in the fame Religion, about the Infpiration, and Copys of thofe Books.

3dly. THE Priefts differ about the Sense and Meaning of thofe Books they receive as Sacred. This is evident from the great number of Sects in each Religion, founded on the Diversity of Senfes put on their feveral Scriptures. And tho the Books of the Old and New Teftament are the immediate Dictates of God himself, and all other Scriptures are the Books of Impoftors; yet are the Priefts of the Chriftian Church (like the Priefts of all other Churches) not only divided into numberlefs Sects, on account of their different Interpretations of them, but even the Priests of the fame Sect differ endlefly in Opinion about their Sense and Meaning.

TO fet this matter before you in the clearest manner, and to poffefs you with the jufteft Idea of the Differences among Priefts about the Sense and Meaning of their Scriptures, and to make my Argument the ftronger for the Duty and Neceffity of FreeThinking; I will confine my felf to the most Divine of all Books, and by confequence the

beft

beft adapted of any to prevent Diversity of Opinions; and will take the following method.

First, I WILL give you an Idea of the Nature of our Holy Books; whereby you'll fee the Foundation therein laid for a Diverfity of Opinions among the Priefts of the Chriftian Church.

AND, Secondly, I will give you a Specimen of the Diverfity of Opinions among the Priests of the Church of England, pretended to be deduc'd from them: for all their Differences are too great to be enumerated. From whence you'll eafily infer, that there must be an infinite number of Opinions among all other forts of Priefts, as to the Meaning of their Scriptures; fince the most Divine of all Books lays fuch a foundation for difference of Opinion, that Priests of the fame Sect are not able to agree, tho neither Art, nor Force, nor Intereft are wanting to compel them to an Agreement in Opinion.

First, AS to an Idea of the Nature of our Holy Books, I will not pretend to fo much divine Knowledg as to draw their Character my felf; and therefore take the following account of them from the Right Reverend Bishop TAYLOR, a Prelate well known for his learned Defence of the Divine Right of Epifcopacy, his Life of the Bleffed

JESUS,

P. 966.

P. 967.

ESUS, and many Books of Devotion; as likewife for his Suffering for the Church of England and Royal Family, during the late Civil Wars. This Religious Prelate tells us, *That there are innumerable places of the Scriptures containing in them great Mysterys, but yet are fo enwrap'd in a Cloud, or fo darkned with Umbrages, or heighten'd with Expreffions, or fo cover'd with Allegorys and Garments of Rhetorick, fo profound in the Matter, or fo intricate in the Manner, in the Clothing and the Dreffing; that God may seem to have left them as Trials of our Industry, `and Arguments of our Imperfections, and as Occafions of our Charity and Toleration to each other, and Humility in our felves, rather than as Repofitorys of Faith, and Furniture of Creeds and Articles of Belief.

2. HE fays, That there are so many thoufand Copys of the Scriptures, which were writ by Perfons of different Interefts and Perfuafions, fuch different Understandings and Tempers, fuch diftinct Abilitys and Weaknesses; that there is great Variety of Readings, both in the Old and New Teftament.

3. THAT there are many places of Scripture which have a double Senfe, a Literal and a Spiritual. And both thefe Senfes are subdivided: For the Literal Senfe is natural or figu

* Polemick Works, p. 905.

rative;

rative; and the Spiritual is sometimes allegorical, fometimes anagogical; nay, fometimes there are divers literal Senfes in the fame Sentence,

4. THERE are divers places of Scrip- P.969. ture containing in them great Mysterys, and Questions of great Concernment; and yet the Fabrick and Conftitution of them is such, that there is no certain Mark to determine whether the Senfe of them should be literal or figa

rative.

5. THERE are fome places of Scriptare which have the felf-fame Expreffions, the Same preceptive Words, the fame Reafon and Account in all appearance; and yet must be expounded to quite different Senfes.

6. SOME Points of Scripture are fo P.970. myfterious, that they are only to be understood by Perfons very Holy and Spiritual.

7. THAT all Systems of Science are fo exprefs'd, that either by reafon of the Univerfality of the Terms and fubject Matter, or by the infinite Variety of human Understandings, they feem to divers Men, nay to the fame Men upon different Occafions, to speak things extremely difparate, and fometimes contrary, but very often of great variety. And this very thing happens alfo in Scripture, that if it were not in re feria & facra, it were excellent Sport

to