X. The Nature of Allegorical Reasoning farther Soewn by Application of it to several particular 55 XI. An Answer to an Objection, that the Alle gorical Reasonings of the Apostles were not design'd for absolute Proofs of Christianity, but for Proofs AD HOMINEM, to the Jews, who were accuftom'd to that Way of reasoning 71 PART II. Containing Considerations on the Scheme, which Mr. WHISTON sets up in Opposition to the Allegorical Scheme. 1. Mr. Whiston's Scheme represented; which could fifts chiefly in maintaining; that the Hebrew and Greek of the Old Testament agreed in the Times of Jesus and the Apoftles; that the Apostles çited exactly and argued literally from the Greek or Septuagint Transatigų; and that since their Times both these Copies of the Old Tefangent have been corrupted by the Fews, which makes it jeem as if the Apostles bag not argued literally from the Old Teftament ; and in proposing, by various Means, to restore the Text thereof as it food in the Days of Jesus and his Apofiles 87 II. That it is incredible, that the Old Testament pould be so corrupted as Mr. WHIS FON offerts 92 III. That to suppose the Old Testament so corrupted as Mr. WHISTON asserts, iš to give up Christi anity to Jews and Infidels IV. T bat Mr. WHISTOŅ is not able to restore any prophetical Quotation made out of the Old in the New Testament, ro 4 to make That literally apply'd, which now feems allegorically apph'd 107 V. That 99 The CÓN TEN TS. V, That the Jews have not corrupted the old, Teftament, in Respect to the Pasages cited from ; thence in the New 117 VÍ. That the Septuagint Version was not, in the Days of Jesus and the Apostles, agreeable to the · Hebrew Text : 143 VII. That the Samaritan Pentateuch is not an una corrupt Copy of the Books of Moses, and originally derived from the firft Separation of the ten Tribes themselves in the Days of JEROBOAM 161 VIII. That the Apoftles did not always quote the Septuagint Version ... 182 IX. That the Means, whereby Mr. W. proposes to restore the true Text of the Old Testament, in Respect to the Citations made from thence in the New, will not reach that End 188 X. Typical or allegorical Reasoning defended a gainf Mr. WHISTON; wherein is a Digresfion that compares together the Allegorical Scheme and Mr. WAIST N's Literal Scheme, and that proves bis Literal Scheme falfe and absurd 198 Xİ. That Mr. WHISTON'S first Proposition is fubverted by his Book 235 The CONCLUSIO N. ISTON Containing an Account of Mr. Wuiston bimSelf 237 A great Mathematician, Philosopher, and Di vine A most acute Person A good Christian The Reverse of most other Divines · A zealous Member of the Church of England 241 Deficient Has taken all proper Methods in bis Power to promote what be thinks to be the Trutb 243 THE GROUNDS, and Reasons OF THE Christian Religion, &c. * . Ι Ν Α LETTER to a Divine of North Britain. Reverend S IR, O U seem extreamly surprised upon having occasionally heard ORY of Mr. Whiston's Esay to De wards restoring the true. Text of the old Testament ; which OLS Title, according to you, implies a most Anti-Christian Paradox, who have always believed, with the greatest Part of Protestants, that the Text of the Old, as well as New Testament, has been the peculiar Care of Providence, and constantly preserved pure and uncorrupted.' And I am no less surprised, that you should desire fome Account of B that that Book; who very lately would have thought such Curiosity to be an evil Inclination and Temptation of the Devil ; who never enquired after any Books written by our Episcopal Divinės, but those of Dr. John EDWARDS of Cambridge; and who used to detest AntiTrinitarian more than Popis Authors, as introducing not only equally dangerous Errors in Doctrine, but the Use of Reason and private Fudgment, which utterly fubvert all Church Authority, the sole Foundation of Unity and Uniformity in Matters of Religion. But, it seems, Curiosity, the Effect of Liberty, Sense, and Learning, begins to reach even the Divines of Scotland; who, of all Protestant Divines, are most tenacious of their Orthodoxy.; and who are no less charm'd with the pure Doctrine and holy Discipline, received from their Ancestors of the Reformation, than we are with the Beauty of Holiness in our common-Prayer Book, which was first composed one hundred and seventy four Years ago by the (a) Aid of the Holy Ghost, and has, since that Time, been (6) five times reform'd! and consequently, Theology (than which nothing is more naturally changeable, and which neither Art nor Power, nor Discipline, could ever long fix or ascertain among Heathens, Jews, Christians, or Mahometans) may foon receive a new Form in the Kirk, as it daily does in all other Churches (a) Ad för establishing the Liturgy in the 2d of Edward the Sixth, 1548. i (4) Nichols's Priface to Commentary on the Common Prayer.. |