Secondly, Infer by a natural, obvious, and necessary Consequence, that, what we vulgarly call the New Testament is to be allegorically interpreted also, even in the Manner as I have understood some Parts of it.
The Bishop of St. David's allows, that there is better Authority, tho' not sufficient, for the Interpretation of the Old Testament allegorically; but supposing it was better than it is, yet there is no Consequence that the New should be also allegorically interpreted. Behold his Words, for fear of a Charge of Misrepresentation[378]. "But besides this ill-founded Imitation of St. Paul (in allegorical Interpretations of the Old Testament) will his mystical Expositions of any Passages of the Old Testament support their Pretensions (meaning the Fathers and mine) to interpret the New in a like mystical manner? No, it will not.——And therefore (after a little more Reasoning against this Consequence, he concludes, that) this Practice of Origen and other Fathers, that were mystical Expositors of the New Testament, was very precarious, and without Authority." From which Words of the Bishop, it is plain, that his Opinion is, that whatever Authority there may be for the allegorical Interpretation of the Old Testament, there is no Consequence to be thence drawn, that the New is to be interpreted in a like mystical manner. But in Answer to the Bishop, and in Confutation of his wild and inconsiderate Assertion, I chuse to treat on the two foregoing Particulars; and the
First is to show, that the Old Testament is to be allegorically interpreted, and is already in Part, and will be entirely fulfilled by Jesus in an allegorical Sense.
That the Old Testament is to be allegorically interpreted, I have Authority, even ancient Authority enough, if that would be allow'd to be sufficient to prove my Point. We have Apostolical Authority and Example for it. The Passages in the Epistles of St. Paul and Barnabas to this Purpose are numerous, and so well known, that I need not recite all, or any of them. And from the Passages in St. Paul, that might be here produced, the Fathers asserted and concluded from his Authority, that the whole Old Testament was to be allegorized. This I believe the Bishop will grant, and spare me the Pains of Citations out of them. And if the Bishop, and my other Adversaries, were of the same Mind with the Fathers, on St. Paul's Expressions in relation to allegorical Interpretations of the Old Testament, my present Dispute with them would be half over. And what is the Reason that the Bishop and others will not give into the Opinion of the Fathers on the Apostolical Passages to this Purpose? Because of their Prejudices to the Letter of the Old Testament, otherwise they would urge St. Paul's Authority for the Spirit of it, as much as the Fathers or I can do. But being, I say, prepossess'd of literal Interpretations, and not discerning any Force and Truth in spiritual ones, they will not allow the mystical Expositions of Scripture by Origen and other Fathers, tho' made in Imitation of St. Paul, to be of good Authority. And therefore I must demonstrate to Sense and Reason, or Primitive and Apostolical Authority will stand me in no stead.
Again, If Authority for allegorical Interpretations of the Old Testament would avail any thing, there is ancienter, and I had like to have said better, Authority for them, than that of the Fathers and Apostles, viz. the Authority of the more ancient Jews. The Bishop of St. David's[379] says, "The Christian Fathers (and why did he not say the Apostles too?) derived this allegorical Practice from the Jewish Interpreters." He owns[380] "that Philo Judæus was a great mystical Writer as his Works which are extant testify"; and[381] confesses that "there is Reason to believe, that this mystical Way of expounding Scripture was of greater Antiquity than Philo himself, even amongst the Essens and Therapeuts, whom Philo writes of, and who had amongst them several ancient Books of their Predecessors or Founders, full of allegorical Interpretations." Thus far the Bishop says well and truly. And what Observation should he, as a Lover of Antiquity, have made hereupon? Should he not have said, Id verius, quod prius; the older any Doctrine was, the more likely to be true, in as much as Truth precedes Error?
But could not the Bishop have carry'd his Story of the allegorical Interpretation of the Old Testament much higher? Yes, he might, and have told us what I do him now, that the LXX Interpreters were Allegorists, as appears from the Translation itself, and from the Opinion of the ancient Jews and Fathers of the Church concerning them. And what's more still, he might, as a Christian, upon the Authority of St. Hilary[382] have derived the allegorical Art of Interpretation from Moses himself, who received it from God; and instructed the Seventy Elders in it, from whom it continued thro' all Ages of the Jewish and Christian Churches, without Interruption, excepting that Opposition which the later Caraites of the Jews, and Ministers of the Letter among Christians, have made to it. If this be true, as I firmly believe it, then the allegorical Method of Interpretation is of original and divine Right. And it is reasonable to think accordingly, that it is of Mosaic and divine Extraction, or the Apostles Paul and Barnabas, and the Fathers afterwards, had never been permitted of God to countenance a Practice, in Imitation of the Jews, if it was of a base, or of any other than divine Original. The Consequence is, that we at this Day ought to be allegorical Interpreters of the Old Testament, or we set ourselves against all Antiquity, and oppose a Tradition that's like a Command, derived from Moses and God himself.
And what can the Bishop of St. David's say to this Consequence? Why, he'll tell us, tho' the allegorical Method of Interpretation be as ancient as the Therapeuts and some of their Predecessors, yet, whatever the Jews and Fathers may say of its Antiquity, it came not from God and Moses, or he would subscribe to it; but took its Rise, some Ages after the Giving of the Law of Moses, tho' he knows not how nor when. And I am willing the Bishop should please himself with such an Answer and Opinion, till I have absolutely demonstrated the Certainty of the allegorical Method, and thence made it manifest, that it is of Mosaick and divine Original.
As to that other Account[383] of the Original of mystical Interpretation of Scripture, or at least of the greater Progress and Improvement of it, which the Bishop out of Porphyry gives, by saying the Fathers learned it of the gentile Philosophers, it is the most senseless and unscholarlike Opinion that a Christian can hold, and I was surprised to see it come from him. It is true that St. Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and others, were very conversant in the Writings of the Greek Philosophers: And wherefore were they so? Was it to learn mystical Theology of them? No, but, as St. Jerom[384] says, to confirm the Doctrines of our Religion, and to confute the Gentiles out of their own Books. For it was asserted by the Fathers, and confess'd by the Gentile Philosophers, that the Mythology of the Greeks, the hieroglyphical Learning of the Egyptians and the Oneirocritism of the Chaldæans, was all borrowed from the Hebrews, and had their Rise from the mystical and allegorical Interpretation of the Scriptures, as shall be made manifest, if the Bishop and I go on in this Controversy: And therefore the Fathers studied the Writings of the Greeks, and made the foresaid Use of them in the Conversion of the Gentiles; which the Bishop can't but know, if he remembers at all, what he has read in St. Clement of Alexandria, and other Fathers. But this, by the by, with a Hint to the Bishop to consider, whether he, who holds here with Porphyry, or I who hold with the Fathers, writes the most like an Infidel. So much then to the Accounts, which the Bishop of St. David's has given, of the Origine of the mystical Interpretation of Scripture.
The Bishop of Litchfield, who is to be looked on as a Writer in this Controversy, has a large Chapter against the allegorical Way of Interpretation. I shall comprise his Opinion in a few Words out of him. He says,[385] he is not concerned to vindicate the Antiquity, ascribed by Philo, to the allegoric Way of writing, much less the Abuse it was carry'd to in After-Ages; no, nor to defend, at all, this Manner of writing. And as to St. Paul's allegorizing the Scriptures, he says,[386] It seems to be in compliance with the Demand of the Jewish Christians, who were affected with allegoric Interpretations, that St. Paul (who appears to have been no Fool) above all the other Apostles used that Way, which he was brought into against his own good liking. And in another Place he says,[387] The Laws and Facts recorded by Moses, are commonly interpreted to natural, moral, theological and even anagogick Senses, which no one supposed to have been ever in Moses's Thoughts, or to be other than the Exercise of a subtle Wit, for the Instruction and Entertainment of the Hearers. Whether this Bishop had his Wits about him, when he said, No one supposed the anagogick Senses of the Law to have been ever in Moses's Thoughts, I can't tell; but if he had rubb'd up his Memory a little, he might have consider'd, what he says in another Place,[388] that the Anagogical was the accustomed Way of the whole Nation of the Jews from Moses's Time; and he might have known what St. Hilary, whom I cited before, says, that Moses taught the Children of Isræl the anagogical and allegorical Way; and whatever he may think, Origen says,[389] that Moses by the Acuteness of his Understanding, penetrated into the mystical and anagogical Meaning of his own Law. And tho' this Bishop says above, that he is not concern'd to vindicate the Antiquity of the allegorick Way of writing; yet I am oblig'd to vindicate its Antiquity and Truth, or I can't write a good Defence of Christianity, which should now bring me (to what I have undertaken) to make an absolute Demonstration of the Certainty of the allegorical Method of Interpretation, and of Jesus's Messiahship upon it.
But before I enter upon a close Proof of this grand Undertaking, I must beg leave to tell my Readers a Story, which tho' it will for while defer my undertaken Demonstration, yet it is properly introductory to it. I had not long drawn up my foregoing Thoughts, (against the two Bishops, of Litchfield and St. David's) of the Jewish and Christian Antiquity of the allegorical Method of Interpretation of Scripture, before I imparted them to my old Friend the Jewish Rabbi, who is a Cabalist and Allegorist, and desired his Sentiments upon them. Whereupon he was so kind as to send me the following Letter, with a pertinent Objection in it, against the Messiahship of the Jesus of our Ministers of the Letter; with a pertinent, I say, and lucky Objection, which paves the Way for my Demonstration of the Certainty of the allegorical Way of Interpretation, and of the Messiahship of the Jesus of us Ministers of the Spirit; and if I can but prevail upon the two forenamed Bishops, to give me their Assistance in answering the said Objection, by humouring my Rabbi in it; we shall go a better Step, than has been hitherto taken, for the Conversion of the Jews: And this is Encouragement enough to such hearty Friends to Christianity as we are, to set about so great and glorious a Work. The Letter is as follows.