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because the idea of a thing does not imply either the truth or the belief of it. But if it means, that a figurative propofition implies the Ufer's belief of its literal fenfe, this is to the purpose, but not true. The People had an Idea of dry bones being clothed again with flesh, and the breath of life inspired into the carcafe; but they were fo far from believing that was to be the cafe of all mankind, that they did not know whether it was poffible that thofe bones in the valley could be restored.

To conclude with the ANSWERERS of this Differtation, the mifcellaneous Writers on the Book of Job; It may not be improper to remind them, that they would have done their duty better, and have given the learned and impartial Public more fatisfaction, if, inftead of labouring to evade two or three independent arguments, though corroborative of my interpretation, they had, in any reasonable manner, accounted, How this interpretation, which they affect to reprefent as vifionary and groundless, fhould be able to lay open and unfold the whole conduct of the Poem upon one entire, perfect, elegant and noble plan, which does more than vulgar honour to the Writer who compofed it. And that it fhould at the same time, be as useful in defining the Parts as in developing the Whole; fo that particular texts, which, for want of fufficient light, had hitherto been an easy prey to Critics from every quarter, are now no longer affected by the common opprobrium affixed to this book, of its being a nofe of wax, made to fuit every religious Syftem. Of which, amongst many others, may be reckoned the famous text just now explained. All this, our Hypothefis, (as it is called) has been able to perform, in a Poem become, through length of time and negli

gence,

gence, fo defperately perplexed, that Commentators have chofen, as the easier task, rather to find their own notions in it than to feek out those of the Author.

a

For the rest, For any fuller fatisfaction, He that wants it is referred to third chapter of the Free and candid examination of the Bishop of London's prinçiples &c. where he will fee, in a fuller light than perhaps he has been accustomed to fee fuch matters, the great fuperiority of acute and folid reafoning over chicane and fophiftry.

TH

SECT. III.

HE book of Joв hath engaged me longer than I intended: but I fhall make amends, by dispatching the remainder of the objections with great brevity.

Thofe brought from the OLD TESTAMENT are of two kinds.

I. Such as are fuppofed to prove the Separate Existence, or, as it is called, the immortality of the Soul.

II. Such as are fuppofed to prove a future state of Reward and punishment, together with a Refurrection of the body.

I. To fupport the firft point, the following words of Mofes are urged," And God faid, "Let us make Man in our image, after our like

' ness and let them have DOMINION, &c.—And "God created man in his own image, in the image

a Dr. Sherlock.

" of

3

of God created he him":" From whence it is inferred, that Man was created with an immaterial · Soul. On the contrary, I suppose, that Mofes was here giving intimation of a very different thing; namely its rationality. My reafons are thefe:I think indeed, it may be strictly demonftrated that Man's foul is immaterial; but then the fame arguments which prove his immateriality, prove likewife that the fouls of all living animals are immaterial; and this too without the leaft injury to Religion. An immaterial foul therefore being common to him with the whole brute creation, and it being fomething peculiar to man, in which the image of God is faid to confift, I conclude the Hiftorian did not hear teach any thing concerning an immaterial Soul. The only two things peculiar to Man are his Shape and his Reafon. None but an Anthropomorphite will fay it was his fhape; I conclude therefore it was his REASON: And this farther appears from hence, When God fays, Let. us make man in our image, after our likeness, he immediately adds, And let him have DOMINION Over the whole Brute Creation: Which plainly marks in what the image or likeness confifted: for what was it that could inveft man with a Dominion de facto, after he had it by this grant, de jure, but his REASON only? This Dominion too was apparently given for fome preeminence; but man's preeminence confifts not in his having an immaterial foul, for that he has in common with all other animals: But in his Reafon alone which is peculiar to him: The likeness therefore or image confifted in REASON. And thus Philo Judæus understood the

b GEN. i. 27.

See Dr. Clarke against Mr. Collins on the Soul; and The Enquiry into the Nature of the human Soul, by Mr. Baxter.

matter,

matter, where alluding to this text, he fays, Λόγος ἐςὶν ἐικών Θε8. Reafon is the image of God. So much for the first Objection.

2. The next is drawn from the following words. of the fame Writer: "And the Lord God formed "man of the duft of the ground, and breathed "into his noftrils the breath of life, and man be"came a living foul;" that is, fay thefe Reafoners, he had an immortal foul. But this is only building on the ftrength of an english expreffion. Every one knows that what the translation calls a living foul, fignifies in the original, a living animal: Hence the fame Writer fpeaks of a dead foul, as well as a living foul. And indeed not only the propriety of the terms, but the very sense of the Context requires us to confine the meaning of living foul, to living animal. GOD, the great plaftic Artist, is here represented as making and shaping out a figure of earth or clay, which he afterwards animates or infpires with life. He breathed, fays the facred Hiftorian, into this Statue, the breath of life; and the lump became a living creature. But St. Paul, I hope, may be believed whatever becomes of my explanation: who thus comments the very text in question:-And fo it is written the first man Adam was made A LIVING SOUL, The last was made A QUICKNING SPIRIT. Here we find the Apostle is fo far from understanding any immortality in this account of Man's Creation, that he oppfes the mortal animal ADAM, to the immor making Spirit of CHRIST.

3. Again, God in his A denounced against all th

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Adam's tranfgreffion, fays to the ferpent, I will put enmity between thee and the woman; and between thy feed and her feed: it shall bruife thy head, and thou shalt bruife his heel. It will be allowed that even the most early could not be fo ftupid as modern infidels would make them, to understand these words in their ftrict literal fenfe, that " ferpents would be apt to bite men by the heel, and men, as ready to crufh their heads." But to enable them to understand, by this part of the fentence, that " man fhould be reftored to his loft inheritance of immortality by the facrifice of Chrift on the cross," needed an exprefs revelation of this mystery. What then did the Jews understand by it? This certainly, and nothing but this, that "the evil Spirit, who actuated the Serpent, would continue his enmity to the human race; but that man, by the divine affistance, should be at length enabled to defeat all his machinations."

4. Again, the phrase used by the facred Hiftorian to indicate the deaths of the Patriarchs is further urged in fupport of the oppofition." He died, and was gathered to his People. And dying is expreffed by going down into the grave, or into Hell, SCHEOL. I will go down into the grave (fays Jacob) [or into Hell] to my fon mourning; which phrafes are fuppofed to intimate the foul's furviving the body, and retiring, on the diffolution of the union, to one common Receptacle of Souls: for that it is t only faid, the man died and was buried, but wife that he was gathered to his fathers: And faid, he would go down into the grave to his

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