the Sabbath, for instance, may be supposed (over and above the literal meaning) prophetically to signify Christ's rest in the grave; tropologically to denote the rest of the soul, and its cessation from sin; and anagogically to prefigure the eternal rest of the saints. I do not say that any Scripture allegory was ever really intended to represent or signify so many several things: but such a case may be supposed, (right or wrong,) because it has been supposed by some learned interpreters; and I mention it only for the clearer apprehension of the threefold partition of allegory. But however we judge as to the same things having several mystical senses, we are still to remember, that the same words, whatever they be, have properly but one sense; and that one is the literal sense, otherwise called historical, pointing out some real fact upon which every mystic view is grounded.

From hence we may be able to pass the clearer judgment upon what has (of late days especially) been called the allegorical construction of the fall: such as Dr. Burnets of the Charter-House, and after him Mr. Blount t and others have presumed to recommend. It is not properly allegorical, but parabolical or fabulous, because it excludes the literal and historical meaning, resolving the whole into ingenious device or fiction. It is true, there are parables and prophetic schemes in sacred Writ: but the account of the fall of man is certainly true history, and ought not to be resolved into any such prophetic scheme, or well-devised parable; much less into Egyptian fable or hieroglyphic, as others more profanely have insinuated. There are many and great reasons against turn-. ing the history of the fall into fiction or parable, which I shall content myself with briefly mentioning, referring the reader to learned writers u who have considered the

• Burnet's Archæolog. lib. ii. c. 7. Conf. Epist. i. p. 142.

* Blount's Oracles of Reason, p. 20, &c.

Witty's Essay towards a Vindication of the Mosaical History. Moses Vindicatus, (Amstel. A. D. 1694.) c. vii. p. 148. Nicolls's Conf. with a

point at large. 1. If a history so circumstantiated as that is, shall be resolved into fable or parable, no history whatever can stand secure, but a wide door will be opened to all the rovings of sportive wit, or wanton fancy. The mischievous tendency of taking such liberties with sacred history is strongly represented in few words by the learned Bochart *. It is not long since a learned foreigner y undertook, in like manner, to turn the whole history of the Prophet Jonah into a sort of prophetic scheme, or parable: but he has been justly condemned for it by the judicious. There is no end of such wanton play, such solemn trifling. 2. Such a method of interpreting would undermine the doctrine of our redemption, as laid down in the New Testament a, and indeed would make the Old and New interfere: for the New Testament plainly enough interprets the history of the fall, as true history, or real fact b. See that point well proved now lately by a learned hand. In short, the thus dealing with Scripture history can tend only to bring the sacred oracles into contempt; as the nature of the thing shows, and experience also sufficiently testifies. 3. That parabolical construction of the fall, going under the false name

ta,

Theist, part i. p. 236. alias 135. Keill's Examinat, of the Reflections on the Theory, p. 148. Jenkins's Reasonableness, &c. vol. ii. p. 256, .

* Hæc sententia omnino singularis est, iisque duntaxat arridet qui literali vocum significatione prorsus missa, ad allegorias omnia transferunt-Quæ Scripturas explicandi ratio, ex variis eventibus qui inde sequuntur, certe periculosissima, et exemplum exitiale. Juxta eam enim, quicquid habet Scriptura sacra etiam expressissimum, facile poterit negari, ut in ejus locum phantasmata et imaginationis figmenta quæque subrogentur. Illi, non secus quam campanis, quidlibet potest affingi: hominumque cerebro tanquam alembico committitur, ut inde quodcunque libebit exprimat. Denique eodem modo ab istis doctoribus tractatur quo chymistis metalla; ex quibus aurum sibi et aliis misere pollicentur, at vero in fumos abeunt universa. Bochart. de Serpent. Tentator. p. 836.

y Herman. Vander Hardt, A. D. 1718.

z Vid. Carpzov. Introduct. ad Libr. Bibl. Vet. Test. part. iii. p. 349.

• See Witty's Mosaic History Vindicated, p. 13.

b John viii. 44. 2 Cor. xi. 3. 1 Tim. ii. 14. 1 John iii. 8. Comp. Ecclesiastes vii. 29.

C

Reply to the Defence of the Letter to Dr. W. p. 58.

and cover of allegorical, would entirely defeat and frustrate the real and certain allegory which is in it: for that some parts, at least, of that history do admit of an allegorical meaning, together with the letter, and beyond the letter, is undoubtedly plain from the New Testament. For instance, Gen. ii. 24. carries both a literal and an allegorical meaning: that is to say, the thing there expressed by the letter is expressive of an higher mystery relating to Christ and his Church. So again Gen. iii. 15. requires an allegorical improvement beyond the bare literal and historical meaning, being prophetic of our redemption by Christ Jesus. How much more of real allegory may be couched under that history, or how far we may prudently extend what we find, we cannot perhaps certainly say, nor is it necessary to determine: but if the whole were a fable, or parable only, all proper allegory (which means a mystic sense grafted upon true history) would be entirely frustrated and lost.

From what has been observed, the attentive readers may perceive how to distinguish the true and proper allegorists from the fablemongers or mythics, (I know not what else to call them,) such as Dr. Burnet, &c. before mentioned. They are a very different kind of men, as to their temper, manner, and principles; and their respective attempts commonly differ from each other, as much as sober and pious does from ludicrous and profane. The proper allegorists preserve the truth of sacred history inviolable, endeavouring farther to convert it to high and heavenly uses and if they happen to fail in their design of enriching us with new treasures, they leave us however what we had before. But the mythics, who affect to turn history into fable, and truth into fiction, overthrow the letter of sacred Writ, converting it into a kind of romance; and in the room of that solid and substantial treasure which we before had, they give us nothing but words or wind.

VOL. VI.

See Ephes. v. 31, 32.

It must be owned however to be a nice affair, to allegorize well and wisely, and to avoid all extremes. Many have been too forward and enterprising in that way, which is an error in excess; and many also have been too cautious and unattempting, which is an error in defect. It has been pleasantly observed of two very learned and excellent men, that one of them had no where found Christ in the Old Testament, and the other had found him every where; intimating that both of them had run into extremes, but in a contrary way. I know not whether there be any surer or safer rule to go by, in this matter, than to allegorize so far (and no farther) as Scripture itself has directly done it, or indirectly pointed out the way by allegorizing some part, and leaving it to as many as understand connection and analogy, to supply the rest.

A very learned and judicious writer has presumed to think, that the art of allegorizing may be improved to a good degree of certainty by the help of rules proper f. And he afterwards gives us two samples of it 8; one in the history of the Patriarch Joseph, and another in the history of Sampson allegorized all the way, retaining the letter, but superadding a mystical interpretation. After all, though there may be a good degree of certainty in the art, to as many as are complete masters of it, and one might be glad to see it carried up to the utmost perfec-. tion, (as it would be of inestimable use,) yet, to speak

• Passim celebratur illud quorundam judicium: Grotium nusquam in sacris literis invenire Christum, Cocceium ubique. Buddæi Isagog. p. 1736. f Postremo loco, moneo, nullas esse instituendas expositiones allegoricas nisi in bonis, (sive certis sive probabilibus,) fundatas hypothesibus, ad quas expositionis soliditas et veritas examinanda est. Quæ hypotheses si non fallant (possent autem tales in multis casibus præstari) non minus certa erit expositio allegorica quam quævis literalis et propria, utique quod ad ipsum corpus interpretationis. Sunt enim hujus studii, æque ac aliarum theologiæ partium, certa principia et fundamenta; sunt certi canones, secundum quos qui interpretationem suam composuerit, non facile impinget. Vitringa, Observ. Sacr. lib. vi. c. 20. p. 465. alias 532.

Vitringa, ibid. c. 21.

freely my opinion, it appears to be work of such a kind as scarce one in a thousand will be fit to be trusted with. It is like the art etymological, or that of making conjectural emendations upon authors, or of commenting upon Ezekiel, Daniel, or the Apocalypse: a man must have very strong parts, together with great coolness of temper, and correctness of judgment, besides a very large compass of literature, to succeed tolerably in it. It will be exceeding difficult to draw out mystical meanings with sufficient certainty, beyond what our infallible guides in the New Testament have already drawn out for us, or have plainly pointed out to us. And it will be no less difficult to fix any bounds to a flowing invention, or a teeming imagination, once set on work in that way: which I mention not to disparage or to discourage so useful an art, but to prevent too great expectations from it. It is certain, that some very bright wits, both ancient and modern, have had the misfortune to lose themselves in it.

Nevertheless, as I before hinted, the proper allegorists have often deserved well of religion and learning, even where they have missed of their first and principal aim: and my intent in taking this notice of them, was chiefly to preserve to them their due honour and esteem, that they may not be confounded with the mythics, who have been frequently comprehended under the same common name of allegorizers. Allegorizing of Scripture, for the improving and enriching of the letter, is one thing; and resolving true history into fable or parable, is another. The one expresses a profound and awful respect for the Divine revelation, and is generally useful, or at least innocent: the other too often betrays a want of due reverence for Scripture, and a wrong turn of mind; or be it ever so well meant, it is of very ill tendency, and apt to produce infinite mischief. St. Austin, with several more among the ancients, and Vitringa, with many others among the moderns, were proper allegorists: their designs were noble and great, as their labours, in the main, are very instructive and edifying. On the other hand, Origen