TroposchemmalogiaTroposchēmalogia

¹IX. To these astonishing Miracles we may fitly add, the Preservation of these holy Writings for so many Ages, being it self little less than miraculous, and such as is a great Argument, that they belong to God, as the Author and Parent of them: It being reasonable to derive that from God, as a Book of his own Dictates, about which he has exercised a peculiar Care. Were not the Bible what it pretends to be, there had been nothing more suitable to the Nature of God, and more becoming Divine Providence, than long since to have blotted it out of the World: For why should he suffer a Book to continue from the beginning of Times, falsely pretending his Name and Authority? How do learned Men accuse Time of Injuries, for swallowing up the Works of many excellent Authors! and bewail the Loss of divers of Livy's Decades, and other choice Books, which are now no where to be found! Nay, tho the Romans were so careful for the preservation of the Books of the Sibyls, that they locked them up in Places of greatest Safety, and appointed special Officers to look after them; yet many Ages since they are gone and perished, and only some few Fragments do now remain. Whereas on the contrary, the Bible, notwithstanding part of it was the first Book in the World, (as we proved in the second Argument) and tho the Craft of Satan, and the Rage of Mankind, have from time to time combined utterly to suppress it; yet it has born up its Head, and remains not only extant, but whole and entire, without the least Mutilation or Corruption. Antiochus Epiphanes, when he set up the Abomination of Desolation in the Jewish Temple, in the Days of the Maccabees, with utmost diligence made search after their Law, and wheresoever he found it, immediately burnt or destroyed it, and threatened Death, with exquisite Tortures, to any that should conceal or retain it. In like manner, since Christ, the Tyrant Diocletian, about the Year 300, with a full purpose to root out Christianity for ever out of the World, publishes an Edict, That the Scriptures should every where be burnt and destroyed; and whosoever should presume to keep them, should be most severely tormented: Yet God permitted them not to quench the Light of these Divine Laws.

¹IX. To these astonishing Miracles we may fitly add, the Preservation of these holy Writings for so many Ages, being it self little less than miraculous, and such as is a great Argument, that they belong to God, as the Author and Parent of them: It being reasonable to derive that from God, as a Book of his own Dictates, about which he has exercised a peculiar Care. Were not the Bible what it pretends to be, there had been nothing more suitable to the Nature of God, and more becoming Divine Providence, than long since to have blotted it out of the World: For why should he suffer a Book to continue from the beginning of Times, falsly pretending his Name and Authority? How do learned Men accuse Time of Injuries, for swallowing up the Works of many excellent Authors! and bewail the Loss of divers of Livy's Decades, and other choice Books, which are now no where to be found! Nay, tho the Romans were so careful for the preservation of the Books of the Sybils, that they lock'd them up in Places of greatest Safety, and appointed special Officers to look after them; yet many Ages since they are gone and perished, and only some few Fragments do now remain. Whereas on the contrary, the Bible, notwithstanding part of it was the first Book in the World, (as we proved in the second Argument) and tho the Craft of Satan, and the Rage of Mankind, have from time to time combin'd utterly to suppress it; yet it has born up its Head, and remains not only extant, but whole and entire, without the least Mutilation or Corruption. Antiochus Epiphanes, when he set up the Abomination of Desolation in the Jewish Temple, in the Days of the Machabees, with utmost diligence made search after their Law, and wheresoever he found it, immediatly burnt or destroy'd it, and threatned Death, with exquisite Tortures, to any that should conceal or retain it. In like manner, since Christ, the Tyrant Dioclesian, about the Year 300, with a full purpose to root out Christianity for ever out of the World, publishes an Edict, That the Scriptures should every where be burnt and destroyed; and whosoever should presume to keep them, should be most severely tormented: Yet God permitted them not to quench the Light of these Divine Laws.