He says,

explained them in a secondary or allegorical sense, according to some certain rules with which we are not acquainted: for the Jews are said to have had such rules of interpretation. This is noticed by an able writer in the beginning of the last century, Dr. Jenkin. "We may depend upon it, that the Apostles and other Disciples, who had such demonstrative evidence for the conviction of unbelievers, by a constant power of miracles, would never make use of any arguments to the Jews from the Old Testament but such as they well knew their adversaries could never be able to disprove or deny. For there were then certain methods of interpretation, as we learn from Josephus, which are now lost, and they disputed from acknowledged maxims and rules: the only difference and matter of dispute, was in the application of them to their particular case: however our ignorance of things, then generally known, may now make it difficult to reconcile some texts of the New Testament, with those of the Old from whence they were cited '." One thing at

1 The Reasonableness and Certainty of the Christian Religion, vol. ii. p. 320.

least is clear, that Jesus expounded them in a manner that was satisfactory and convincing to his disciples, and ought not reasonably therefore to be otherwise to us. And upon that exposition was beyond all doubt founded the assertion of the Evangelists, that the different prophecies of the Old Testament did relate to and were fulfilled by him '.

Still as we must deal with the Scriptures as we have them, it is desirable to clear up as far as possible, whatever difficulties they may present to us. That the double sense of prophecy is one of them, cannot be dissembled. It appears not only to have furnished weapons to the enemies of Revelation: but even to have embarrassed some of its ablest defenders. Bishop Warburton censures Grotius in the strongest manner, for having "endeavoured throughout his whole comment on the Prophets, to find a double sense even in those direct prophecies which relate to Jesus: and to turn the primary sense upon the affairs of

"The interpretations of obscure places of Scripture, which without question the Apostles taught the primitive Christians, are wholly lost; there remains no certainty scarce of any one."-Chillingworth's Religion of Protestants, &c. p. 50.

the Jewish dispensation'." Yet he had himself just before admitted, that there were secondary senses in them. "Thus much I confess (he says) that without miracles in confirmation of such sense, some of them would with difficulty be proved to have it." Indeed, it seems impossible to doubt, that figurative senses and allegories were extremely common amongst the Jews, and pervaded the whole of their Scriptures. The late excellent Bishop Horne has illustrated, this matter at great length, in his admirable commentary upon the Psalms; in which he has shewn, that there is hardly a verse, which does not relate primarily to David, and the circumstances of his time; and secondarily to Christ and the religion of the Gospel. And in very many instances, the latter seems to be the only sense, which can with any propriety be affixed to the words employed.

If any difficulty should still remain, in reconciling the fulfilment of the various prophecies relating to our Saviour, with the terms in

Divine Legation, vol. vi. p. 92.

2 Ibid. p. 77.

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which they were delivered, it will probably be removed by considering, that they were fulfilled rather in their sense, than in their letter. This is laid down as a rule of interpretation by an eminent Biblical critic of the sixteenth century. "The Apostles and Evangelists (he says) in citing the testimony of Scripture, had regard to the sense, and not to the words about which they were indeed not very solicitous, as they ought not to have been, since the truth consists, not in the words, but in the meaning '. If this be admitted (as I suppose it must be) it carries with it a most important consequence, and confirms

my

whole argument: that the application of the prophecies of the Old Testament to our Saviour, rests entirely upon his own authority, as transmitted to us by the Evangelist in the words of the text. For if prophecies which were dictated by the Spirit of God, are to be understood otherwise than literally; none but those who are endued with the same spirit, can with certainty determine their meaning: which is what I understand by these words of

St. Peter: that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Enough, I trust has been said to shew, that that dilemma which would reduce us to choose between a primary and literal sense, which cannot always be found; and a secondary and allegorical one which cannot be supported, has absolutely no foundation. That the Jews from the prophecies of the Old Testament looked for the Messiah cannot be disputed, for they look for him still. That Jesus Christ came and claimed to be that Messiah, and by miracles proved himself to have been divinely commissioned, and therefore to be entitled to absolute belief, we learn from the New Testament, whose authenticity is established by the same kind of evidence as that of any other ancient book, though much more abundant in quantity. The New Testament is to us the true key to the Old. "The most decisive proof (said the late learned Bishop of Winchester) of the authenticity and inspiration of the ancient Scriptures, is

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