TESTIMONY OF TRADITION. S31
have, for the most part, so utterly lost the remembrance of what themselves are, whence they came, or whither they are to go — that I can give very little credit to what I have nothing but their authority to rely upon for, without any evidence from the nature of the thing itself
Abstracting, then, from the testimony given in the Scriptures to the miracles wrought by the prime revealers of the mind and will of God in the Word, no tolerable assurance as to the business in hand, where a foundation for faith is inquired after, can be given, that ever any such miracles were wrought. If numbers of men may be allowed to speak, we may have a traditional testimony given to the blasphe- mous fig-ments of the Koran, under the name of true miracles. But the constant tradition of more than a thousand years, carried on by innumerable multitudes of men, great, wise, and sober, from one generation to another, doth but set open the gates of hell for the Mohammedans. Yet, setting aside the authority of God in his Word, and what is resolved thereinto, I know not why they may not vie traditions with the rest of the world. The world, indeed, is full of traditions flowing from the Word — ^that is, a knowledge of the doc- trines of the Word in the minds of men ; but a tradition of the Word not resolved into the AVord — a tradition referred to a fountain of sense in seeing and hearing, preserved as an oral law in a distinct channel and stream by itself — when it is evidenced, either by instance in some particular preserved therein, or in a probability of securing it through the generations past, by a comparison of some such effect in things of the like kind, I shall be ready to receive it.
Give me, then, as I said before, but the least obscure report of any one of those many miracles that were wrought by our Saviour and the apostles, which are not recorded in the Scriptures, and I shall put more valuation on the pretended traditions than I can as yet persuade myself unto. Besides, many writers of the Scripture wrought no miracles, and by this rule their writings are left to shift for them- selves. Miracles, indeed, were necessary to take off all prejudices from the persons that brought any new doctrine from God ; but the doctrine still evidenced itself The apostles converted many, where they wrought no miracles ; (Acts xvi. — xviii.) and where they did so work, yet they were received for their doctrine, and not the doctrine on their account. And the Scripture now hath no less evidence and demonstration in itself of its divinity, than it had when by them it was preached.
But because this tradition is pretended with great confidence as a siu"e bottom and foundation for receiving of the Scriptures, I shall a little further inquire into it. That which in this case is intended by this Masora, or " tradition," is a report of men, which those who are
332 THE DIVINE OKIGINAL OF SCRIPTURE.
present have received from them that are gone before them.^ Now, this may be either of all the men of the world, or only of some of them ; if of all, either their sufi&-ages must be taken in some conven- tion, or gathered up from the individuals as we are able and have opportunity. If the first way of receiving them were possible, which is the utmost improvement that imagination can give the authority inquired after, yet every individual of men bemg a liar, the whole convention must be of the same complexion, and so not be able to yield a sufficient basis to build a faith upon, cui non potest subesse falsum — that is, infallible, and that " cannot possibly be deceived:" much less is there any foundation for it in such a report as is the emergency of the assertion of individuals.
But now if this tradition be alleged as preserved only by some in the world — not the half of rational creatures — I desire to know what reason I have to believe those who have that tradition, or plead that they have it, before and against them who profess they have no such report delivered to them from their forefathers. Is the reason hereof, because I live among those who have this tradition, and they are my neighbours whom I know ? By the same rule those who live among the other parts of men are bound- to receive what they deliver them upon tradition; and so men may be obliged to believe the Koran to be the word of God.
It is more probable, it will be answered, that their testimony is to be received because they are the church of God. But it doth not yet appear that I can any other way have any knowledge of them so to be, or of any authority that any number of men (more or less) can have in this case, under that name or notion, unless by the Scripture itself. And if so, it will quickly appear what place is to be allotted to their testimony, who cannot be admitted as witnesses unless the Scripture itself be owned and received ; because they have neither plea nor claim to be so admitted but only from the Scripture. If they shall aver, that they take this honour to themselves, and that, without relation to the Scripture, they claun a right of authoritative witness-bearing in this case — I say again, upon the general grounds of natural reason and equity, I have no more inducements to give credit to their assertions than to an alike number of men holding out a tradition utterly to the contrary of what they assert.