These things, dear Theophilus, being thus dispatched, I suppose we may now seasonably proceed to consider the style of the Scripture: a subject that will as well require as deserve some time and much attention; in regard that divers witty men, who freely acknowledge the authority of the Scripture, take exceptions at its style, and by those and their own reputation divert many from studying, or so much as perusing, those sacred writings; thereby at once giving men injurious and irreverent thoughts of it, and diverting them from allowing the Scripture the best way of justifying itself, and disabusing them; than which scarce any thing can be more prejudicial to a book that needs but to be sufficiently understood to be highly venerated: the writings these men criminate, and would keep others from reading, being like that honey which Saul’s rash adjuration withheld the Israelites from eating, which being tasted, not only gratified the taste, but enlightened the eyes.1 Now those allegations against the Scripture we are to examine being but too various, it will be requisite for us to consider the style of it, not in the stricter acceptation, wherein an author’s style is wont to signify the choice and disposition of his words, but in that larger sense, wherein the word style comprehends not only the phraseology, the tropes and figures made use of by a writer, but his method, his lofty or humbler character, (as orators speak,) his pathetical or languid, his close or incoherent way of writing, and in a word, almost all the whole manner of an author’s expressing himself.
Wherefore, though the title of an essay prefixed to this treatise will, I presume, invite you to expect from me rather some loose considerations than any full and methodical discourse concerning the style of the Scripture; yet I hope you will not think it strange if so comprehensive a theme make this part of the essay disproportionate to the others: especially since the nature of your commands and that of my design oblige me to interweave some other things with those that more directly regard the style of the Scripture, and particularly lay hold on all opportunities I can discreetly take, to invite you to study much and highly to esteem a book, which there is no danger you can too much study or esteem too highly.
It has been a common saying among the ancients, that even Jupiter could not please all. But by the objections I meet with against the Scrip-ture, I find that the true God himself is not free from the imputation of his audacious creatures; who impiously presume to quarrel as well with his revelations as his providence, and express no more reverence to what he hath dictated than to what he doth. For not now to mention what is by atheists and antiscripturists alleged to overthrow the truth and authority of the Scripture, (because it is not here, but elsewhere, that we are to deal with that sort of men,) even by some of those that acknowledge both (for with such only we have now to reason), there are I know not how many faults found with the style of the Scripture. For some of them are pleased to say that book is too obscure, others, that it is immethodical, others, that it is contradictory to itself, others, that the neighbouring parts of it are incoherent, others, that it is unadorned, others, that it is flat and unaffecting, others, that it abounds with things that are either trivial or impertinent, and also with useless repetitions. And indeed so many and so various are the faults and imperfections imputed by these men to the Scripture, that my wonder at them would be almost as great as is my trouble, if I did not also consider how much it is the interest of the great adversary of mankind, and especially of (that choicest part of it) the church, to depreciate composures that if duly reverenced would prove so destructive to his kingdom and designs; and if I did not also remember that (such is the querulous and exceptious nature of men) it was Cicero himself that observed, Vitari non posse reprehensionem nisi nihil scribendo; “It is not possible to escape censure but by not writing at all.” But as poets and astronomers have fancied among the celestial lights that adorn the firmament, bears, bulls, goats, dogs, scorpions, and other beasts; so our adversaries impute I know not what imaginary deformities to a book ennobled by its author with many celestial lights, fit to instruct the world, and discover to them the ways of truth and blessedness. Although I say this be so, yet since the misrepresentation made by these men of the Bible is not inferior to that made by poets and cosmographers of the firmament, I hope you will be as little deterred by the most disparaging imputations from studying the Scripture, as pilots are by the name of a bear given to the most northern constellation, from having their eyes upon the pole-star, and steering their courses by it.