For, if this only be allowed, which no one, I think, will conteft, that a ftrange language acquired, by illiterate men, in the ordinary way, would be full of the idioms of their native tongue, juft as the Scripture-Greek is obferved to be full of Syriafms and Hebraifms; how can it be pretended by those who reflect upon the nature of language, that a ftrange tongue divinely infufed into illiterate men, like that at the day of Pentecoft, could have any other properties or conditions?

"Let us weigh thefe cafes impartially. Every language confifts of two diftinct parts; the fingle terms, and the phra fes and idioms. The firft, as far as concerns appellatives efpecially, is of mere arbitrary impofition, tho' on artificial principles common to all men: The fecond arifes infenfibly, but conftantly, from the manners, cuftoms, and tempers of those to whom the language is vernacular; and fo becomes, tho' much less arbitrary, as what the Grammarians call congruity is more concerned in this part than in the other, yet various and different as the several tribes and nations of Mankind. The first therefore is unrelated to every thing but to the genius of language in general; the fecond hath an intimate connexion with the fashions, notions, and opinions of that people only, to whom the language is native.

Let us confider then the constant way which illiterate men take to acquire the knowlege of a foreign tongue. Do they not make it their principal, and, at firft, their only ftudy, to treafure up, in their memory the fignification of the terms? Hence, when they come to talk or write in the fpeech thus acquired, their language is found to be full of their own native idioms. And thus it will continue, till by long use of the ftrange tongue, and efpecially by long acquaintance with the owners of it, they have imbibed the particular genius of the language.

Suppose then this foreign tongue, instead of being thus gradually introduced into the minds of thefe illiterate men, was inftantaneously infufed into them; the operation, tho' not the very mode of operating, being the fame, muft not the effect be the fame, let the cause be never so different? Without question. The divine impreffion must be made either by fixing the terms or fingle words only and their fignification in the memory; as for inftance, Greek terms correfponding to the Syriac or Hebrew; or elfe, together with that fimple impreffion, another must be made to enrich the

mind with all the ideas which go towards compofing the phrafes and idoms of the language fo infpired: But this late ter impreffion feems to require, or rather indeed implies, a previous one, of the tempers, fashions, and opinions of the people to whom the language is native, upon the minds of them to whom the language is thus imparted; because the phrafe and idiom arifes trom and is dependent on those manners and therefore the force of expreffion can be understood only in proportion to the knowledge of the manners: and understood they were to be; the Recipients of their spiritual gifts being not organical canals, but rational Difpenfers, So that this would be a waste of miracles without a fufficient caufe; the Syriac or Hebrew idiom, to which the Difciples were enabled of themfelves to adapt the words of the Greek or any other language, abundantly ferving every ufeful purpose, all which centered in the giving CLEAR INTELLIGENCE. We conclude, therefore, that what was thus infpired was the TERMS, and that grammatic congruity in the use of them, which is dependent thereon. In a word, to fuppofe fuch kind of infpired knowledge of strange tongues as includes all the native peculiarities, which, if you will, you may call their elegancies; (for the more a language is coloured by the character and manners of the native ufers, the more elegant it is esteemed) to fuppofe this, is, as I have faid, an ignorant fancy, and repugnant to reason and experience.

"Now, from what hath been obferved, it follows, that if the ftyle of the New Testament were indeed derived from a language divinely infufed on the day of Pentecoft, it must be juft fuch, as to its style, which, in fact, we find it to be; that is to fay, Greek words very frequently delivered in Syriac and Hebrew idiom." *

But Doctor Middleton is fo perfectly fatisfied that this barbarity of ftyle which claims the title of infpired, is a fure mark of impofture, that he almost ventures to foretel, it will prove the deftruction of thofe pretenfions, as it did to the Delphic oracles. Our Author points out the effential differences between the pretenfions of thefe oracles to infpiration, and the pretenfions of the Chriftian Evangelifts, all of which, he

Hence fome may infer, that if his Lordship's conceffions in this cafe are to be admitted, we need not much wonder that the preaching of the Apostles, was to the Jews a ftumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness.But we understand the paffage in a different fenfe.

fays,

fays, the Doctor thought proper to overlook; and he obferves that any one of them is fufficient to fhew, that, tho' the objection may hold good against these heathen oracles, yet it has not the leaft force againft fcripture infpiration.-He goes on to examine, as he propofed, the Doctor's fecond propofition, viz. that eloquence is fomething congenial and effential to human fpeech; and inherent in the conftitution of things."

"This fuppofes, that there is fome certain ARCHETYPE in nature, to which that quality refers, and on which it is to be formed and modeled. And, indeed, admitting this to be the cafe, one should be apt enough to conclude, that when the Author of nature condefcended to infpire one of thefe plaftic performances of human art, he would make it by the exacteft pattern of the Archetype." But the propofition, his Lordship fays, is falfe and groundlefs. Eloquence is not congenial or effential to human speech, nor is there any Archetype in nature to which that quality refers. It is accidental and arbitrary, and depends on custom and fashion; it is a mode of human communication which varies with the varying climates of the Earth; and is as inconftant as the genius, temper and manners of its much diversified inhabitants.

"For what is Purity, fays he, but the ufe of fuch terms, with their multiplied combinations, as the intereft, the temper, or the caprice of a Writer or Speaker of authority hath preferred to its equals? What is Elegance but fuch a turn of idiom as a fashionable fancy hath brought into repute? And what is Sublimity but the application of fuch images, as arbitrary or cafual connexions, rather than their own native grandeur, have dignified and enobled? Now Eloquence is a compound of these three qualities of speech, and confequently must be as nominal and unfubftantial as its conftituent parts, So that that mode of compofition, which is a model of perpect eloquence to one nation or people, muft appear extravagant or mean to another. And thus in fact it was. Indian and Afiatic eloquence were esteemed hyperbolic, unnatural, abrupt. and puerile to the more phlegmatic inhabitants of Rome and Athens. And the western Eloquence in its turn, appeared nerveless and effeminate, frigid or infipid, to the hardy and inflamed imaginations of the Eaft. Nay, what is more, each fpecies, even of approved eloquence, changed its nature with the change of clime and language; and the fame expreffion, which, in one place, had the utmost fimplicity had, in another, the utmoft fublime.

Apply

66

Apply all this to the books of the New Teftament, an authorifed collection profeffedly defigned for the rule and direction of all mankind. Now fuch a rule required that it fhould be infpired of God. But infpired writing, the Objectors fay, implies the most perfect eloquence. What human model then was the Holy Ghoft to follow? And a human model, of arbitrary construction, it must needs be, because there was no other: or if there were another, it would never fuit the purpose, which was to make an impreffion on the minds and affections; and this impreffion, fuch an eloquence only as that which had gained the popular ear, could effect. Should therefore the eastern eloquence be employed? But this would be too inflated and gigantic for the Weft. Should it be the Western? But this would be too cold and torpid for the Eaft. Or fuppofe the generic eloquence of the more polifhed nations was to be preferred, which species of it was to be employed? The rich exuberance of the Afiatic Greeks, or the dry concifenefs of the Spartans? The pure and poignant cafe and flowing fweetnefs of the Attic modulation, or the strength and grave feverity of the Roman tone? Or fhould all give way to that African torrent, which arose from the fermented mixture of the dreggs of Greece and Italy, and foon after overflowed the Church with theological conceits in a fparkling luxuriancy of thought, and a fombrous rankness of expreffion Thus various were the fpecies! all as much decried by a different Genus, and each as much difliked by a different fpecies, as the eloquence of the remotest East and Weft, by one another.

But it will be faid, Are there not fome more general principles of eloquence, common to all?-Without doubt, there are. Why then fhould not these have been employed, to do credit to the apoftolic infpiration? For good reasons ; refpecting both the Speakers and the Hearers. For what is eloquence but a perfuafive turn given to the elocution, to fupply that inward, that conscious perfuafion of the Speaker, fo neceffary to gain a fair hearing? But the firft Preachers of the Gospel did not need a fuccedaneum to that inward con→ scious perfuafion! And what is the end of eloquence, even of thefe general principles, but to stifle reafon, and inflamé the paffions? But the propagation of Chriftian truths indif penfably requires the aid of reafon, and requires no other hu man aid. And reafon can never be fairly and vigorously exerted, but in that favourable interval which precedes the ap-peal to the paffions. Thefe were the caufes which forced the

Masters

Mafters of eloquence to confefs, that the utmoft perfection of their art confifts in keeping it concealed; for that the oftentation of it feemed to indicate the abfence of truth,-Ubicunque drs oftendatur, fays the moft candid and able of them all, veritas abeffe videatur. Hence fo many various precepts to make their moft artificial periods appear artlefs. Now furely that was a very fufpicious inftrument for Heaven-directed men, which, to preferve its credit, muft pretend abfence, and labour to keep out of fight.

o What, therefore, do our ideas of fit and right tell us is required in the style of an univerfal law? Certainly no more than this-To employ thofe aids which are common to all language as fuch; and to reject what is peculiar to each, as they are cafually circumftanced. And what are thefe aids, but CLEARNESS and PRECISION? By thefe the mind and fentiments of the Compofer are intelligibly conveyed to the Reader. Thefe qualities are effential to language, as it is diftinguifhed from jargon: they are eternally the fame, and independent on cuftom or fafhion. To give a language clearnefs was the office of Philofophy; to give it precifion was the office of Grammar. Definition performs the firft fervice, by a refolution of the ideas which make up the terins; Syntaxis performs the second by a combination of the feveral parts of fpeech into a fyftematic congruity: thefe are the very things in language which are leaft pofitive, as being conducted on the principles of Logic. Whereas, all befides, from the very power of the elements, and fignification of the terms, to the tropes and figures of compofition, are arbitrary; and what is more, as thefe are a deviation from thofe principles of Logic, they are frequently vicious. This, the great Mafter quoted above, freely confefieth, where fpeaking of that ornamented fpeech which he calls pala news, he makes the following confeffion and apology" effet enim omne Schema VITIUM "fi non peteretur, fed accideret. Verum auctoritate, vetuf "tate, confuetudiné, plerumque defenditur, fæpe etiam RA“TIONE QUADAM. Ideoque cum fit a fimplici rectoque lo"quendi genere deflexa, virtus eft, fi habet PROBABILE ALI56. QUID quod fequatur +.

"Now thefe qualities of clearness and precision, fo necessary to the communication of our ideas, eminently diftinguish the Writers of the New Teftament; infomuch that it might be eafily fhewn, that whatever difficulties occur in the facred

Quint. I ix. c. 3.

+ Ibid.

volumes,