e, we are bound as
Christians to go. But to make Christianity answerable, with its life,
for the circumstantial truth of each separate passage of the Old
Testament, the genuineness of every book, the information, fidelity, and
judgment of every writer in it, is to bring, I will not say great, but
unnecessary difficulties into the whole system. These books were
universally read and received by the Jews of our Saviour's time. He and
his apostles, in common with all other Jews, referred to them, alluded
to them, used them. Yet, except where he expressly ascribes a divine
authority to particular predictions, I do not know that we can strictly
draw any conclusion from the books being so used and applied, beside the
proof, which it unquestionably is, of their notoriety and reception at
that time. In this view, our Scriptures afford a valuable testimony to
those of the Jews. But the nature of this testimony ought to be
understood. It is surely very different from what it is sometimes
represented to be, a specific ratification of each particular fact and
opinion; and not only of each particular fact, but of the motives
assigned for every action, together with the judgment of praise or
dispraise bestowed upon them. Saint James, in his Epistle, says, "Ye
have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord."
Notwithstanding this text, the reality of Job's history, and even the
existence of such a person, have been always deemed a fair subject of
inquiry and discussion amongst Christian divines. Saint James's
authority is considered as good evidence of the existence of the book of
Job at that time, and of its reception by the Jews; and of nothing more.
Saint Paul, in his Second Epistle to Timothy, has this similitude: "Now,
as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the
truth." These names are not found in the Old Testament. And it is
uncertain whether Saint Paul took them from some apocryphal writing then
extant, or from tradition. But no one ever imagined that Saint Paul is
here asserting the authority of the writing, if it was a written account
which he quoted, or making himself answerable for the authenticity of
the tradition; much less that he so involves himself with either of
these questions as that the credit of his own history and mission should
depend upon the fact whether Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses or not.
For what reason a more rigorous interpretation should be put upon other