Reasons why the Apocryphal Writings are not received into the Canon of the Bible with an Answer to the Objections made by the Romanists SEcondly I proceed to the External Testimonies of the Truth of the Scriptures which being added to those Arguments which proved them to be True in Themselves will exceedingly corroborate our Belief of the Divine Authority of those Books And here I might mention the Testimony given to them by God in the wonderful Preservation of them through all Ages since they were first written In all the Changes of Affairs and the Overthrow of so many Cities and Kingdoms that Incomparable Treasure hath not been lost The Books of the Old Testament were kept untouched and inviolable at the sacking and burning of Ierusalem and all the time of the Captivity in Babylon and of the Dispersion of the Jews And ever since that time the Scriptures have been Unaltered in Words and Sense notwithstanding the frequent Endeavours of Satan's busy Agents to corrupt them yea utterly to destroy them And next to God's Providence in preserving these Books thrô all Times and Ages we might add the marvellous Success which hath attended the Holy Faith and Doctrine contained in these Writings They have prevail'd against the Power of Men and Devils and to this very day they are maintained and upheld maugre the Attempts of both of them to root them out of the World But I wave this intending not to insist upon Divine but Humane Testimony in this place By External Testimony then I mean here no other than this that Scripture is attested by Vniversal Tradition and this Tradition is both of Jews and Christians And what would a Man desire more in a humane way for attesting the Truth of these Writings From the joint Attestation of these Witnesses I shall make it appear that these Books which we now have are the true Copies of the first Originals that the same Books and Authors are faithfully delivered down to us which were first of all delivered to the Jews and to the Primitive Christians and that there is nothing in these Writings as we now have them that is falsified or corrupted First to begin with the Books of the Old Testament the Names of which are as follow Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Ioshuâ Iudges Ruth the 1st and 2d Books of Samuel thâ 1st and 2d Books of Kings tho 1st and 2d Books ãâã Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Iob the Psalmâ Proverbs Ecclesiastes the Song of Solomon the foââ Greater Prophets and the twelve Lesser These and none but these were admitted into the Canâ of the Holy Scriptures by the antient Church oâ the Iews whose Testimony is very Authenticâ here yea indeed we cannot have a better They acquaint us that these were the Only Writingâ that were universally agreed by them to be extraordinarily Inspired and they further tell us that these Books which were writ by different Persons and at diverse Times were first compiled and collected into One Body or Volume by Ezra and the Assembly of Doctors for that purpose and consequently that the Canon of Sacred Scripture of the Old Testament as it is at this time was not constituted till Ezra's days by the Great Synagogue as they call it Upon his Return from the Captivity he undertook this good Work he gathered together all those dispersed Books before named and after he had reviewed them he publickly owned and solemnly vouched the Authority of every one of them that the Church for the future might not doubt of their being Authentick and True But some add here by way of Objection that this holy Man caused these Books to be written over in a New Character because the Jews had lost their knowledg of the former one as well as of the Tongue and consequently the Bible is not the same that it was at first Eusebius and Ierom are alledged for this especially the latter who seems to say that the Samaritan Character was the Old Hebrew Character in which the Bible was first writ and that it was first changed by Ezrd after the Return from Babylon he writing âhe Sacred Volume over in Assyrian or Chaldee Letters and neglecting the Old Hebrew ones which were the same that the Samaritan are And the reason of this was they say because the Jews were best acquainted with this Character at that time And some Modern Writers are gain'd over to this Opinion who talk much of the Change of the Character and endeavour to perswade us that the first and old Letters of the Hebrew Text were Samaritan but that those which we now have are Assyrian and of quite another sort But upon an impartial Enquiry I find little or no Foundation for this Opinion It rather seems to me to be an Invention and Dream of those who design to disparage the Hebrew Bible They would perswade us that the Authority of the Original is impaired because we have it not now as it was at the beginning for the Old Bible was in Samaritan Letters these being the first and antientest Hebrew Characters This is like the Story of the Hebrew Points being invented five hundred Years after Christ of which afterwards which tends to the same End namely to discredit the Hebrew Text which we now have and wholly to take away its Authority for if the Letters were changed it is probable some Words and consequently the Sense of some Places are altered But that this is groundless and that the Hebrew Bible is written in the same Characters now that it was at first you will find very largely and convincingly proved by the famous Buxtorf from the Authârity of the Talmud especially the Gemara ãâã the Cabala from the Suffrage of the most Notâ Rabbins of old and of the Learned Modern Jeââ as Aben Ezra R. Solomon R. Ben Maimon â who without doubt are very competent Judges ãâã this Case To these may be added several of ãâã Christian Perswasion as Picus Mirandula F. Iuniâ Skikkard Postellus with those three Eminent Persons of our own Countrey Nic. Fuller Broughtââ Lightfoot If you consult these they will satisfyâ you that the Hebrew Letters which we have now in the Bible were the Primitive ones the very same that were of old But to give you my Thoughts impartially in this Point I do believâ from what I find asserted by Writers on both sides that there were two sorts of Characters used by the Jews as there were two sorts of Cubits and Shekels the Sacred and Common and I gather that the Samaritan Letter was of the latter sort that which was commonly used and even sometimes in transcribing the Bible but the Sacred Character in use among the Jews was this which we now have and in which the Bible is at this day This is the true Original Hebrew Letter and was used from the beginning by them This I think may reconcile the Disputes among Writers for so far as I can perceive the Quarrels arise from this that there is
to King Ptolomee by the foresaid Demetrius a very serious Man and it was assigned as a Reason why the Contents of these Sacred Writings which were so Divine and Admirable were but rarely mention'd by the Historians and Poets These Examples had struck a terrour into some of them having heard how some Prophaners of these Holy Things were Animadverted upon by a Divine Hand they were afraid to Record any passages in the Old Testament Therefore some of them chose rather to disguise the Sacred Stories and to stuff them with Fabulous Narrations that they might scarcely be known to have been borrowed from that Holy Book Lastly the Devil hath a design in all this Tertâlian's Words are remarkable when he had said that the Things which are contrary to Truth i. e. the Heathen Fables Rites and Usages are made out of the Truth i. e. the Holy Scriptures he further adds that this Imitating of the Truth is wrought by the Spirits of Error that is the Devils who affect sometimes to Ape God and what he doth This is most apparent that they are a Mimical fort of Creatures and shew themselves sometimes diligent Emulators of the most Holy Pârsons and Things Their great Subtilty and Craft are to be discern'd here for when they brought the Hebreâ Rites and Ceremonies of Gods own appointment into the ãâã Worship and Service they did this to Prophane them and âo make them contemptible and ridiculous They did it that those Divine and Sacred Things might be despised and that they might be turn'd into Superstition and Idolatry So likewise they cunningly mixed something of sacred Truth with Fables that thereby they might make the things that are True to be suspected Satban is desirous to pervert and even erase the whole Sacred Scripture and Antient Truth but because he sees he cannot effect this he therefore contrives how he may disguise the Scripture-Stories he sets the Poets to work to make them into Fables and thinks by that means to take off our Esteem of those Inspired Writings and to diminish that Credit which we ought to give to those Sacred Truths He pushed on those Grecian Wits to obscure and deface the Old Names in Scripture that the Original of them might not be known He out of direct malice moved those fanciful Men to invent Fables to defame the Primitive Stories to blemish the Sacred History to obscure and pervert the Truth The Poets turning the Scriptures into Fabulous Narrations was the way to invalidate the Testimony of them and to make them seem a meer Poetick Fiction a Dream a Fansie that hath no real bottom It is no wonder then that the Devil imped their Fancies and assisted their Inventions and help'd them to change the Truth into a Lie that thereby he might rob God and the Scripture of their Honour This I say might be a device of that Evil Spirit as he hath Devices and Wiles of all sorts to elude the Authority of Sacred History and to take away the Credit of Divine Truth Again as that Crasty Spirit designs by this means to disparage yea to null the Truth so he thinks hereby to gain assent to Falshood and to promote the greatest Impiety imaginable for when Truth is mixed with Falshood he hopes that this latter will be entertain'd for the sake of the former And when Lewd and Vitious Practices are founded in those that are Innocent and Religious he expects that these should justifie those Perhaps when he added the Sacred Ceremonies of the Iews to the prophane Worship of the Gentiles he thought thereby to take away the difference between them and to render them alike so that Men should not be able to distinguish between a True and False way of Worship Thirdly the Devil's Design in introducing several Sacred rites and Customs into the practice of the Heathens was to conciliate to himself a greater Authority and Esteem a greater Glory and Repute among them He commends those things to the Pagans which were Religiously used and even by God's own People and prescrib'd by God himself this he doth to inveigle the Pagan World and to bring them to Admire and Worship him Wherefore an Answer may easily be return'd to that Objection of a late Learned Writer What advantage can the Devil have by his imitating the Divine Worship He ever Acts for some end that may be prositable to himself but how can this prove so seeing it would be more advantageous to him to institute a Worship and Ceremonies that are Diametnically contrary to those in the Divine Law that by those as by so many proper and peculiar Characters his Herd might be distinguished from the Flock of the Shepherd of Israel The Answer I say to this is very easie and obvious for there can be nothing more Advantageous to that Evil Spirit than his emulating of Divine Worship and appointing Ceremonies suitable to it for by this means his Kingdom is most sensibly advanced and that with the greatest Artifice and Craft imaginable because this Vile Fiend is Adored even whilst the Divine Worship of the True God seems to be earried on It was the Subtilty of this Great Mimick to approach as near to God and True Religion as he could to make use of those things which by God's own express Command were used in his Worship This is a cunning way of gaining Proselytes and increasing the number of his Worshippers Thus he Acts for some End and that a very Profitable one too certainly much more Profitable to him than if he had Instituted Proper and Peculiar Ceremonies of Worship for these would too palpably have distinguish'd his Herd from the True Flock whereas those bring them into a kind of Rivalty with it Besides this fond Emulation in the Devil is a gratifying of his first Proud Inclination and aspiring to be like God He is still Ambitious of Divine Honour otherwise certainly he would not have desired to be Worship'd by the Son of God himself And he would be Worshipp'd in the same way that God is with the same Signs and Badges of Adoration Hence most of those Sacred Rites enjoyned by God himself and made use of in his Worship by the Iewish Church were transferred by Sathan to his Idolatrous and Impious Worship This is the effect of his Haughty Spirit which thirsteth after Divine Honour even such as is given to the only True God Thus I have amply shew'd you how it came to pass that the Rites and Practices and the greatest Truths contained in the Holy Scripture were corrupted disguised misapplied and abused by the Pagans I have given you the Reasons and Arguments which may convince you of this and render you an account of the manner of it CHAP. IX The Author's Assertions Confirmed by the ample Suffrage of the Ancients and Moderns Consectaries drawn from the whole viz. That we cannot with any shew of Reason admit of the Opinion of those who hold that the Jews borrow'd all or most of
the best Nard came This is Hartungus's Notion but then the word should have been Opick not Opistick Thus the Etymology of the Word hath been disputed but we are certain of the Thing the Nard it self or rather the Ointment which was made of it which was very Precious and in great Esteem of old It was made of several Ingredients as we learn from Pliny and other Writers viz. the sweet Cane or Rush Costum Amomum Myrrh Balsam and other Simples When this Precious Compound this Excellent Aromatic which was very Costly and used only by Rich and Wealthy Persons was made up as it should be it was then ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã âides sincerely and faithfully prepared it had all its Ingredients it was of the best sort This seems to be the most elegible Derivation of the Word but so far as we know it was of the Evangelist's making for there is no such Greek Word in any other Authors And as the New Testament hath its peculiar words so you may observe it hath a peculiar way of using some words which yet are common in other Writers Thus Inward Holiness or Inherent Righteousness are express'd by such terms as These which have no such Signification in any other Writers Circumcision Col. 2. 11. Crucifying Rom. 6. 6. Gal. 6. 14. Mortifying Rom. 8. 13. Col. 3. 5. Dying Rom. 6. 2 8. Col. 3. 3. Resurrection Eph. 2. 6. Eph. 5. 14. Col. 2. 12. Regeneration or being born again John 3. 3. Tit. 3. 5. 1 Pet. 1. 23. Renovation Rom. 12. 2. Eph. 4. 23. the New Man and New Creature 2. Cor. 5. 17. Gal. 6. 15. Eph. 4. 24. Washing John 13. 8. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Rev. 7. 14. The way of using and applying these words is proper to the New Testament There are other peculiar ways of speaking in this part of the Bible which are altogether unknown to other Writers as the Engraffed Word Jam. 1. 21. Children of Light and of the Day Luk. 16. 8. Eph. 5. 8. 1 Thess 5. 5. the Sword of the Spirit Eph. 6. 17. the Savour of Death 2 Cor. 2. 16. the Body of Sin Rom 6. 6. the Body of Death Rom. 7. 24. the Law of Sin and Death Rom. 8. 2. a Law in the Members Rom. 7. 23. Who over met in any other Author with these Expressions Conscience of an Idol 1 Cor. 8. 7. the Earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 5. 5. the Vnction of the Spirit 1 Joh. 2. 20 27. Circumâision of the Heart and of the Letter Rom. 2. 29. a Iew outwardly and a Iew inwardly in the same Verse Who ever read of the foolishness of God and the weakness of God 1 Cor. 1. 25 ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is a Phrase proper to Scripture and so are these to mortify the Members on Earth Col. 3. 5. to put off the Old Man and put on the New Man Eph. 4. 22. to sow to the Flesh to reap of the Flesh to sow to the Spirit to reap of the Spirit Gal. 5. 8. to walk after the Flesh Rom. 8. 1 4. Who ever spoke after the following rate to eat and drink Damnation to himself 1 Cor. 11. 29. to be justified by Faith Rom. 3. 28. Gal. 2. 16. to be clothed upon with an House from Heaven 2 Cor. 5. 2 And what strange and unheard-of Expressions are those to be baptized or washed with Fire Mat. 3. 2. to be salted with Fire Mark 9. 49 Thus the Sacred Penmen of Scripture differ from all others in their Stile And yet herein also they agree with them for even some of those Writers differ from the rest as to the use of some particular Words and Phrases Some of them take a word or more in a sense that it is not taken in by any Others There are words in Homer that are not in Aristophanes and some in Lycophron that are not in either of these and there are some in these three which are not found in any other Writer whatsoever Plato as 't is observ'd of him useth words in a way different from other Authors as the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for Simplex and in other places for Pulcher and sometimes for Parvus And as the same word is used by him to denote several things so he uses different words in the same sense and meaning as his ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and others Nay he brings in the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as the same Author observes to express contrary things sometimes There are some Ecclesiastick words for they may be thus differenc'd from others because they have a peculiar Interpretation as they are used by Ecclesiastical Writers as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and Synaxis which among Christian Writers signify either the Sacred Meetings and Assemblies of the Faithful or the Lord's Supper and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is a Temple among the same Writers and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã hath the same Signification sometimes but they have no such sense in other Authors So ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is a Towel or Napkin is used in some of the Greek Fathers to denote the express Image or likeness of a Person And from other Examples it might be made good that the Profane and Ecclesiastick use of a word are far different There are Thousands of words otherwise taken in the Greek Fathers than in Classick Writers and you in vain look for the meaning of them in Hesychius Phavorinus Suidas in Scapula Constantine or Stephens Yea the words themselves which occur in Ecclesiastick Writers are not to be found in Profane ones many of them are omitted in Lexicons Onomasticks Etymologicks and Glossaries And shall not the Inspired Wriâers have the same liberty viz. to use peculiar Words and Phrases of their own or to use Words in a singular meaning and proper to themselves If a Catachreâis the Abuse of Words be reckon'd by the Greek Orators an Embellishment of Speech certainly we must account it no Disparagement but rather an Ornament to the Language when the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures alters the use of some Words He may make use of what Words he pleaseth He that bestow'd the Gift of Tongues knows how to apply them Hence in these Writings you meet with some New words and Singular ways of Expression as I have let you see in some Instances and many more I might have added wherein the peculiar Phraseology of this Sacred Book is observable The very Words in the Holy Stile are precious Antiquaries and Criticks spend much time in mere Phrases but they never employ it so well as when they are searching into These There are several Other things might be noted as to the Peculiar Stile and Idiom of the New Testament but this shall suffice at present As I have âhew'd before that the Stile of Scripture is like that of Other Writers so you see it is not inconsistent with what I have now asserted that the Holy Stile is not like that of Others
Historical Part of the Bible Those Books then for so the Hebrews call any Writings which those Authors above-named wrote are not lost as some imagine âât are still extant in the Bible for they are Parâ of the Books of Samuel and the Kings This Answer is grounded on 1 Chron. 29. 29. The Acts of David the King first and last behold they are written in the Book or History of Samuel and in the Book of Nathan the Prophet c. which shews that the foresaid Books were a Collection made by several Prophets viz. Samuel Nathan Gad c. This I think is very plain and the foresaid Objection is wholly removed by it Then as to the rest of those Books which are said to be lost as the Sayings of the Seers 2 Chron. 33. 19. and the Book of the Acts of Solomon 1 Kings 11. 41. and the Book of Jehu the Son of Hanani 2 Chron. 20. 34. or any other which the Objectors mention it is granted by some very Sober Writers not only Foreigners but of our own Country that these Books are really lost but they deny that this is any Argument of the Imperfection of Scripture because these Books were not absolutely necessary neither are we certain that they were Divinely endited And this was the Opinion of the Antients as well as the Moderns Yea St. Chrysostom and some others of the Fathers who speak of these Books say positively that they were not written by Inspiration from Heaven To this Purpose St. Augustine hath this useful Distinction the Penmen of the Sacred Scripture saith he write some things as they are Men with Historical Care and Diligence other things they write as Prophets by Inspiration from God This then may satisfy us that all that was written by the Prophets and even by those Holy Men who were Authors of some Part of the Bible was not Canonical and Divine because they writ some things not as Inspired Persons but as meer Historians Some of this sort of Writings are referr'd to in the forecited Places and though they be not extant now yet the Scripture is not hereby rendered Imperfect because these were not such Parts of it as were Essential to it or were of Divine Inspiration The like may be said when in the Book of Kings there is frequent reference to the Book of Chronicles those of the Bible are not always meant being not then penned Besides that many things that are referr'd unto there are not found in these Books Wherefore it is probable that these were Additional Writings not belonging to the Body of the Canonical Scripture nor written by Persons that were Inspired and consequently though they are lost yet the Canon of the Bible is not impaired And indeed we find that those of the Protestant Perswasion as Whitaker Willet c. and among Foreigners Calvin Beza c. who acknowledg the loss of these Books do at the same time strongly assert the Perfection of the Holy Scriptures which they very consistently may do because they hold these Books to be no part of the Canon of the Bible Again if what we have said be not fully satisfactory this may be further added that the Complaint of the Loss of some Books of Holy Writ proceeds from the mistaking of the Word Sepher which is translated a Book but among the Hebrews is oftentimes no more than a Rehearsal or Commemoration of something a brief Narrative or Memoir a setting down any thing in Writing as you 'l find in these following Places Num. 5. 23. Iosh. â8 9. 1 Sam. 10. 25. Esth. 9. 20. Isa. 30. 8. Ier. 32. 12 14. And sometimes it is nothing but a meer Genealogy as Gen. 5. 1. The book of the Generations of Adam So St. Matthew begins his Gospel The Book of the Generation of Iesus Christ Mat. 1. 1. i. e. his Genealogy or Pedigree a brief Enumeration of the Persons he descended from which is the proper Denotation of the Word Sepher from Saphar numerare recensere whence Siphra or Ciphra a Word that is used in most Languages Some not attending to this have fancied that a great many Books of the Sacred Writ are embezzled because they do not find such Formal Books as those of Iehu or of the Acts of Solomon c. now belonging to the Bible This arises from a misunderstanding of the Hebrew Word which signifies generally any Short kind of Writing or Memorandum This with the Answer before given will solve all Doubts concerning the Places afore alledged As to the common Objection concerning the Loss of Solomon's Books which are said to be mentioned in 1 Kings 4. 32 33. I answer 1. That when some call them Books it is more than they can prove it is not said that Solomon wrote but that he Spake of Trees and spake of Beasts c. i. e. he learnedly discoursed of these several Subjects upon occasion and Spake such a Number of Proverbs Here can be no Loss of Books then But 2. Suppose he committed these Disquisitions and Discourses to Writing and they are now lost it may be consumed when Nebuchadnezzar burnt Ierusalem or by some other Means imbezzled afterwards yet still this is nothing to the purpose because they were no Part of Canonical Scripture His Universal History of Vegetables from the Cedar even to the Hysop that grows out of the Wall and his Books of the Nature of all Animals in the Sea on the Land and in the Air appertained to Philosophy and might indeed have serv'd to have set up a Royal Society and have been advantageous to the Men who are employ'd in the Study of Nature for these questionless were full of Admirable Philosophy according to that great and matchless Measure of Wisdom which God had endued him with Thus far the Loss of those Writings is great but none but Philosophers ought to bewail it Tho I must suggest this by the way that perhaps there is no ground of complaining for them neither for it may be these Books of Plants and Animals were extant till Alexander the Great 's Days and being perused and understood by Aristotle and Theophrastus by the Help of an Interpreter they were transcribed by them and so set down as we find them in their Writings which have gain'd them so great Fame and Renown This may be the more credible especially as to Aristotle because we read that he was a Great Plagiary and burnt or otherwise made away those Writings from whence he borrowed his Notions If this be true it is likely we have these Books of Solomon extant still in those forenamed Authors we read his Natural History concerning Vegetables and Animals But as touching the three thousand Proverbs which he spake it is most reasonable to believe that most of them were only spoken not written down and as for those that were penn'd we have them at this Day in the Book of Proverbs which is Part of the Canon of Scripture There we have those Proverbs which the Holy
Ghost saw to be most profitable and necessary for the Church That one would think should content us So as to his Songs which were a thousand and five as we read in the fore-mentioned Place there is but One of them that hath arrived at our Hands and was thought worthy to be inserted into the Sacred Writings unless we reckon the Forty fifth Psalm to be a Song of his This then adds to the Excellency of these Writings of Solomon which we have that they are Choice Pieces selected even by the Holy Ghost who was the Prime Author of them This surely may satisfy us that the Books or Writings of this Wise Prince which were most Excellent and which were dictated by the Spirit are transmitted to us and are Part of the Bible Thus there is nothing lost that belongs to the Canonical Scripture of the Old Testament And whereas it is Objected that some Places are quoted in the New Testament as taken out of the Old and yet are not to be found there as Mat. 2. 23. Iames 4. 5. Iude v. 14. I answer as to the first that from those Words That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophets He shall be called a Nazarene no Man can gather that some of the Canonical Books of Scripture are missing because if you take the Prophets here for Prophetick Men who spoke only and did not write then there were no Books of theirs to be lost Or if by Prophets you understand the Penmen of the Bible it may be shew'd that what they foretold is still extant in their Writings For though those individual Words He shall be call'd a Nazarene are not found among the Prophecies of the Old Testament yet the Purport and Sense of them are there and the Places to which they have reference are very obvious as I have shewed in that particular Interpretation of the Words which I have offered to the Publick in my Enquiry into some Remarkable Texts of the New Testament Thence I hope it will appear that the Objectors have no ground for what they alledg and also that the Iews Cavil against this Place of St. Matthew where they say he quotes a Text out of the Prophets which is not to be found in any of them is void of all Reason Another Place which is wont to be mention'd on this Occasion is Iam. 4. 5. Do you think that the Sâripture saith in vain The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to Envy Which Words are no where to be found in Scripture therefore say they some Part of the Holy Writings is lost And Sir N. Knatchbull seems to say that this is Passage taken out of the Writings of the Prophets which âre missing at this Day In answer to this some say that Gen. 6. 3. is the Place of Scripture here referr'd to but after they have taken a great dealâof Pains to make this out their labour is in vain for surely no Man of free and unprejudiced Thoughts will be perswaded that those Wordâ My Spirit shall not always strive with Man are of the same Import with these The Spirit that dwelleââ in us lusteth to Envy This Exposition is built upon a mistaken Notion of the Hebrew word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã contendet which our Translators truly rendââ shall strive some fancying that it is to be derivââ from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Sheath and then forsooth the Soul or Spirit is a Sword Lowis Chappel and some Others as groundlesly make these Words an Interrogation Doth the Spirit that dwelleth in us lust to Envy and think they refer to Numb 11. 29. Enviest thou for my sake The Question say they is a Negâtion and is as much as if it had been said Doth the Scripture and the Holy Spirit teach you to contend to be envious and quarrelsom No. But this likewise is forced and strained and an impartial Eye cannot possibly see any Affinity between the two Places of Scripture besides that there is one Interrogation to introduce another which confounds the Stile The plain and unforced Answer is this that St. Iames doth not here quote any Particular Place of Scripture as if there were such express Words in the Old Testament as are here set down by him He only tells us what is generally deliver'd in Scripture viz. that Man's Nature is depraved and corrupted that it is enclined to Envy as well as to other Lusts and Unlawful Affections Or If any âne Particular Place be referr'd to more than another it is probable it is that of Gen. 6. 5. or ch 8. v. 21. where we are told that the Imaginations or the Purposes and Desires of Mens Hearts are evil from their Youth yea they are only evil and that contiâually The Words then are not to be understood of the Divine Spirit but of that Corrupt Spirit which is in Men not the Spirit which is of God âât the Spirit of the World as the Apostle Paul distinguisheth 1 Cor. 2. 12. This Spirit lusteth to Envy and prompts Men to all other Vices And ãâã for the next Words He giveth more Grace they refer not to the Spirit here spoken of but to God who though he be not named in this Verse is twice in the immediately foregoing one He giveth ãâã Grace he according to his good Pleasure restrains Mens Lusts and envious Desires and teâcheth them Humility Submission and all other Divine Vertues Or according to a late Worthy Critick it i. e. the Scripture giveth more Grace for that it saith c. In this Holy Book there are Examples of some Persons in whom this Spirit of Envy was restrained When the Apostle then here saith Do you think that the Scripture saith in vain c. we must not wonder that those very Words are not found in any Part of the Old Testament for the Apostle only speaks here of what may be deduced from these Sacred Writings or what is said in them to the same purpose though in other Words There are many Places of Scripture which speak of the Lusts of that corrupt Spirit which is in us whereby we are stirr'd up to Envy and Strife From several Texts we may gather that Man's Nature is prone to these and the like Passions This I take to be the true Account of the Words In the same manner we are to understand Luââ 11. 49. Therefore said the Wisdom of God I will send them Prophets and Apostles c. There is no partâcular Text that hath these Words but there are several Prophecies to this Purpose So Ephes. 5. 14. He saith Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give the Light is not meanââ of any such particular and individual Words ãâã of the Spirit 's speaking in the Gospel to that Effect though I know Dr. Hammond and others refer iâ ãâã Isa. 60. 1. and some Interpreters to Isa. 51. 9. ãâã you will not find these or such Words in either of those Places That Passage in
been said it appears that the Jews weââ very careful and studious very exact and curioââ in Scripture by which means it happens that theâ is an Impossibility of making any Alteration in ãâã without being discovered That is the only Reâson of my alledging here the Masoretick Notes ãâã I undertake not to defend the superstitious Rââmarks and Criticisms of the Masorites I applaud not their laborious Niceties their childish Transmutations and shuflling of Letters and Syllables their trifling Annotations on the Figure and Make of some Hebrew Letters But I only take notice of God's Providence in making these Critical Men to be very serviceable towards the preserving the Bible of the Old Testament in its Purity The Observations of these Masoretick Doctors who were Persons of great Skill in the Language and well acquainted with all the antient Copies and Manuscripts and who above a thousand Years ago exactly numbred all the Verses Words Letters and even the minutest parts of the Hebrew Text have been a great Security and Preservative to it they have kept it undepraved and uncorrupt and have made the Reading of it certain and unalterable This is the reason why that Excellent and Noble Personage the Learned Picus Mirandula so highly extols the Hebrew Cabala without doubt he saw this Usefulness and Excellency in it Nay before these Doctors of Tiberias drew up their Masoretick Notes there was it is probable extant something of this nature They had before this time some Accompt not only of all the Letters of the Bible but of all the Apices of them for to this our Saviour alludes in Mat. 5. 18. Not one Iot or one Tittle which latter is meant of those little Horns Pricks and Dots belonging to the Hebrew Letters Not only the smallest Letters as Iod but the Cuttings of those Letters were diligently observ'd by the Masoretick Jews And this their nice and almost fond Criticism was serviceable to the keeping of the Hebrew Text entire and unchanged Thus the Masoreth as they express it is a Hedg or Fence to the Law Theâ critical Notes and Remarks of the old Jews havâ preserved the Text of the Bible from being corrupted and abused So that we may from henâ gather that we have in our hands the same Heâbrew Text which was at first given by God to ãâã People But some tell us that the Old Testament ãâã bârnt at the same time when the Temple was ãâã that Ezra after the Captivity dictated and writ ãâã over again according to what we find recordââ in 2 Esdras 14. 21 23 24. So there was some Recovery of the Law but the Original Book beinâ lost it cannot be imagined but that there are many âaults and Mistakes in This which we have ãâã present I answer Either this Passage in the Aâpocryphal Writer speaks of some other Book distinct from that of the Mosaick Law or it is to bâ reckoned as fabulous and supposititious and so ãâã Creditâ is to be given to it for in Nehem. 8. 2 3. there is mention of the Book of the Law being broughâ before the Congregation and its being read before ãâã Men and the Women but not a Syllable of the Maâtâr mentioned in Esdras is hero to be found Yes 't is implied that the Book of the Law was still the same for you may observe that there is a particular Account of what the Chaldeans destroyed and burnt and carried away at the taking of Ierusââem but there is not a word of these holy Books which most certainly would have been taken notice of they being of so inestimable a Vaâââ Morcover if we should suppose the Law was burnt in the Temple yet there were many Copies of it among the Jews which without doubt were preserved We have no reason therefore to suspect that the Hebrew Original of the Old Testament is corrupted But some of the Antient Fathers in the Christian Church as well as some Learned Moderns have asserted that the Hebrew is corrupted I answer first as to the Fathers it is granted that Iustin Martyr declares himself to be of this Opinion In his Dialogue with Trypho he considently assirms that the Jews erased many things out of the Bible and he assigns particular Instances in the Psalms Isaiah and Ieremiah And this they did saith he because they hated Christ and his Religion and thought some of those Places favoured the Christian Cause too much Here by the by you may take notice of that great Mistake and Oversight in Bishop Ward 's Essays where he peremptorily asserts that never any of the Antient Fathers have in their greatest heat of Zeal against the Iews accused them of such Corruption i. e. of the Scriptures But this is not the first time that Iustin Martyr hath suffer'd himself to be impos'd upon in matter of Historical Truth This among others is questionless a gross Mistake of that good Man and his strong Averseness to the Jews and his belief of their Willingness and Readiness to deprave the Scriptures for their own Ends betrayed him to it As for other Fathers as Tertullian Irenaecus Origen Eusebius who it is true sometimes complain that the Scripture is corrupted by the Jews they speak of their adulterating the Text rather as to the Sense than as to the Words they mean that the Translations which the Jews used were false for they generally adhered to Aquila's and Theodotion's Version and preferr'd it before that of the Seventy Whence their Interpretations of Scripture were unsound and erroneous and thereby they sometimes set up Judaism against Christianity But this was done without corrupting thâ Hebrew Copies of the Bible And that the Jewâ had been guilty of no such thing is expresly asserted and maintained by Ierom and Augustine two Antient Fathers of a great Fame for Learning and Piety as those before named These worthy Persons refute that Suspicion and Rumour which it seems were then risen namely that thâ Jews had adulterated the Hebrew Text. Thesâ Fathers not only declare that they did no such thing but they praise them for their Faithfulness in preserving the Bible pure and uncorrupt Then as to some of the Moderns who have asserted the Hebrew Copies to be faulty and depraved it is easy to see what it was that prompted them to it The Hebrew Text is corrupted and so is that of the Septuagint say the Romanists but the old Vulgar Latin is uncorrupt and infallible so determines the Tridentine Council Several of that Communion have written against the Purity of the Hebrew Copies and laboured to prove them corrupt but Morinus hath shewed himself more zealous than all of them in this Point and he frankly confesseth this was his main Design in it viz. to baffle the Protestants who make the Scripture the Rule of their Faith and Manners If the Originals of the Bible be lost and the Transcripts be defective and erroneous how can the Bible be a certain Rule What will become then of the
Books with us We need not stay to attend here to what a late Learned Writer before named hath with much Confidence but slender Reason suggested viz. that the Bible of the Old Testament is an Abbreviated Collection from Antient Records which were much more large He confesseth that the Canon of Scripture is taken out of Authentick Registeries but the Authors who collected it added and diminished as they pleased especially he asserts this concerning the Historical Books that they are Abridgments of larger Records and Summaries of other larger Acts kept in the Jewish Archives and these publick Scribes who writ them out took the liberty to alter Words as they saw occasion So that in short according to this Critick here are only some broken Pieces and Scraps taken out of the first Authentick Writings A bold and daring Assertion and founded on no other Bottom than F. Simon 's Brain Who would expect this from one that is a Man of great Sense and Reason one that is a great Master of Critical Learning and hath presented the World with very choice Remarks on the History of the Bible for truly I am not of his Opinion who saith he sees not any thing in this Author's Writings buâ what is common It is to be lamented that a Person otherwise so Judicious and Observing hath given himself up here to his own Fancy and Conceit He invents a new Office of publick Registers that were Divinely inspired he makes Notaries and Prophets the same He gives no Proof and Demonstration of that Adding and Diminishing which the Scribes he talks of made he hatâ not one tolerable Argument to evince any of thâ Books of Scripture to be Fragments of greater ones Indeed I should mightily have wondred that so Ingenious so Sagacious so Learned a Man haâ broach'd such groundless Notions if I did noâ consider that this subtile Romanist designs hereââ as most of that Church generally do to depreciaâââ the Bible and to represent it as a Book of Fragments and Shreds that so when our Esteem ãâã the Authority of Scripture is weakned yea taken away we may wholly rest upon Tradition anâ found our Religion as well as the Scriptures ãâã that alone This is that which he drives at in ãâã Critical History both of the Old and New Testamenâ But all sober and considerate Persons will bewarâ of him when they discover this Design Theâ will easily see through his plausible Stories foââ Surmises bold Conjectures and seeming Argâmentations and they will have the greater Reverence for the Bible because he and others havâ attacked it with so much Contempt and Rudenesâ and purposely bring its Authority into question that they may set up something else above ãâã Notwithstanding then the Cavils and Objection of designing Men we have reason to believe anâ avouch the Authority of the Old Testament and to be thorowly perswaded that the Books are entirely transmitted to us without any Corruption and are the same that ever they were without and Diminution or Addition We have them as they were written by the first Authors we have them entire and perfect and not as some fondly suggest contracted abbreviated curtail'd Unto the Iews the antient People of God were committed his Oracles as the Apostle speaks and they shewed themselves conscientious and diligent Conservators of them The Jewish Nation saith St. Augustin have been as 't were the Chest-keepers for the Christians they have faithfully preserv'd that Sacred Depositum for them they have safely kept that Ark wherein the Law and the Prophets were Lock'd up God would have the Jews to be Librarii Christianorum saith Drusius Keepers of those Sacred Volumes for us Christians and it is certain they kept them with great Care the like whereof is not to be found to have been taken in preserving any other sort of Writings under Heaven And seeing they have so carefully handed the Old Testament down to us we are concern'd to receive it with a proportionable Thankfulness and to reckon this their Delivering of those Writings down to us as no mean Argument of their Truth and Certainty Secondly The Authority of the New Testament is confirmed by External Testimony or Tradition no less than that of the Old Testament We have the Authentick Suffrage of the Primitive Church the Unanimous Consent of the Christians of the first Ages that this Book is of Divine Inspiration and that it is Pure and Uncorrupted Some of the Fathers and first Writers give us a Catalogue of the Books of the New Testament and they are the very same with those which we have at this day Athanasius particularly enumerating those Books sets down all those which we now embrace as Canonical and no others And many of the Fathers of the first Ages after Christ as Irenaeus Iustin Martyr Clemens Alexandrinus Origen Tertullian c. quote the Places in the New Testament as they are now If it be objected that in the Fathers sometimes the Text of Scripture is not exactly what we find it and read it at this day This must be remembred that they sometimes quoted the Meaning not the very Words At other times their Memories fail'd them as to the Words and thence they chang'd them into others and instead of those in the Text used some that were like them So when they were in haste and not at leisure to consult the Text they made use of such Words and Expressions as they thought came nearest to it Heinsius shews this in a vast many places Sometimes they contract the Word of the Text and give only the brief Sense of it at other times they enlarge it and present us with a Comment upon it yea sometimes as they see occasion and as their Matter leads them to it they invert the Words and misplace the Parts of the Text. But no Man ought hence to infer that the Scriptures of the New Testament then and now are not the same And as for the Number of the Sacred Writers and their Books it hatâ been always the same i. e. the same Catalogue and Canon have been generally acknowledged and received by the Christian Church It is true some Particular Books have been questioned but by a few only and for a time but the Church was at last fully satisfied about them the Generality oâ Christians agreed to own all those Books which are now owned by us All the Eastern Churches held the Epistle to the Hebrews to be Canonical though the Latins it is granted were not so unanimous This Epistle and that of St. Iames the second Epistle of St. Peter the second and third of St. Iohn and the Epistle of St. Iude and the Apocalypse were questioned in the first Century saith Eusebius but he acquaints us withal that they were afterwards by general Consent received into the Canon of Holy Scripture for the Doubts were resolved upon mature Deliberation So that the questioning of those Books is now a Conâârmation of the Truth and Authority of
and twenty after the number of the Hebrew letters And Cyril of Ierusalem hath these express Words Read these two and twenty Books but have nothing to do with the Apocryphal ones Study and meditate only on these Scriptures which we conâidently read in the Church The Apostles and first Bishops were true Guides and were more wise and religious than thou art and these were the Men that delivered these Scriptures to us Thou then being a Son of the Church do not go beyond her Bounds and Orders but acknowledg and study only the two and twenty Books of the Old âââstament And other Fathers of the Churââ as Melito Bishop of Sardis Athanasius Amphiloââus Epiphanius Eusebius Gregory Nazianzen Gââgory the Great Basil Chrysostom testify that ãâã Books and no others of the Old Testamâââ which we receive now were the Canonical Booââ of old and received so by the first Christiââ Those eminent Lights of the Latin Church Rât Ierom Hilary disown as Uncanonical ãâã Books of Apocrypha The two latter especially ãâã very positive Ierom expresly tells us that ãâã Canonical Books of the Old Testament are but ãâã and twenty just the number of the Hebrew Alâphabet and no more and he enumerates the particular Books which constitute the whole ãâã saith indeed that some make them four and twââty but 't is the same Account for they reckââ Ruth and Lamentations separately But as for ãâã others he saith they are not part of Inspired Scripture and the Church doth not receive theâ among the Canonical Writings So Hilary givâ us the just Catalogue of the Books of the Old Tâstament and peremptorily affirms that there ãâã but two and twenty Canonical Books of it in all which are the same with the thirty nine according to the reckoning in our Bibles To Fathers wâ might add Synods and Councils as that antieââ one of Laodicea conven'd A. D. 364. which drew up a Catalogue of the Books of Scripture and makes mention only of these which we now râceive but leaves out the Apocryphal ones This Canon was received afterwards and confirmed by the Council of Chalcedon one of the first four General Councils And the sixth General Council held at Constantinople A. D. 680. expresly ratified the Decrees of that old Laodicean Council and particularly this that the Canonical Books of the Old Testament were but two and twenty There is another Reason also besides the Universal Suffrage of the Christian Church why the Apocryphal Books are ejected out of the Canon viz. because some things in them are false and contrary to the Canonical Scriptures as in Ecclesiasticus 46. 20. 2 Esdras 6. 40. and some things are vitious as in 2 Maccab. 14. 42. After all this it is easy to answer what the Romanists say on the other side They quote the third Council of Carthage which they tell us received the Apocryphal Books into the Canon And among the Fathers St. Augustin they say owns them besides that two Popes viz. Innocent the First and Gelasius took those Books which we stile Apocryphal into the Canon As for the Council which they alledg it was but a Provincial one and therefore is not to be set against those more Authentick and General Councils which I produced Nor must that one single Father whom they name stand out against that great number of Greek and Latin Fathers whom I mentioned The Popes bear a great Name among our Adversaries but they are but two and must not be compared with those Councils and that multitude of Fathers who are on our side Or if they lay such great stress on a Pope I can name them one and he one of the most eminent they ever had viz. Pope Gregory the Great who declares that the Book of Maccabees a main Piece of the Apocryphal Wrââtings is no part of the Canon of Scripture Wâ may set this One Pope for he is Great enough against the other Two Besides their own ãâã are against them the Apocryphal Books are ãâã received as part of holy Inspired Scripture by Iââdorus Damascen Nicephorus Rabanus Maurus Hâgo Lyranus Cajetan and others who are of greââ Repute in the Church of Rome We regard ãâã what the pack'd Council of Trent hath decreed viz. That besides the two and twenty Books ãâã the Hebrew Canon those also of Tobias Iuditâ the Wisdom of Solomon Ecclesiasticus Maccabeâââ Baruch are to be received as Canonical and thâ they are of equal Authority with the Canon oâ the Old and New Testament What is this to the general Suffrage of the Primitive Councils Fathers and Writers who have rejected the Apocryphal Books and received but twenty two into the Canon of Scripture belonging to the Old Testament You see what Ground we have no other than the Vniversal Church We reject some Books as Apocryphal because they were generally rejected by the antient Primitive Church and we receive the rest as Canonical because they were believed and owned to be so by the universal Consent of the Church See this admirably made good in Bishoâ Cousins's History of the Canon of Scripture Yet aâter all that hath been said we count the Apocryphâ Writings worthy to be read and perused The there be some things amiss in them yet we give great Deference and Respect to them as containing many Historical Truths and furnishing us witâ Matter of Jewish Antiquity as likewise because there are many Doctrinal and Moral Truths in them especially in the Books of Wisdom and Ecâlesiasticus For this Reason I say we bear great Respect to them and rank them next to the Holy Canon and prefer them before all Profane Authors This was done by the antient Fathers who frequently alledg'd them in their Sermons and Discourses which is one Reason I question not why these Apocryphal Books came to be made Canonical by some of the Church of Rome namely because they were so often quoted by the Fathers and in some Churches read publickly But this is no Proof of their being Canonical but only lets us know that these Books were in their Kind useful and profitable as indeed they are Therefore St. Ierom saith the Church receives not these Books into the Canon of Scripture though she allows them to be read And concerning these Writings our Church saith well quoting St. Ierom for it She doth read them for Example of Life and Instruction of Manners but yet doth not apply them to establish any Doctrine Which gives us an exact account of the Nature of these Books namely that they contain excellent Rules of Life and are very serviceable to inform us of our Duty as to several weighty things but they being not dictated by the Holy Ghost as the other Books of Scripture are they are not the infallible Standard of Divine Doctrine and therefore are not to be applied and made use of to that purpose This and the other Reasons before mentioned may prevail with us to think that these Writings ought not to be
Moses or of others who writ those Books whence it is that we now read of the Names of Places which were not given at that time when they are mentioned but are only by way of Anticipation inserted into the History Near of kin to this is Hysterosis another Usual Figure in Scripture which is when the proper and genuine Order of the Words is not kept And this is observable either in some single Words and Verses or in some Chapters Of the former sort is Gen. 10. 1. where the Sons of Noah are reckoned in this order Shem Ham and Iapheth yet Iapheth was the Eldest Brother It is true Scaliger holds the very order of the Generation which this Verse sets down and saith Shem was Noah's First-born and Iapheth his youngest But 't is generally agreed on by the Learned that this is not the right order for first the Septuagint expresly say Iapheth was the Elder Brother of Shem v. 21. Again Iosephus in his Jewish Antiquities reckons them thus Iapheth the eldest Son C ham the next and Sheâ the youngest of all Moreover according to the Chaldee Paraphrast who is of good Repute this is the true Order Lastly you will find it observ'd in the following Parts of this Chapter the Generations begin first with Iapheth then pass to Cham and end with Shem. All which shews that there is a Transposition in the first Verse and that the true ranking of them is not there kept We read in Gen. 11. 26. that Terab begat Abram Nahor and Haran but the naming of Abram first of the three Brethren doth not prove that he was eldest but there is some Ground to believe that he was not And as the true Order of Words in some Verses is not always exact so neither is the true Series of History observ'd in some Chapters Thus in Gen. 2. after God's resting on the seventh Day v. 1. you read of God's forming Man and Woman v. 7. 18. which was the Sixth Day 's Work and therefore according to the True Order of things should have been part of the Contents of the First Chapter So the Division of the Earth which is the Subject of the 10th of Genesis is set before the Confusion of Tongues spoken of in the 11th Chapter notwithstanding this was before that and was the occasion of it And some Instances of this Nature are in those Historical Books of Samuel the Kings and Chronicles The seventh and eighth Chapters of Daniel are misplaced they should of right have been inserted before viz. immediately after the 4th Chapter for they speak of what happened in Belshazzar's time although the foregoing Chapter relates what was done by Darius after Belshazzar was slain and the Kingdom of Babylon became his And in many other Places of the Sacred Writings there is a Transposing of things and sometimes that is placed first which was done last To which purpose the Hebrew Doctors have long since pronounced that there is neither Before nor After in the Law A late Author tells us that the Reason is because the Books of the Pentateuch and some others were written upon little Scrolls or Sheets of Paper not so well fastned together as our Books now are and so the Order of these Scrolls was changed But this is an upstart Invention of this Gentleman's Brain and hath no Foundation but his own Fancy for as he mistakes Paper for Parchment there being perhaps no such thing as the former in those Days so he is mistaken in his Conceit about fastning those Parchment-Writings together First I say he proceeds upon a wrong Foundation because he asserts the antientest Books of the Bible to have been written on Paper whereas it doth not appear that this Invention is so old and on the other side there are undeniable Proofs of the great Antiquity of Parchment and that it was made use of for Books to write upon That which hath occasioned some Learned Men and 't is likely our present Author who is most justly rank'd in the Number of the Learned to think otherwise was that Passage in Pliny's Natural History where he reports that Ptolomee Philadelph King of Egypt forbad the exporting of the Papyrus of which Paper was made at that time out of his Territories Whereupon Eumenes King of Pergamus found out another way of making Paper of the inmost Skins of Beasts which was call'd Pergamena because 't was invented in Pergamus first But this was a great Oversight of Pliny for that was not the first Use of them they were much antienter than that time Diodorus the Sicilian tells us that the Persian Annals were writ in Parchment which is a great Proof of its being very Antient. Salmuth in his Commentary upon Pancirol thinks the Antiquity of this Membrana is proved from Iovis diphthera the Skin of the Goat that suckled Iupiter in which the Antientest Memorials of things in the World were thought to be written And out of Herodotus the great Father of History he hath a very considerable Quotation who relates that some of the Old Grecians made use of the Skins of Goats and Sheep to write in and therefore they call their Books Skins And he adds that many of the Barbarians write in such Skins Now we know who they were that the Pagans used to call Barbarians viz. the Iews and therefore it is probable these are meant here It may have relation to their writing the Books of the Old Testament in Parchment But if This concerning the particular Reference of these Words to the Iews be a Conjecture only yet the other things which have been suggested are a clear and evident Proof of the Antient Use of the Membrana and we have no reason to question that the Bible it self was written in it That it was so we learn from Iosephus who assures us that Eleazar the High Priest sent away the 72 Elders or Interpreters to Ptolomee with the Bible written in âine Parchment and he tells us in the same Place which is very remarkable and to our purpose that King Ptolomee was astonished to see the Parchments so fine and delicate and to observe the whole Form of them so exactly joined together that no one could possibly discern where the Seams were From which Testimony of this Learned Jew it is evident that there was Parchment found out and used in Writing before the time that Pliny talks of i. e. before Eumenes's time And as for this Eumenes who is by some Writers also call'd Attalus for it appears plainly that 't is the same Man the same King of Pergamus he was not the Person that invented it nor was it in his time invented he only procured a great Quantity of it to be made and so it became common in Greece and Asia whence some and Pliny among the rest thought he was the first Inventer of it This was the Rise of the Mistake But the Truth of the Matter is this which the Learnedest Men
sometimes very Emphatical The Repetitions which some think to be needless Tautologies are very useful as well as elâgant What is more frequent in Homer the Father of Poets There you meet with Verses and Half-verses over and over again and the Commentators on those Places tell us that his frequent using the same Words is an Argument that his Stile is Natural and Genuine as in common Discourse we are wont to say the same things again and again and that it sheweth the Intenseness and Earnestness of the Speaker that it argues the Necessity of the Matter as well as the Certainty of it that it is to conciliate Attention and that sometimes it is a great Ornament and Elegancy besides that it was the Mode of speaking then in use and accordingly is to be found in all Good Authors more or less Why then should we not satisfy our selves after the same manner when we find the same things repeated in the Bible especially in the Old Testament and more particularly in the Books of Moses which far exceed Homer in Antiquity That Reiteration of the Words in Gen. 1. 27. God created Man in his own Image in the Image of God created he him should not offend us nor that in Moses's Song in Exod. 15. 16. Till thy People pass over O Lord till thy People pass over nor those many Reduplications in the Song of Deborah and Barak I will sing unto the Lord I will sing unto the Lord God of Israel Judg. 5. 3. The Mountains melted from before the Lord from before the Lord God of Israel ver 5. The Inhabitants of the Villages ceased they ceased in Israel until that I Deborah arose that I arose a Mother in Israel ver 7. Awake awake Deborah awake awake ver 12. The Kings came and fought then fought the Kings ver 19. The River of Kishon swept them away that antient River the River Kishon v. 21. At her Feet he bowed he fell and lay down at her Feet he bowed he fell where he bowed there he fell down dead ver 27. To Sisera a Prey of divers Colours a Prey of divers Colours of Needle-work of divers Colours of Needle-work of both sides ver 30. This Repeating and Reduplicating the Words is so far from being any Blemish to this Antient Song that it is to be accounted a great Elegancy and a singular Grace to it This Anadiplosis is deemed a very becoming Figure and might have been mentioned with those before in the best Classical Writers and there is no Reason why it should not be so here If the repeating the same thing be in them a Sign of the Naturalness of the Stile and of the Seriousness and Fervour of the Speakers of the Weightiness of the Subject and the like we cannot deny it to be the same in these Antient Writings of the Bible It is observable that as in the Sacred History of this Book so in Homer the Messenger whether he be sent from God or Man relates his Errand verbatim in the same Words and Syllables usually that it was delivered to him so that he alters it not in the least In this as in several other things that Antient Poet comes near to the Simplicity of the Stile of Scripture I could remark unto you also that that excellent Emperor Antoninus hath many things in his Book which are conformable to the Stile of the Holy Writ and seem to resemble it His way of Writing is like an Emperor Short but Pithy and Sententious Many things are not express'd which must be supplied and understood He sometimes useth Words and Phrases as he pleaseth not as Other Writers are wont He hath unusual ways of expressing himself and sometimes he coins Words as it was his Royal Prerogative to do so with Money He hath several abrupt and incoherent Periods he is generally neglectful and not studied This is some Resemblance of the Stile of Holy Scripture where there is a Princely Brevity wherein more is contain'd than express'd where are as I shall shew you anon either New Words or those which are usual are applied in a New and unheard of manner The Stile seems in sundry Places to be inconsistent and independant and in most Places it is careless and no ways elaborate But as no Wife Critick ever defamed the Emperor for his particular Strain of Writing so neither can any Man of Judgment disparage the Penmen of Holy Scripture whom he doth as 't were imitate In brief the Bible hath something in it of all manner of Stiles and partakes of the Excellencies of all Authors and where you see any Defect in the strict Rules of Grammar even there it is not unlike to Other Writers This may satisfy us amidst the Cavils of some Censurers of Scripture that it hath in it the same Phrases and Modes of Speaking and manner of using them that are in the best Greek and Latin Writings Let us come then to the Reading of Scripture as we see Men do to Homer and Virgil. This is a fair Request any Man will say and it must needs be granted Now you see that if any thing less Grammatical or Elegant occurs in those Writers the Course which is taken is this Lexicons and Dictionaries are consulted the Masters of Grammar and Rhetorick are advised with Interpreters are search'd into Other Authors are compared with these and their Business is to reconcile them and to make Sense of these Poets and by all means to make them speak well And shall we not do thus with the Sacred Writings Shall we not indeavour by all those Ways to vindicate the Credit of them and to justify the Propriety and Excellency of their Stile when we are able to do it by Great Examples from the Best and most Celebrated Writers among the Moral Philosophers Orators Poets Historians The Worthy Knight beforementined hath done his Part here very laudably he hath salv'd the Grammar of the New Testament in many Places and hath shewed that its Stile where it seems to be strange and uncouth is parallel with very Good and Approved Authors And lastly if any find fault with the Holy Writings because they are immethodical because neither the Mosaick Law nor other Parts of the Old Testament nor the Christian Doctrine in the New are reduced to Method and Artificial Order the like Answer may be given viz. that this was not the way of Other Writers in those Times It is evident that it was not the old way of the Iews their Books of Religion and Morals were not Orderly disposed but generally made up of Historical Passages and Wise Aphorisms and Sentences And as for the Gentiles most of their Learning was not more accurate and reduced You can descry nothing in their Writings of that Method and Order which have since been observed But my Business here chiefly is not to consider whether the Scripture be Methodized but to defend the Propriety of its Language Or rather it is not my Business now because I have
and to rely wholly on the Charity of the Christian Brethren These were some choice Skins which he had left behind him at Troas when he wrought in this his Trade there And if it be objected that Troas was a great way off the Answer is that they might as easily be brought to him as the Books he writ for if these were of any considerable Number and Bigness And this Notion is yet more probable if you consider that St. Paul was in way of Contempt call'd by the Pagans ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and Coriarius because he cut out Hides and Skins in order to the making of Tents Yea some of the Christian Writers give him the foresaid Titles thereby to magnify the Grace of God towards him He is often stiled ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by Theodoret and so he is by Chrysostom Coriarius Cilix is the Epithet given by Ierom. This makes it not improbable that the fore-mention'd Text hath reference to the Practice of those times the making of Tents or the covering of Booths and Pavilions with Skins These it is likely are the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã St. Paul speaks of As he sends for his Cloak to defend himself from the Cold so he sends for the Skins which he left behind him to make Tents to shelter and keep others warm For though it is granted that one Signification of Membrana is Parchment of which I had occasion to speak before yet it also signifies the Vppermost Skin or Hide of any Creature as appears from that of Lucretius Membranas mittunt vituli de corpore summo And it hath its Denomination from Membrum saith Priscian because it covers the Limbs and other external Parts Nay you must note that this is the first and most proper Signification of the word Membrana in Tully Pliny and other Authors whereas afterwards in a secondary Sense it came to signify Parchment These things may render my Interpretation of this Place not improbable However I presumed to offer the Criticism on the Word and let the Learned entertain it as they please But this is not to be question'd that the not attending to the Usages and Practices of old in the Countries to which some things spoken of in Scripture belong is one Reason why we miss of the right Sense of some Places 3. The Hebrew Text which is the greater part of the Bible hath some things proper to it self which render it perplex'd and obscure in some Places for in Hebrew there are no Moods in the Verbs but the Indicative and Insinitive no Tenses but the Past and Future Participles being made use of to express the Present Time which oftentimes renders the Meaning obscure and intricate Instead of an Interrogative Point the Hebrews make use of their Interrogative He otherwise there are no Notes or Marks of Interrogation which is another Cause as might be shew'd of misunderstanding the Text sometimes There are frequent Parentheses in the Hebrew Bible and if they be not diligently observed they mar the Sense as to instance but in one Place at present Isa. 9. 3 c. The 3d 4th and 5th Verses are a Parenthesis you must join the 6th Verse to the 2d and then you will see how the word for in the 6th Verse comes in not otherwise But there are no Marks or Characters whereby we may know when there is such a Parenthesis which cannot but trouble the Sense very much and confound the Meaning of the Place unless it be with extraordinary Care taken notice of And I might add that the Pauses and Periods in the Hebrew Copies are not so distinct as might be wished The greater ought our Care and Diligence to be in perusing and studying this Holy Book 4. It is the way of the Hebrews and indeed of all the Eastern Writers to express things in a brief and concise manner which renders the Place sometimes dark and confused In the second Psalm several Persons are introduced speaking but it is not in the least intimated that there is this Change of Persons but all is express'd in a short and promiscuous way The whole Psalm is a Dialogue wherein the Church speaks ver 1 2. then the Enemies of the Church v. 3. the Church again V. 4 5. then God ver 6. then Christ the Son of God ver 7 8 9. And lastly the Psalmist ends with his own Exhortation All which Parts if we do not take notice of though they are not distinguish'd for Brevity sake the true Import and Scope of the Psalm are lost It is common to recite Words which are said by Persons and yet to bring them in abruptly and not to signify that they are said or spoken by them As in Psal. 22. 8. He trusted in the Lord i. e. they said so but this is not here express'd Thus in Isa. 33. 14. Who among us c. i. e. the Sinners in Zion mentioned in that Verse said those Words In v. 18. where is the Scribe c. to make the Sense perfect you must insert thou shalt say So in Isa. 49. 24. these Words say the Enemies must be inserted In Ier. 6. 4. these or such like Words are left out the Enemy shall say The like is observable in Ier. 22. 28. ch 31. 20. In Hos. 5. 15. the word saying is necessarily implied for the first Verse of the next Chapter contains the Words which were to be said Sometimes this is supplied by the Translation though it be not in the Hebrew as in 2 Sam. 2. Isa. 64. 11. But in Obadiah ver 1. before Arise ye the word saying is to be supposed In 1 Cor 15. 45. but is left out otherwise you can't understand the Apostle And many other Words are omitted in the Old and New Testament and ought to be supplied by the diligent Reader who on that account is obliged to be very Attentive when he reads these Sacred Writigs for their short and contracted way of speaking makes them the less intelligible whereas when Matters are amplified by Words they become more clear and plain 5. There is in the Hebrew Language a certain Peculiar Idiom or Force of Signification which when it comes to be translated into another Tongue is wholly lost at least a great part of its Vigour and Elegancy is taken away and at the same time it is not so well understood because it is a Strange Idiom and no ways agreeable to our manner of expressing our selves 6. Order and Time are not always observ'd in these Holy Writings which too often begets Mistakes Upon these several Accounts and others there must needs be some Obscurity and Difficulty in the Stile of Holy Writ But you may observe that this happens through the All-wise Providence of God in those Places where the Great and Momentous things of Religion are not concern'd where the Grand Truths of the Law and the Gospel are not in the least endanger'd And when in other Parts of the Bible we meet
his numerous Host the Marvelous Securing and Protecting of the Israelites in the Arabian Desarts the strange Miracles wrought for the sustaining and preserving of them the Promulging of the Law to them on Mount Sinai which consisted of Moral Precepts Civil or Judicial Constitutions and Ceremonial Rites for the celebrating and performing of which latter a Tabernacle was erected as Rich and Stately as their present Condition would permit by the particular Appointment and Direction of God Briefly this Book represents the Church of God afflicted and preserved it shews that he is pleas'd to suffer it to be reduced to the greatest Straits and Calamities and that even then he guards it by his Providence and in good time delivers it But as before when I mention'd the General Contents of the Book of Genesis I particularly insisted on the Creation so now having given a brief Scheme of this second Book I will stay to enlarge upon a particular Subject of it which is very Considerable and Remarkable viz. the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as One calls it the Tenfold Plague wherewith God testified his Wrath and Anger against the Egyptians Ten times the Israelites were detained by Pharaoh and so many times God inflicted Remarkable Judgments on him and his People The first was a severe Infliction on their Waters that Element which is so useful and necessary to Man The Divine Displeasure began to exert it self here by turning all their Rivers Ponds Pools and Streams into Blood The dreadful Consequences of which were these as you find them enumerated Exod 7. 21. first they had no Water to drink and quench their Thirst with Secondly their Fish their great and almost only Food died and Thirdly the Rivers stank by reason of the putrified Waters and dead Fish So direful was this Plague on their Waters which they honour'd above all other Elements as the first Cause and Principle of all things in World and especially their River Nile was gloried in and worship'd as a God This the Learned and Religious Philo gives as the Reason of inflicting this Punishment God sent a Curse on that which they most prized and valued That which they excessively admired proved a Plague to them God punish'd them in that which was most regarded by them and was indeed most serviceable to them Again this is to be observed that the Blood of the murder'd Infants who had been drown'd by one of the Pharaoh's Command is here represented by these Bloody Waters Here the merciless Tyrant may see the just Retaliation of that Crime The Rivers being chang'd into this Colour accuse the Egyptians of the inhumane Slaughter of the innocent Babes and let them know that their Plagues deservedly begun with these first of all Yea here we may take notice of an Horrible Omen these Red Rivers were an unhappy but just Presage of the Fate which they should afterwards undergo in the Sea of that Denomination If any Object here How could the Magicians turn the Waters into Blood v. 22. after Moses and Aaâon had done so before them I Answer the Universal Terms used in this Relation are to be restrained and understood with some Exception than which nothing is more common in Scripture i. e. when 't is said all the Rivers and other Waters were stained with Blood the meaning is that very few Places were free from this Infection The Magicians then might repeat this Plague in Goshen and some certain Parts of Egypt where it had not taken effect before When this First Plague was removed God sent a Second viz. Frogs Which in part tormented the Egyptians after the same manner that the former did for they were of an extraordinary Nature and so we must suppose all the other Creatures hereafter named to be and infected the Waters which were lately healed and recovered so that there was no drinking of them or making use of them to any other Purpose But whereas the former Plague was only on this Element this present one was every where No Place was exempted from this Croaking Vermin They overspread their Fields they crept into their Houses they lodg'd themselves in their Beds All Places were filled with them all Meats and Drinks bred them Certainly this must needs be a very Affrighting as well as a Noisom Punishment whilst these Animals were moving and living and they were no less so âfterwards when they lay dead and putrifying all âver the Land When this Plague was taken away a Third succeeded in its room an Innumerable Company of Lice which miserably infested both Men and Beasts What these Kinnim were we do not certainly know we have no such Creature perhaps in these Countries But this we know that these Loathsom Insects were such a peculiar Sort of Creatures that the Egyptian Sorcerers had not power to produce the like and therefore they signally call'd them the Finger of God Exod. 8. 19. This also we know that this Crawling Vermin was excessively troublesom painful and tormenting and lastly from this kind of Punishment we know this is to be inferred that God whensoever he pleases can give Commission even to the Least the Vilest and most Despicable Animals to execute his Wrath on Offenders As appears also by the Fourth Plague viz. Swarmâ of Flies with which he further vex'd the Egyptians Beelzebub was let loose among them and his Buzzing Crew would not suffer them to be at ease The Hebrew Word Gnarob is rendered by Greek Interpreters ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Dog-fly but 't is probable that the true genuine Word in the First Traslation was ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã whence the Vulgar Latin renders it omne genus Muscarum a Swarm of all manner of Flies So according to Aquila's Version it is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã But Iosephus stretches the Word further and interprets it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã wild Beasts of all Sorts and Shapes such as no man ever saw before as he adds Yea R. Solomon and some other Jewish Expositors think that all kinds of wild Beasts especially Serpents and Scorpions and such venomous Creatures are meant The Author of the Book of Wisdom understood the Word thus as appears from what he saith Ch. 11. v. 15 16. For the foolish Devices of their Wickedness wherewith being deceived they worshipp'd Serpents and vile Beasts God sent a Multitude of Beasts upon them for Vengeance that they might know that wherewithal a Man sinneth by the same also shall he be punish'd But the exactest Enquirers into the Original Word conclude that it signifies a gather'd Mixture of several Sorts of Insects or little flying Animals such as Beetles Hornets Bees Wasps Gnats and more especially âlies Perhaps Grotius is in the right that Gnaroâ is not of Hebrew Extraction but is an Egyptian Word as was that whereby the Frogs were named and signifies peculiarly with them a Heap or Swarm of Flies The vast Number of these was sufficiently troublesome but that was not all these Multitudes of Insects
recorded in the last Chapter of this Book for either as we said before concerning Moses they were written by him through a Prophetick Spirit that foresaw these things or else they were added by some other Inspired Writer So perhaps were those Words unto this Day ch 4. v. 9. ch 5. v. 9. though it is not necessary at all to believe so for Ioshua relating some Passages that happen'd a good while before he wrote this Book which was a little before his Death might speak after this manner very well And some few other Words may seem to have been inserted after Ioshua's Death but that the Main was written by Himself there is no ground of questioning The History of the Iudges followeth which relates the State of the Iewish People in the Land of Canaan in the time of the Iudges from Ioshua's Death until Eli that is about three hundred Years These Iudges were Men of Heroick Spirits raised up by God out of the several Tribes to govern the People and to deliver them from their present Dangers They were Supream Rulers but Temporary and some of them were Types of our Blessed Saviour and Deliverer In the time of this peculiar Polity of the Israelites there were very Notable Occurrences which are faithfully recorded in this Book Here we are acquainted with the gross Impiety and Wickedness of that new Generation which came up after Ioshua's Death here are recorded to their perpetual Infamy their Intimate Converse with those Idolatrous People that were left remaining in that Land their Approving of their Superstitious and Irreligious Customs and their Serving their Gods Here is a particular Account of the Corruption of their Manners of their Prophane and Scandalous Practices which occasion'd the very Heathens to open their Mouths against them yea to blaspheme God whose Name they were call'd by Here also we have a brief View of the Different Dispensations of Heaven towards this People sometimes Relieving and Delivering them at other tâmes most severely Chastising them and causing them to groan under Tyrants and Oppressors Here are contain'd in this History most admirable Examples of God's Displeasure against Apostates and such as revolt from the True Religion and here are on the contrary as memorable Instances of his Rewarding those that adhere to Him and his Cause and hold fast their Integrity in the worst and most perillous Times Here are most amply displayed his Love and Care of his Church in stirring up so many Eminent Worthies and Champions to fight for her and to push them on by no less than an Extraordinary Impulse of Spirit to enterprize and effect such Mighty Things for the welfare of his Chosen Servants To conclude here and in the Book of Ioshua occurs such a plenty of Antient Rites Customs and Practices relating both to Peace and War to Civil and Religious Matters as is able to stock an Antiquary of the first Size We are not certain who was the Penman of this Book It was written by Samuel say the Talmudists and it may be after one of the Books of Samuel and then 't is no wonder if some things are here mention'd or referr'd to that are spoken of there Others say it was not composed till Ezrâ's Time by Ezra The Book of Ruth is an Appendix to that of the Iudges in whose time the Things were done that are here related Particularly a little before Eli's Time they happen'd then it was that there being a Famine in Canaan Elimelech and his Wife Naomi and their Sons went into the Land of Moab and there these latter were married one to Ruth and the other to Orphah After ten Years were expired Elimelech and his Sons died whereupon Naomi and her Daughter-in-Law Ruth for the other Daughter stay'd behind returned to their own Country and coming to Bethlehem were kindly received by Boaz their Kinsman The Particulars of this kind Reception and Entertainment are set down here and the Close was that he married Ruth who bare to him Obed who was the Grand-father of David It is true this is but a Private History yet as it is such it contains in it many things worthy of our observation viz. the Difference of Children in their Affection and Regards to their Parents Orphah with great Ease and Willingness left Naomi but Ruth clave unto her the Prudent Instructions and Wise Demeanour of that Excellent Matron towards her Daughter the young Widow Though I must needs add with reference to Ruth's Behaviour that her Boldness and almost endangering of her Chastity are not to be Examples to others for Modesty and Shamefacedness are the proper Qualities of that Sex Wedlock is not to be sought after by them with such peril And therefore this daring Fact of this Venturous Widow is to be look'd upon as an extraordinary Instance and not to be imitated by other Females Here is remarkable the Merciful Providence of God towards the Afflicted the Widows and Fatherless the Reward of Constancy and Obedience the Blessing of God upon those that fear him and trust in him Besides here are observable the Antient Right of Kinsmen and of Redemption and the Manner of buying the Inheritance of the Deceased with other Things of great Antiquity Nay this is more than Private History as will appear if we consider that this Pious Woman Ruth was the Mother of Obed the Father of Iesse the Father of David of whom our Lord Christ came and therefore you find her inserted into his Genealogy by St. Matthew Again Ruth a Moabitish Woman of the Posterity of the Daughters of Lot was a Type or rather indeed an Eminent Instance of the Calling of the Gentiles into the Church which is a Thing of no private Concern but of the largest Extent imaginable The Two Books of Samuel are Publick Histories the former whereof contains Things done under the two last Iudges Eli and Samuel and under the first King who was Saul as also the Acts of David whilest he lived under Saul Here is a Narrative of the Change of the Iudges into Kings of the Republick or Aristocracy of the Iews into a Monarchy and of the Great and Many Evils which they suffer'd as consequent upon it all worthy of our serious Perusal and Consideration Here is an Account of their New King 's being deposed by God viz. for his rash and prophane Sacrificing and his wilful disobeying the express Command of God concerning the total Destruction of the Amalekites and whatever belonged to them The latter Book âs wholly spent in the History of King David's Reign that is his Acts after Saul's Death These âre either his Military Acts his Troublesom and Dangerous and sometimes Successful Enterprizes in War or his Political Acts shew'd in the wise Administration of Civil Government or his Ecclesiââtical and Religious Undertakings which respect ãâã Church of God in those Days With these are mixed the great Failings and Miscarriages of that King which are as particularly recorded as his other Acts and as
not always observ'd here things are not related constantly in a certain continued Method and Series nor are we to understand or take them as written so A great and prevailing Mistake it hath been to think that the Course and Order of Time are duly and all along observ'd in these Writings Whereas to a considerate Person it will appear that there is no such thing and that the Chapters are not writ and disposed in any Method This because it may be look'd upon and censured as a New Notion I will make good thus the Day of Iudgment is represented and described three or four times in these Visions and Revelations as first at the opening of the Sixth Seal ch 6. v. 12 to the end where the Description of the Last Day agrees exactly with others in the New Testament especially that of our Saviour in Mat. 24. and therefore to allegorize it where there is no Occasion for it is unreasonable If it be said that the Disorder of the Sun Moon and Stars which is here spoken of signifies sometimes temporal Judgments as the Destruction of Babylon Isa. 13. 10. and of Egypt Ezek. 32. 7. I answer that though it doth so yet these Remarkable Judgments and Devastations were Figures and Representations of the Last and Terrible one and were so design'd by Heaven and therefore this may well be set forth to us by the Holy Ghost in this manner nay the darkning of the Sun and Moon and the like Expressions are but Metaphorical in those former Instances but here are Proper Natural and Real and therefore ought so to be understood in this Place Again St. Iohn hath another Revelation of this Great Day in the End of the 11th Chapter from ver 15 to the Close of the Chapter but especially those plain Words in ver 18. Thy Wrath is come and the time of the Dead that they should be judged place it beyond all doubt that the Final Iudgment of the last Day is here meant Again the Seventh Vial mention'd Rev. 16. 17. which contains the Last Plague is no other than the Indignation and Punishment of That Day as appears from the Prodigies which accompany it and particularly from what is said ver 20. Every Island fled away and the Mountains were not found which expresses the terrible Dissolution of the World at that time Besides that it is observable in the Conclusion of the preceding Vial which made way for this last that Christ saith I come as a Thief v. 15. which manner of Expression is particularly applied and made use of when the Day of Iudgment is spoken of Mat. 24. 43. 1 Thess. 5. 2 4 2 Pet. 3. 10. And lastly in the 20th Chapter from the 11th Verse to the end there is another Vision of this Last and General Appearance of the World as is universally acknowledg'd by Interpreters and therefore we need not stand to clear it Now from all this it is evident that there is not observed in the Visions of this Book an Historical Order or Course of Time for if there were the General Day of Doom which is the last thing of all could not be represented here three or four times This must have come in the shutting up of all when all other things were past whereas now we see it is represented in the Beginning in the Middle and in the End of these Revelations Which if it be well attended to is one admirable Key to open the Secrets of this Book for hence we understand that this Prophecy is not what it hath been thought to be one Entire Historical Narration of what shall be and that first one thing is foretold and then what follows that in time is next set down and so on in order No the Day of Judgement being thrice at least inserted shews that the Visions of this Book end and then begin again and then have a Period and commence again and after that the same or the like Scene is opened and things of the same Nature are repeated Which is a most evident Argument that this Book consists of Three or Four Grand Prophecies or Prophetick Representations of the Condition of Christ's Church from the time when this was âânned to the Consummation of all things Here are represented by different Types Prophetick Symbols and Visions the most remarkable things which happen on the Stage of the World and theâ are these three the Troubles and Persecutions which âbefal the Servants of the most High the ââliverââde of them out of those Trials and God's ãâã ââââshing of their Enemies These you will ãâã set forth and illustrated by diverse Schemes and Apparitions by different and reiterated Reââesentations And the Reason why things tho the same are diversly represented i. e. in diffeâânt Visions over and over again and why they are express'd in different Terms and Words the âââson I say why they are so often repeated is âââuse they so often come to pass in the several Ages of the World by the wise Disposal of Proviâânoâ These Prophecies have been and they ââall be yet fulfilled for the State of the Church as to the Cruelty of its Enemies and Persecutors and the Wonderful Deliverance from them and Avenging their Cause upon their Heads is the same in different Ages until the time when Babyâââ shall fall and never rise again To use the Words of a most Eminent and Learned Bishop of our own One may easily see saith he that Rome is here intended and not Pagan but Christian Rome which is degenerated into an Idolatrous and Tyrannical State It is easy to see in the Book of the Revelation that the Roman Church is doomed in due time to Destruction You see then how Useful this Book is you may be convinc'd of the Truth of what is said in the Beginning of it Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the Words of this Propheoy ch 1. v. 3. Thâ we cannot so clearly descny the Particular and ãâã dividual Things times and Personâ contain'd in tââ tho this last Book of the Holy Scripture be in this Respect the Obscurest of them all tho in some Places there be as many Mysteries as Words yet thus far it is properly Revelation that herein the State of the Christian Church and the Particular Methods of God's Providence towards it in all times are plainly revealed and discovered to us plainly I say because they are so often repeated that it is impossible to mistake them As Pharaââ's Dream was doubled to shew the Certainty of the things represented Gen. 41. 32. so these Prophecies and Visions are doubled and tribbled yea more than so to assure us of the Certain Truth and Reality of these Events to confirm us in this Perswasion that tho the Church of Christ here on Earth be often troubled and persecuted yet she hath her times of Restoration and Reviving and there is a time of Vengeance and Recompence to her Enemies even in this World but more especially at the
ver 3. they take several Passages out of Scripture which are applicable as they thought to that Place and there insert them whence instead of seven Verses in this Psalm according to our last English Translation which follows the Hebrew there are eleven it it according to the Old one used in our Service which follows the Septuagint Thus in Prov. 6. after what is said there v. 6 7 8. of the Ant they make bold to add something concerning the Bee ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. So in Isaiah and Ieremiah and other Books they take a great Liberty there are several whole Sentences added that are not in the Hebrew and many are left out that are in it To instance at present only in two of this latter sort those Words in Prov. 22. 6. Train up a Child in the way he should go and when âe is old he will not depart from it are wholly omitted and the whole thirtieth Chapter of the Proverbs and part of the one and thirtieth are left out in this Translation This is the Greatest Fault we have hitherto met with in the Greek Interpreters but now cometh one which is much greater and indeed unpardonable if it be true 9. Then It is thought by some that in many Places they have wilfully corrupted and perverted the Text. It is thought at least that they did not exactly translate some Places because they were loth to expose the Bible to the Gentiles This was too rich and precious a Treasure to be imparted to them It would be a profaning and polluting of it to lay it open to all Men. It is Galatinus's Perswasion that in their turning the Hebrew into Greek they alter'd several things because the Ethnicks were at that time unworthy of the Knowledg of those Divine Mysteries contain'd in the Bible and this the Talmud it self witnesseth The Pagan World was not able to bear several of those things they would have seem'd Absurd and Ridiculous to them if they had been translated as they were in the Original Hence saith he the Seventy's Version is imperfect and seems to differ yea really doth differ from the Hebrew in many Places And a Learned Doctor of our own tells us That they translated the Bible unwillingly they being loth to impart the Knowledg of the Scripture to Heathens therefore though being commanded by Ptolomy they undertook this Work yet going about it with unwilling Minds they did it Slightly and Perfunctorily and it is likely Falsly in some Places And this was long ago the Opinion of St. Iârom who plainly declared that where-ever any thing occurred in the Old Testament concerning the Sacred Trinity it was either misinterpreted or wholly concealed by these 70 Elders and this he saith was done by them partly to please King Ptolomee and partly becaâse they had no mind to divulge the Mysteries of their Faith to the World Thus as he observes ãâã Isa. 9. 6. they left out five or ãâã Names of Christ and put in the place of them the Angel of the Great Caunâel They would not let it be known that That Child was God lest they should be thought 10 worship another God and therefore they purposely and âallciously concealed those Glorious Titles attributed to Christ and more especially That the Mighty God But this Author is more candid and mild in his Censure of these 70 Elders when in other Places he tells us that many of those Copies and Editions of the Greek Translation which were then abroad were corrupted by the Fault of the Transcribers and that it was his Design in his Latin Version to correct them Again he imputes their Mistakes to their Ignorance saying they made this Translation before the coming of Christ and so knew not what they rendred in many Places and therefore did it obscurely and dubiously Wherefore he professeth he condemns not the Seventy but only prefers the Apostles before them their Writings being nearer to the Hebrew Original And truly I am not throughly convinced that the Interpreters themselves did wilfully corrupt the Translation that they designedly misinterpreted the Hebrew Text and falsââied in the forementioned Place and several others for the Messiah the Christ was not come then and there was no Controversy about him and therefore according to my Apprehension of things it was too early time of Day to misrepresent or corrupt the Bible where it speaks of him I rather think this was done afterwards namely after our Saviour appear'd in the World and had been rejected by the Jews as an Impostor Then these Places before mentioned and several others began to be perverted then the Circumcised Doctors attempted to pare off some Passages to make some Alterations in the Copies of the LXX which they got into their Hands Then it was that they corrupted the Chronology of the Bible which was of great Use to them Hence it is that you find such a Difference between the Hebrew Copies and those of the Seventy about the Age of the World It is not to be question'd that the Jews made an Alteration in the Years mention'd in the Pentateuch which relate to the Lives of the Patriarchs more especially those before the Flood in that Catalogue in Gen. 5. According to the Hebrew Text there were 1656 Years from the Creation to the Flood but according to the Greek there were about 2250. The younger Vossius is a smart Advocate for the Septuagint and following their Computation tells us that 4000 wanting âive or six Years were expired before Moses's Death and that from thence to our Saviour's Coming were above 2000 Years so that Christ was incarnate at the end of the Sixth Millenary or the beginning of the Seventh The Sum is that according to Vossius and the LXX's Reckoning the time of the World's Beginning anticipates the Vulgar Aera at least 1400 Years This lengthning of the Accompt in the Greek Bible we owe to the Jews after the Coming of Christ especially after the Destruction of Ierusalem They then out of their Hatred to Christians changed the Chronology of the Greek Interpreters expunged the Contracted Aera and introduced a larger one i. e. they added one thousand four hundred Years to these Books And their Design in doing this was to confute the Opinion of the Messias's Coming It would appear hence that the time was past according to the general Sense of the Rabbies For this Reason they made this Alteration in the Greek Translation though they could not effect it in the Hebrew Copies Hence arises the Difference between the Hebrew and Greek Computation But we are assured that the Sacred Chronology deliver'd by Moses is certain and the Calculation true and authentick because the Hebrew Text is so which I have demonstrated in another Place and consequently the Greek Version is to be corrected by this But this Error of the Septuagint is not originally theirs but is to be imputed to the latter Jews I mean those soon after our
before it It is not sit that the same Word should have two diverse Readings in the same Verse In v. 6 8 9. let living Creatures be taken out of the Margin and be set in the Text it self in the Place of Beasts which is not a sit Word for those that are represented by that Vision especially when ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã not ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the word here is the word which is rightly translated the Beast in this Book In ch 11. v. 17. those Words ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã are not rightly rendred which art and wast and art to come but thus who is and was and is to come In ch 13. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in v. 13. is translated Wonders in the 14th Miracles which ought to be corrected for the Reason so often given viz. because the same Greek Word should be rendred by the same English one if there be no apparent Cause for the contrary In ch 14. v. 13. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã should be rendred with them their Works follow with them In ch 16. v. 12. the way of the Kings who are from the Risings of the Sun is the true and literal Version of the Greek ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but in our present English Translation ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is absorp'd These are the several Places which I conceive ought to be altered and translated more exactly I say not this to impair or derogate from the Credit and Honour of our English Translation much less to condemn the Present Edition or to expose the Scriptures themselves but my Design is to represent them in their native Excellency and Purity and to contribute by this Critical Essay towards so worthy an End For it is certain that nothing can more commend the Holy Writ than an Exact Translation i. e. such a one as faithfully represents to us the Express Text of Scripture Wherefore I humbly offer the forementioned Places to the Consideration of the Learned and Judicious and leave the whole or part to be approved or rejected as they shall think fit Perhaps when our Church-Affairs are settled this will not seem unworthy of the Thoughts of a Convocation who I question not will see that the Revising and Correcting of our English Translation of the Bible in all or in most of those Places and in several others which I have not here propounded is very requisite It is my judgment that as out of the Vulgar Latin and the Modern Latin Versions one entire one might be made in that Language that should be generally used in Quotations among the Orthodox Learned so a New English Translation might be composed out of this Last Edition as to the main but with such New Alterations and Amendments as should render the Stile and Sense in many Places more accurate and should make it acceptable to the most Curious English Readers And here I advise that the Marginal Notes of the Present English Bible be often consulted because the best and most genuine Translations of Words are frequently put there But in the foregoing Animadversions I have taken no notice of those different Significations of Words which are placed there I have only offer'd those that have not hitherto been observed In the last Place I might add something concerning the Division of the Bible into Chapters and Verses It is not to be doubted that Moses the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles writ their Books without any such Partition and this was the way of all other Writers of old But it appears that the Books of the Prophets were divided afterwards into Parashes before our Saviour's Time and this distribution of them is often mention'd in the Talmuds This was done by the Jews for the more methodical reading of them in the Synagogues Some of the Greek Fathers take notice of this Distribution and consequently it was made before their Time for they mention the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the Old Testament which signify the same thing and Ierom speaks of a Pericope of Ieremiah Yea if I mistake not this sort of Sections or Parashes is mention'd in Acts 8. 32. and is call'd there ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã The Books of the Evanglists and Apostles were afterwards divided into certain Sections by some of the Primitive Bishops and Pastors for the more convenient reading of them herein imitating the Iews who had done the same in the Old Testament These are call'd ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by the Eastern Fathers and Lectiones by the Latin Ones They were the same that we call Chapters Verses were also antient but not the same that are at present nor were all the Books so divided St. Ierom tells us he distributed the Books of the Chronicles and that of Ezekiel into Verses And some of thâ Books of the New Testament were thus divided particularly the Epistle to the Galatians was parted into these ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by Origen as Ierom informs us But it is certain that all these Partitions whether into Chapters or Verses wâre very much different from what we have at this Day To this purpose 't is observable as Heinsius and some other Criticks out of Suidas relate that the New Testament was divided into ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and so far as I can gather from the Account which they give of these two the former of these was the division of a Book into Chapters and the latter into Verses or some such small Portion though at this Day there is a quite different Sense of the Words for the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã are the greater division and the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the lesser As to the Division of the whole Bible consisting of 39 Books of the Old Testament and 27 of the New into distinct Chapters as they are now among us viz. 779 in the Old Testament and 260 in the New it was made by Lanfrank Archbishop of Canterbury about the Year 1060 others say by Stephen Langton who was Archbishop of the same See in K. Iohn's Time about the Year 1200. It is said by others that Cardinal Hugo twenty or thirty Years afterwards was the first that contrived the Distinction of Chapters of the Old Testament for fitting the Hebrew Text to the Concordance of the Bible which he was Author of The dividing of Chapters into Verses was more lately being the Work of the Industrious and Learned Robert Stephens about eightscore Years since But whoever were the first Authors of this Division of the Bible into Chapters and Verses it is certain that it is not rightly made The beginning of the 10th Chap. of Isaiah should not be cut of from the 9th Chapter for it belongs to it and at the Close of the 5th v. of the 10th Chap. which is so now the 9th should end And many other Chapters in the Old Testament are ill divided But especially in the New Testament one may see that the distinction of Chapters and Verses now in
diving into some future Transactions which depend wholly on Natural Agents In the next place those Spirits have had long Experience of things and are thereby grown very sagacious and cunning and on that account are able to guess of things that are to come for by observing what hath a long time happened in such and such Circumstances they may not unsuccessfully sometimes conjecture what will be for the future Moreover those Nimble Intelligences travelling up and down the World ranging and flying about and visiting the remotest Regions of the Earth and that with unspeakable Expedition must needs inform themselves concerning the diverse Occurrences abroad and make very great Discoveries as to what shall be afterwards from the Consults and Actions which they behold in the World The Devil appearing in Samuel's Shape told King Saul he should be with him the day following for he might partly know the Event of the Battel by what he knew concerning the Enemies Strength and the Anger of God against that forsaken Prince c. Diodorus the Sicilian relates that the Chaldean Priests foretold the Death of Alexander the Great and the dividing of the Empire among his Captains which they might venture to do and it seems their Prediction succeeded by the Information they had from those Daemons they convers'd with who 't is likely not only saw the debauched Life of that King but the great Mischief which it did to his Body and from thence the probability of his being dispatched by a violent Fever of which we read he died and they were not ignorant of the Ambition and Contentions of his Captains nay perhaps they were conscious to some Cabals which promoted those Events and then 't is not to be wondred that they could foretel them But there was another way too of foreknowing these things for they might be found predicted in Daniel's Prophecies of which we have spoken which the Chaldean Priests had without doubt some knowledg of There they found it written in express words chap. 8. 8. The great Horn which as the preceding Verses will inform you is meant of Alexander the Great was broken i. e. in plain terms he died and for it came up four notable ones i. e. his four chief Commanders succeeded him in the Empire And this you will find repeated almost in the same words in chap. 11. 4. that there might be no mistake about the Prophecy But truly I am enclined to think that there is yet another Account to be given of this Passage in Diodorus for as I shall hereafter make it more evident there are a great many References in the Pagan Historians to what is recorded in the Old Testament though they are generally done with some Obscurity or Mistake And I take this to be of that nature for the Historian refers here not only to the Book of Daniel which questionless was very famous in those days and particularly to those Prophetick Words before cited but to Daniel himself He was that Chaldean Priest for though he was an Hebrew by Birth yet Chaldea was the Country he lived in and he was in high esteem with the Chaldean Kings But when the Historian speaks in the Plural of Chaldean Priests it is a pardonable Oversight and such as is frequent in Writers And he calls them Priests because among the Chaldeans their Priests were the most knowing Men and the Magi and these were Terms convertible sometimes Or to call Daniel a Priest instead of a Prophet is a Mistake both easy and excusable wherefore notwithstanding this small Slip there is reason to believe that the Historian refers to the Prophet Daniel who once and again in very intelligible though Prophetick Terms foretels the Death of that Great Monarch and the Division of his Kingdoms amongst his Captains I might add likewise that Evil Spirits are considerable Actors in the Affairs on Earth and therefore 't is no wonder that they are able to foretel what they themselves are designing to bring to pass They could easily inform Spurina of Iulius Caesar's Fate when they had been present at the Consults of the Senate and were Instigators to take away his Life St. Austin speaks of one that knew and could tell the Thoughts of Men as when one thought of a Verse in Virgil or the like But Luther said well the Devil had before possessed his Thoughts with that Verse and then it was not difficult to foretel what he did himself Thus you see how far and in what manner Devils and wicked Men by their Means may foreknow Futurities But now if we consider the things foretold in the Old and New Testament we cannot apply any thing of all this to them for the foreknowing that K. Iosias Cyrus and Alexander should appear in the World so many Years afterwards the predicting of the Succession of the three Great Monarchies for one of them was past the erecting of the Kingdom of Christ the wonderful Propagation of the Gospel the Conversion of Jews and Gentiles and the like could not possibly be from the sagacious Insight into the Nature of things which the Evil Spirits may attain to nor from their Observation and Experience which are only of things past or present nor from any Acquaintance with the Affairs of the World as being Actors in them for some of these Events which we have mentioned out of the Sacred Writings had no dependance on Common and Natural Causes and therefore could not be penetrated into by the most subtile Enquirers into Nature as we suppose Evil Angels to be and besides they were at so vast a distance in respect of Time that it is impossible to imagine that these Spiritual Agents could have any Part then to act in them No Man of Sense can prevail with himself to credit any such thing but on the contrary he must be forc'd to acknowledg that it is wholly against the Nature of those Events to be foreseen and discover'd by any Diabolick Skill so long a time before they actually happened Wherefore I conclude that the foreknowing and consequently the foretelling of them was by parâicular Revelation from God He was pleased by âecret Inspiration to inform his Servants and to give them a discovery of those things which no âreated Understanding could discern Lastly This may suffice in answer to those who suppose that some Persons who converse with Diabolick Spirits may have some Foresight of future Contingencies this I say may suffice that the Case we speak of is far different here can be nothing of the Devil because these Prophecies and all the other Writings to the Old and New Testament tend to the promoting of Holiness and Godliness and the destroying the Works of the Devil Their main Design is to weaken and even demolish Satan's Kingdom and to set up that of Christ Jesus both in the Consciences and Lives of Men. It is ridiculous therefore to say that these Prophecies are from the Devil No Man of ordinary Sânsâ can digest such a
or Historical and you 'l presently find that the way oâ Expression in them is different from what the Authors of themselves would have used If they had been left to their own Genius they would have delivered things in another Method and Manner than you see them in The Stile of them therefore shews the Author In short had the Scriptures been written in the common way of other Writers this would have disparaged them and we should have had no reason to think that they were Divinely inspired which is the thing I am now proving Nay I will adjoin this that the very Words and Phrases of Scripture were dictated by the Spirit the very particular Expressions and Modes of Speech were under the particular Guidance and Direction of the Holy Ghost I know there are many of a contrary Judgment among whom the worthy Writer whom I last quoted is not the least confident and positively asserts that the Stile and Language of Scripture were not dictated by the Holy Ghost but the Matter only The Words saith he were left to the Writers themselves who as Men of Sense could express their Minds in fit Terms And to prove that the Words were not dictated by the Spirit he urgeth this that Christ and his Apostles quote Places out of the Old Testament as they are translated by the Seventy which is not verbatim Now saith he they would have cited the Passages in the very original Phrases and Words if these had been from Divine Inspiration It is evident therefore that they are not because the Apostles use other Words and Terms far different from those in the Hebrew But this is no valid Argument if you rightly consider it for though the Apostles thought fit for some Reasons which I shall have occasion afterwards to offer to you to make use of the Septuagint Version which is but a Paraphrase in many places on the Original Text yet it doth not follow hence that the very Words of the Original were not dictated by the Holy Ghost Neither our Saviour nor the Evangelists and Apostles do hereby declare that the Hebrew Text was not inspired and that even as to the Phrase and Words but all that we gather from their using of the Greek Translation is this that they found it convenient at that time for Reasons which shall afterwards be alledged to quote some Places as they are rendred by those Translators and not exactly according to the Original This doth not necessarily imply much less prove that the Penmen of the Old Testament were not assisted by the Spirit in the very Words which they used But the contrary is grounded on very good Reason for these Sacred Writings being of a more excellent and transcendent Nature than all others in the World besides it was meet that they should surpass them all in This viz. the Divinity of the very Stile If you grant not this you acknowledg these Writings in one respect at least and that no inconsiderable one to be no better than the common Writings of other Men which certainly cannot but be look'd upon as a great vilifying of the Bible Christ promised his Disciples that when they should be brought before Governours and Kings for his Sake it should be given them what they should speak for as he adds it is not they that speak but the Spirit of their Father that speaketh in them Mat. 10. 19 20. And is it not most reasonable to think that the same Spirit taught the Writers of the Old and New Testament what they should speak and commit to writing and gave them Words to that purpose Especially if you consider that this was a Book which was to last to all Generations in the Church anâ was designed for the use of the Faithful and for the confuting of their Adversaries to the World'â End and accordingly was to be produced upon all Occasions and therefore was to be of an extraordinary Composure and every Word and Syllable was to be from God and the Direction of his Holy Spirit St. Peter assures us that the Writerâ of the Old Testament spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost their Speaking and consequently their Writing because this was according to that was by the special Motion and Influence of the Infallible Spirit therefore their very Words for those are necessarily included in speaking were dictated and directed by the same Spirit And the other Great Apostle tells us indefinitely and absolutely and without any restriction that ãâã Scripture is given by Inspiration of God Now if ãâã the Scripture be by Divine Inspiration it follows that the very Words of it are for the Words and Expressions and manner of Speech are a part of the Scripture wherefore if we grant that the Whole is by Inspiration we must necessarily grant likewise that the Parts of it are for the Parts constitute the Whole We have reason therefore to assert that every Word in Scripture is endited by God and that every Letter and Syllable of it is exact and that there is nothing wanting nothing superfluous no Fault nor Blemish in the Stile and Phraseology of it I cannot but here take notice of the fond Presumption of some of the Iewiââ Rabbies and Masorites who alter some Words and Expressions in Scripture and put others into their place They forsooth in a more modest way as they pretend read instead of Vrine in 2 Kings 18. 27. Isa. 36. 12. the Water of the Feet instead of Shagal they read Shacab in all Texts for Gnapholim Deut. 28. 27. 1 Sam. 5. 6. they read Techorim so in other places where they think some Words are obscene they substitute others in their room These Men would be more modest than the Scripture and more chaste than the Holy Ghost and yet they herein contradict themselves for some of them have said the Hebrew Tongue is called Holy because it hath nothing obscence in it nothing of that nature can be utter'd and express'd in it This we are certain of that there cannot be better and fitter Words than what the Scripture hath for the Spirit endited them all and therefore the Practice of the conceited Rabbies is to be exploded There is not one Iota or the least Apex in Scripture which is put there to no purpose And the same Father as truly saith in another place It speaks nothing in vain nothing by chance And the reason is because All of it Words no less than Matter is dictated and delivered from above by an unerring Spirit Yet I speak not this as if the Sacred Writers of the Bible were so tied up by the Spirit that they cannot or do not make use of their own natural or acquired Skill Though the Words be dictated by the Spirit yet the Penmen might write and speak according to the Improvements they had made in Speech I do not by what I have said exclude the peculiar Eloquence or Strain of the Writers or their using the Helps of their Education
frequent mention made in Jewish and other Authors of the Bible's being written in an old Samaritan Character whence it was inferr'd by some that this was the Primitive Character wherein the Bible was written and consequently that this which we now have is not the true Genuine Character But I answer this doth not follow for this Samaritan Vulgar Character was not the first and antientest though it was sometimes in use but the Sacred Character now called the Hebrew Character is really such and is the true and most antient Letter wherein this holy Book was written This is the Authentick Letter which God himself graved the Law in and thence had the Name of the Sacred Character but the other called the Common and Vulgar was not in that esteem it being a Deviation from that Primitive one And yet to speak freely there was no great difference between these two Characters the latter being only some Variation and Degeneracy from the former which happened by length of Time This is the real Truth of the Matter and it solves the Controversy and ends all the Disputes on both sides And the Learned French Critick who seem'd to be of another Opinion comes over at last to this when he tells us That there is no reason for Criticks to dispute so fiercely about the first Hebrew Characters for if we attentively consider and compare together the Samaritan and Hebrew Characters we shall find that the difference between them is not so great but that they may be thought to have had one and the same Origine And he grants also that 't is from the Succession of so many Ages which is wont to produce some Alteration that there hath been this Variation from their first Figure But this is inconsiderable so that both Characters may be said to be the same We have no ground then to think that Ezra changed the Character but that he only amended the Defects and Slips which he found in the Hebrew for by consulting and comparing the several Copies he purged them from the Errors and Miâtakes which were contracted in the time of thâ Captivity And after he had caused the Books ãâã be fairly written out he put them into that Ordeâ in which now they are placed and so he may bâ said to be the Composer of the Old Testament intâ that Model we see it now in And from his revising the Books and mendinâ them by comparing of Copies was the first beginning of Keri and Chetib as most of the Learneâ Jews assert for where the Copies disagreed oâ where two Readings were probable there werâ made Variae Lectiones the one was put into thâ Margent and is called Keri the other into thâ Text and is called Chetib I know some ascribâ these not to Ezra but to the Doctors of Tiberiasâ but here as before I am willing to compromisâ the Quarrel and therefore we may ascribe theâ to both they being begun by Ezra and augmented by the others afterwards This was one waâ to keep the Bible entire and uncorrupted and bâ the Favour of Divine Providence it has been transmitted so to us At the same time also the Canon ãâã Scripture was digested into Partitions and Divisions as now it is and there was then laid the Foundation of the Masorah or Masoreth which becamâ afterwards part of the Jewish Cabala which abouâ the Year of our Lord 494 was committed to writing by some skilful Grammarians and hath beeâ very useful for preserving the Old Testament There are three several Species of this Cabala ãâã they tell us the first is Gematria from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Mathematical Consideration of the Text of the Bible the mystical numbring of the Letters and an account of the Great and Little Letters in Words The second is Notariaca an Exposition of Scripture from certain Notes Characters Lines and Points belonging to the Hebrew Text. More particularly Noteriekon or Notaricon or Notariaca for I find that 't is thus differently express d in Writers is when one Letter stands for a whole Word This way of Cabalizing gave the Name to Iudas Maccabaeus who writ on his Standards and Ensigns ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is the Abbreviature or first Letters of those words ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Exod. 15. 11. and by putting Vowels to the Consonants they read it Maccabi The third is Temurah Mutatio which is made by the transposition of the same Letters whence another Word ariseth which explains the Word that is transposed Thus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is explain'd by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Terra which contains the same Letters Thus ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Noah is said to have found ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Grace or Favour Gen. 6. 8. The Letters are the same but transposed So ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Exod. 23. 23. is by Metathesis expounded by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Dan. 12. 1. i. e. the Messias say the Jewish Doctors But the first and second way of Cabalizing which obtain the Name of Masoreth are the most considerable to our present Purpose These Critical Observations on the Bible made of old and delivered from one to another whence they have their Denomination treat of the Mysteries of Letters why some Words are in Greater others in Lesser Characters as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã with a Great Vau Levit. 11. 42. So they observe there is an open Mem at the end of a Word in Neh. 2. 13. and a close Mem in the middle in Isa. 9. 7. The Masorites likewise have taken notice of the Likeness and Difference of Words by Similitude oâ Diversity of Letters and Points they have madâ Remarks on irregular and extraordinary Pointings they have observed the Variety of Accentâ and so criticized on all these in the several Placeâ of the Old Testament that there cannot be ãâã Change made in the Hebrew Copies but it muââ be presently seen In this Masoreth on the Hebreâ Text they have reckoned which Verse in thâ Psalms is the middle one and which Letter is thâ middle Letter in that whole Book viz. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in thâ word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in Psal. 80. 13. Yea they havâ counted all the Verses and Words all the Accentââ Letters and Vowels that are in every single Bookâ from which critical Enumeration those Transcrâbers of the Bible were called by the Jews Sopheriâ i. e. Numberers and at the bottom of every Vâlume they have set down the exact Number of ãâã these and at last they reckon how many there aâ in the whole Bible of the Old Testament Fathââ Simon indeed saith they mistake in their Accompââ but that is more than he proves and I do ãâã think he ever took the pains as great a Criticââ on the Bible as he is to cast them up There ãâã good reason to believe that the Iewish Criticks ãâã the Old Testament are more to be credited in ãâã Particular than the French one However froâ what hath
its original Purity But here it is objected That the Hebrew Copies of the Bible might easily be corrupted and altered because they had no Points or Vowels at first This could not but make the Reading very uncertain and doubtful and almost arbitrary especially in some Places whence it is easy to imagine how great Alterations and consequently great Corruptions might creep into the Text. In answer to this you must know that those only who are against the Purity of the Hebrew Bible as Morinus Vossius Simon c. hold that the Points were of late Invention And this they have pick'd up out of Elias Levita who lived about a hundred Years ago and was of opinion that the Vowels were invented by the Jewish and Masoretick Doctors of Tiberias a famous School for the Hebrew Tongue So that it was about âive hundred Years after Christ when the Hebrew Points were found out and the Rabbins and Masorites of Tiberias were the first Authors of them This is the Judgment of Elias the Levite and he is the only Iew of this Opinion Nor is he followed by any Christians but those who have a design to vilify the Hebrew Bible and to prefer and magnify the LXX or some other Translation Of this sort are the Writers before mentioned who largely inveigh against the Authority of the Hebrew Edition And to promote a Disesteem of it one of them tells us that the Masorites of Tiberias who as he saith were the first Inventers of the Hebrew Vowels Points and Tittles borrowed them from the Turks the Bible according to him had these from the Alcoran And another tells us that if Moses were alive he would not know one Apex in the Jewish Books for they have their Letters from the Chaldees and their Points from the Mââsoreths Nay he ventures to say that if Kiââ David were alive again and heard his Psalââ read or sung in the Jews Synagogues he woulâ ask what Tongue they used for the right Souââ and Pronunciation of the Hebrew is quite loâ and no Man understands it unless it be thââ Writer himself All this is Romance and sââ on foot only to disparage the Bible and to makâ us believe that the Old Testament is not the same that it was To which end also the Hebrew Points or Vowels are condemned for their Novelty and are said to be invented by the Talmudick Doctoâ and Masorites Whereas there is mention made in several Jewish Writers of the Points and Vowels long before the Doctors of Tiberias which is said to be about the Year of our Lord 500. And from what we have observ'd already concerning the Masoretick Notes on the Bible it is easy to prove that the Hebrew Vowels were before that time for if the Masorites criticized on the Vowels as well as the other Letters and Accents aâ was said before then 't is not probable in the least that they invented them We find that they take notice of the Irregularity of these Points in several places whereas if they had made them themselves they would have been all regular It is Nonsense to think that they that made the one viz. the Critical Notes made the other namely the Vowels and Points Hear likewise what the Learned Pocock saith It is an Argument that the Vowels were antienter than the Masoretick Notes in regard that they seem thereby to be governed in judging of the Consonants And in some other place in his Commentary he delivers his Judgment that the Vowels were not invented by the Masorites but were long before them yea were of the same Antiquity with the Letters or Consonants It is well known that all the Jews but him before named hold the Antiquity of the Hebrew Points yea some of them carry them back as far as Adam and vouch they were found out by him Other Learned Men among them assert that these Vowels were given at the time of the delivering the Law on Mount Sinai then it was that God writ the Decalogue with Points and gave it to the Jews by the hands of Moses And as to the rest of the Writings and the whole Body of the Old Testament the common Opinion of the Jews is that Ezra was the Author of the Vowels which are annexed to them and that he and the great Synagogue of which he was President first invented them after the Captivity Thus whether they commenced from Adam or from Moses or Ezra they all agree in this that they were very antient and in a manner coeval with the Letters and Words and consequently that they are part of the Text and of Divine Authority This being so old and so recent an Opinion it hath gain'd the Suffrage of the wisest and learnedst Christians in the World You may particularly find it maintained in the Writings of Munster Pagninus Buxtorf Vsher Cappellus Broughton Lightfoot Walton all of them singularly well skill'd in Jewish Antiquity and therefore fit Judges in this Cause They have proved by undeniable Arguments that the Hebrew Bible had Vowels or Pricks from the beginning and that it was never without them The Opinion then which the Objectors have espoused is justly to be exploded It is against the unanimous Testimony of the Jewish Church thâ the Points are but Mens Invention It is unsaââ and dangerous to assert that these Vowels werâ added since the first writing of the Old Testament for the Certainty of the Truth of thosâ Writings and consequently of the Writings oâ the New Testament wherein those are so ofteâ alledged is shaken hereby For no Man of Sensâ can believe that the right reading of the Text could continue some thousands of Years witâoââ the Points this is an incredible Fiction And then it is as impossible that the genuine Sense oâ Scripture which depends on the Words as theââ upon the Vowels as well as the Consonants could have been preserved unless the Bible had beeâ Pointed Whence it was said in the Jewish Taâmud that Letters without Points are like a Body without a Soul Hence was that Saying Hââ that reads without Points is like a Man that rides without a Bridle We therefore firmly maintain and that with the approbation of Antiquity that the Words of the Hebrew Text had Points added to them at the beginning and that these Points which we now have are the same with them To this purpose we here appeal to the Testimony of the Jews who will bear witness that the Books of the Old Testament which we now receive answer exactly to the Pointed Text which they havâ received and always did Nay we may end the Controversy without an Appeal for our own Eyes and Ears will satisfy us If we compare our English or Latin or other Bibles with the Hebrew one which is used among the Jews and is daily put forth by the present Rabbies in the several parts of the World we shall find that they agree and we shall be convinced that they own the same
ãâã They had also as we learn from ãâã âother Water to try Perjury which might be of the same Original Twelfthly We read in several Authors some of whom you will find quoted in Caelius Rhodiginââ that Branches were used in the superstitious Rites of the Gentiles and in the Worship of their Gods Among the Athenians particularly there was a Festival which took its Name from Branches and Plutarch and others tell us that they went about with Boughs in their Hands in honour of Baccâââ If we compare this with what the Jews did in the Feast of Tabernacles as the Scripture testifieth and as Iosephus relates namely that they sat under Booths which they shadowed with Branches that they sacrificed to God holding in their Hands Boughs of Myrtle and Palm and that they went up and down many days with these in their hands we may gather hence that this Hebrew Rite was borrowed by the Gentiles who were very apish especially if we take notice that the Jews and Gentiles kept this sort of Feast at the same time of the Year For the Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated on the âifteenth Day of the Month Tirsi i. e. about the beginning of our September then it was that they feasted and made merry and express'd it by all signs of rejoicing and then it was also that the Pagans kept their great Feast in honour of Bacchus I know Plutarch derives that from this and so makes the Jews imitate the Gentiles as some of late have done but I hope I have suggested sufficient reason already and may do more afterward to antidote against this vain Conceit I pass on to other Particulars the ãâã mong the Iews nourished their Hair for a time ãâã then dedicated it to God which was done by cuttiââ it off and offering it in the Temple or Tabeâââcle and then burning it with the Sacrifice ãâã 6. 18. That the Pagans imitated them in this ãâã evident thus concerning the Greeks ãâã testifies that they dedicated the First-fruits ãâã their Hair to Apollo Aesculapius Hercules ãâã and other Gods The Romans likewise the ãâã time they shaved their Beards and cut the Hair ãâã their Heads offered them to some Deity as ãâã be proved from Suetonius and other ãâã And not only the Greeks and Romans but the Assâârians and several other Nations took up this Oâstom as you may satisfy your selves abundantly froâ some Criticks who have handled this Subject Several other things I might mention as the Jews putting away all Leaven at the Passover wheâce perhaps Leavened Bread was not permitted to the Gentiles at some certain times yea it was not lawful saith Aulius Gellius for Iupiter's Priests to touch Leaven From the Jews the Custom of Circumcising went to several Nations and not from them to the Jews as Strabo Celsus and others conceited But Origen confutes this Mistake and shews that God himself first instituted this Ceremony that Abraham and his Race first practised it and in imitation of them the People of the next neighbouring Countries took it up as the Arabians and Egyptians Of these latter and the Ethiopians the Persians Phoenicians the Troâlodytae and those of Colchos Herodotus ãâã Strabo testify that this Rite was used by them Philostorgius relates the same of the antient Arabians Pythagoras was circumcised saith ãâã However this is certain that this Jewish Practice came into use among several Nations and it was originally from Abraham who was first circumcised and his Stock who were Jews I might add here that the Jews at circumcising the Child gave it a Name thence the Pagans took up the same Custom of giving Names to their Infants Hence Dies Nominalis went along with Dies Lustricus and this was about the eighth or ninth Day among the Romans which seems also to be in imitation of the Jews Bigamy was forbidden to the Pagan Priests as it was to the Jewish ones So in compliance with the Mosaick Law it was unlawful for their Priests to touch any dead Corps From the same Sacred Fountain was their Aqua Lustralis used in sprinkling of Sepulchres and to purify those who had touched them or came near them From the Law of Cherem the Anathema the Thing or Person devoted to Death Lev. 27. 28 29. seem to be derived the Pagan ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and Devota Capita The neighbouring Gentiles heard of the devoting to utter Destruction certain Cities and their Inhabitants and 't is likely they heard that this was done by the special Command of God Hence they apishly and superstitiously imitated this Usage as you have seen they do in other things and devoted certain Men to Death and Destruction to please and propitiate their Gods And this is the more credible because the very word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which was sometimes confounded with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã was used by the antient Greeks to signify those miserable and execrable Wretches who were thus destined to the Infernal Ghosts When any great Plague or Calamity broke in upon the Pagans Men as well as Beasts were devoted to Slaughter and given up as Propitiatory Offerings to their Deities and these I say were by them termed ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Accursed Devoted Execrable Creatures which answers to the Jewish Cherems which were Things or Persons devoted to utter Destruction This Pagan Usage was but a Transcript of the Hebrew one Perhaps the use of Lots among the Gentiles had its Original from what the Sacred Writings relate of this Practice In Lev. 16. 8. two Goats in order to some Sacred Design were chosen by Lot Ioshuah found out Achan to be an Accursed Criminal by this means Iosh. 7. 14 18. The first Assignation of Portions in the Land of Canaan was by casting Lots Josh. 13. 2. Saul was chosen King of Israel thus 1 Sam. 10. 21. By the same Method Ionas was discovered to be the Cause of the Tempest Ionas 1. 7. From which antient Instances of Lottery it is probable the Gentiles borrowed the like Usage and made choice of their Military and Civil Officers and transacted other Matters in this way In Homer some of the Great Commanders are made after this fashion as Eurylochus and others Some of the Athenian Magistrates were annually call'd to their Places by Lot whence they were stilâd ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Particularly this was the manner of chusing Judges at Athens as you may see in Caelius Rhodiginus Yea some were chosen into the Priesthood with this Ceremony and therefore had the name of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as Aristotle tells us in the fourth Book of his Politicks They used Lottery on other accounts as you may see in Suidas in the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã This also was in use among the Old Romans sometimes and not only in the Election of Publick Officers but in other Affairs more especially in their Divinations these Lots were made use of as
Alah nor Chi Alon nor Chi gnolam but Chi Elohim or Chi El take which you please that is referr'd to here by the Poet for these are the very words used in Scripture and we read that one of them especially is the express form of Swearing among the Hebrews Which is the thing I alledged this passage for viz. To let you see how Pagan Writers have frequent references to the Book of God and particularly the Name of the True God and to the Customs and Usages there spoken of and thereby do in some measure give testimony to the Truth and Reality of those Writings I would offer to the Learned another Notion in prosecution of the Subject I have been so long upon I am of the Opinion that from The frequent mention of Horns in the Old Testament the Heathens borrow'd the like expression and apply'd it in that very sense in which 't is used in those Holy Writings The Hebrew Keren whence the Greek ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Latin Cornu and the German and English Horn signifies Might Strength Fortitude as also Ioy Safety Prosperity whence you read of the Horn of Salvation 2 Sam. 22. 3. Psal. 18. 2. and the exalting lifting up and setting ãâã the Horn 1 Sam. 2. 1. Ps. 75. 4 10. Ps. 89. 17. Ps. 112. 9. Lam. 2. 17. Zach. 1. 21. On the contrary cutting off the Horn signifies debasing degrading a mournful unsafe afflicted Condition ãâã is clear from Ps. 75 10. Ier. 48. 25. Lam. 2. 3. And defiling the Horn is of the same import ãâã 16. 5. From the signification of the Verb Kuran we may be partly confirmed in this sense of the Noun Keren for 't is said of Moses's Face that it shone Ex. 34. 29. it was very Bright and Glorious The vulgar Latin renders it it was Horn'd and thence was said before Moses is âsually Pictured with Horns But we must unâârstand it spoken Metaphorically viz. of those âays or Beams of Light which darted from his face and which were as 't were Horns of Light So in Hab. 3. 4. by Horns is meant Brightness or Light and it is so expresly interpreted in that rerse The Radiency the Splendour of Moses's Face was very great and is rightly called by the Apostle the Glory of his Countenance 2 Cor. 3. 7. So that hence we may gather that the word imports Outward Glory And as this word Keren signifies more generally Power Grandeur Ourward Glory and Prosperity so it more particularly denotes Kingly Power Soveraign Dominiou and Empire the Greatness and Splendor of Crowned Heads Whence by the way I propound it as probable that from the Eastern words Karan and Keren are derived the Greek ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Dominus Imperator and the Latin Corona Thus Horn is applied in 1 Sam. 2. 10. He shall give strength unto his King and exalt the Horn of his Annointed And in the Psalms you will find that this word hath particular reference to David as King Ps. 89. 24. 91. 10. So in Ps. 132. 17. 't is spoken of him as the Lord 's Annointed and 't is joyn'd with a Crown in the next verse In the Book of Daniel this Language is very common in the 7th and 8th Chapters a Horn and Horns signifie Princely Dominion and the Persons that exercis'd it and in the latter of these Chapters those two Horn'd Beasts a Ram and a Goat are Representatives of Kings and Kingdoms It is in express words said in two places Horns are Kings Dan. 7. 24. 8. 7. Now from this particular stile and idiom of the Ancient Holy Book of the Scriptures the Heathen Writers learnt to speak after the same manner Not only in a general way was the word Horn used by some of their Authors to express Vigour Spirit Strength and Power but more especially and signally they makâ use of it to signifie Supream Power and Dignity such as that of their Gods and of their Kings Thus Corniger was the Epithet of Iupiter Hammon and we may inform our selves from several Writers that he was commonly pictured with Horns which had its rise I conceive from the like representation of Great Ones in the Old Testament as you have heard I know other Reasons are alledg'd as that of Servius who thinks this Iupiter had that Title and was represented Horned because of his Winding Oracles because his Answers had as many crooked Turnings as a Ram's Horn. Macrobius and some others tell us that this Hammon was no other than the Sun whose Beams are Cornute whose Rays are in the fashion of Horns If the Moon had been meant then I confess the Epithet of Horned had been very Natural But I don't think that the Metaphorical Horns of the Sun which are its Rays were thought of here by the Antients Wherefore I look upon these as mean and trifling Reasons But the true occasion if I mistake not of their describing Iupiter Hammon with Horns and of representing other Gods as Pan and Bacchus after the same manner was this that they complied with the Stile of the Sacred Writings as was an usual thing with them which set forth Great Power Magnificence and Glory especially Kingly Power and Greatness by the expression of Horns This suited well with their Gods who were Great Folks and generally Deified Kings We read that a Ram and a Goat are Symbols of Regal Strength in the Prophetick Writings in imitation of which it is probable Iupiter Hammon was worshipp'd in Afsrick in the shape of an Image which had partly the proportions of a Ram and partly of a Goat And from the same Original viz. the Holy Scriptures it was that Antiently the Pagan Kings and Monarchs were represented and stiled Horned as we may satisfie our selves from several Authors It is well known that Alexander the Great was called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã bicornis of which some give this Reason because say they of the amplitude of his Empire which was extended to both the extream Horns of the World East and West Others say he would have been thought to be the Son of Iupiter Hammon who was Cornute and accordingly they drew Alexander so And there are other Reasons assign'd by Authors why this Great Conquerour had the denomination of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but they seem to be far fetch'd and not to give us the true and genuine account of it which I take to be this viz. That this Title was derived to the Gentiles from the frequent Language and Phraseology of the Old Testament which expresses Kingly Power by Horns and more especially from the Prophecy of Daniel where the Grecian Monarchy is deseribed by a He Goat an Horn'd Animal and the first King of that third Monarchy viz. Alexander the Great is signified by Keren Chazuth a Notable Horn Dan. 8. 5. a Great and Visible Horn as the Hebrew word properly signifies And again he is call'd in the same Chapter the Great Horn v. 21. All Interpreters agree in
this that Alexander the Great is meant here although they differ in expounding other parts of the Chapter Hence this Mighty Monarch would in his Pictures and Coins be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã represented as Horn'd yea his choice Horse which he most prized is known by this Character And from this Great Man his Successors learnt to stamp their Coine with Horned Images and Impressions Hence âlexander is called Dulcarnain in the Alcoran by Mabomet which is equivalent to ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for that I suppose to be the meaning of that Eastern word And 'till some others give a better Interpretation of Chaucer's at Dulkernoon I presume to say it signifies as much as to be in a âaze to be at ones wits end to be dilemma'd to be push'd at on one side and the other as 't were with a double Horn. So much for that Name given to that Great Monarch of which many Writers have disputed and I have made bold to put in among the rest and to offer my apprehensions concerning that Epithet I refer it to the Old Testament which was not unknown to some of the wisest of the Gentiles who thence borrow'd many Words and Phrases and more Customs and Practices Hence Horns came to be significatâve of Kingly Greatness and Power Hence it was a Custom among the Persians to wear a Rams Head of Gold for a Diadem Hence Attila King of Hunns was pourtray'd with Horns as is to be seen in Ancient Medals And that Horns were a Badge of Regality and Dominion is clear from what we read in Valerius Maximus viz. That when on a sudden Horns were seen to appear on the head of Genitius Cippus as he was going out at the door the Response was that he should be King if he return'd into the City I have now almost finish'd my Task I mean so far as it respects the Old Testament Let me only add this after all That many things in Homer Euripides Sophocles Theognis c. may not only be reduced to but seem to be borrow'd from David's Psalms Solomon's Proverbs the Book of Wisdom and Ecclesiasticus which are but an imitation of these and other parts both of the Canonical and Apocriphal Writings This hath been partly shew'd by some of late but might be carried on much further I do not think every Saying that is like another in Scripture was taken thence That of the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. 9. which he takes from Isai. 64. 4. Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither hath it enter'd into the Heart of Man is very like that passage in Empedocles ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but no Man can think there was any reference to it I do not say that Lucretus's Cedit item retro de terrâ quod fuit ante In terras Et quod missum est Aetheris oris c. was copied out of Solomon Eccles. 12. 7. Toen shall the dust return to the Earth as it was and the Spirit shall return unto God who gave it I know many Sentences may happen to be alike yea the same in Sacred and Prophane Writers The Moral Subject they Treat upon might afford the like matter and words sometimes but in comparing the Hagiographa and those Writings you will find that that there is more than this the Genius of the Stile is the same the manner of Expression the forms of Speech the particular Phrases and proverbial Sayings which had their first rise among the Hebrews are the very same This is excellently shewed by the Learned Hugh Grotius in his Annotations and it plainly discovers whence the Pagan Writers had those things Some of the Prophane Poets borrow'd their strain of Love-Songs and Epithalamiums from Solomon's Canticle Especially Theocritus as Sanctius hath observed from whom the rest learnt that way of Verse hath not a few passages in his Idyllia expresly taken out of that Sacred Song And in that Dialogue of Plato which he entitles Symposium or his Eroticks there are several things which you would guess are allusions to Solomon's Love-Dialogue or Epithalamium And to heap up several particulars together it was said by Solon in his Discourse with Craâsus as both Herodotus and Diogenes Laertius report that the Term of Mans Life is threescore years and ten as if he had had it from the Pen of the Holy Psalmist Psal. 90. 10. The Acclamation or Shout which was used among the Heathens in War when there was an occasion of Joy and Thanksgiving was ãâã which you may eaâily conceive was a corruption of Allelujah Some Chapters and Psalms of the Old Testament are disposed in an Alphabetical Order which gave rise to that sort of Verses call'd Acrosticks Such are the Arguments of Plautus's Comedies and the Elogium of Christ in one of the Sibylls which you will find also in Tully This piece of Wit and Fancy was borrowed from the Holy Writings which were Endicted by the Sacred Spirit And here when I am speaking of the Pagans borrowing from the Hebrews I might even observe to you that the very Greek Alpbabet is taken from them which the Grecians themselves in part confess for they say they had their Letters from the phaniâians who were near Neighbours to the Hebrews and who indeed are usually mistaken for these I will add in the last place that the Old Testament hath left some remains of it in most remoto Countries of the World as China India America as our Modern Travellers will inform us In all these parts there are evident and apparent footsteps of the History of the Bible Mastinius in his History of China acquaints us that the Chineses have Records concerning the Vniversal Flood and that there are among that People several Memorials of the Old Patriarchs and accordingly one hath given us a brief account out of him of Cain Enoch and Noah That in India the footsteps of Mosaick Doctrine remain among the Brachmans is proved by Huetius The highest Mountain of Zeilan an Isle in the East-Indies is call'd by the Inhabitants Adam's Top and there is Adam's Cave where he lamented himself after his Fall The Ceremony of putting their Hands under one another's Thighs when they solemnly Swear to one another of which we read in Gen. 24. 2. 47. 29. is observ'd among some of the Indians at this day The Americans saith ââosta have Traditions of the Deluge and make mention of it in their Discourses And Huetius ââeweth that several Rites and Laws of Moses are observed by them The Antient Patriarchs left behind them remembrances of their Actions even in these places their Memory is still preserv'd and retained in many Names Customs and Practices that are among them The Name Ioseph is often found there and Hallelujah is used in their Songs as Hornius observes The People of Peru report that all their Earth was overwhelm'd with waters and lay cover'd with them a long time that
observe how grosly the Latin Writers were mistaken it was a common thing with them to confound Iews and Christians and to make no distinction between them as I have shew'd on another occasion Tacitus's description of the Nation and Religion of the Iews together with the Original of them shews that that Excellent Historian was extremely ignorant of the Affairs of that People They were at first call'd Idaei faith he from the Mount Ida and afterward by an addition of a Letter they had the Name of Iudaei Their Sabbath was Consecrated to Saturn he saith and many such false and fabulous passages are to be found in the Account which he gives of them So Iustin shamefully errs in several things belonging to the Iewish History he makes Abraham the third King of the Iews Israel the Fourth Ioseph the Fifth and Moses whom he reckons to be Ioseph's Son the Sixth In his whole Thirty Sixth Book where he describes the Original and Increase of the Iewish Nation he hath almost as many mistakes as words The rest of the Pagan Historians exceedingly mistake when they Treat of that People because they did not rightly inform themselves and indeavour to have a perfect Account of the Iewish Matters Thus Iosephus himself excuses in part the Heathen Writers when they speak of things done in Iudea imputing their Errors to want of Knowledge and Information Yea he wonders not that the Iewish Nation was not known to some of them and that they write not a word of it for the most diligent Historians saith he were ignorant of France and Spain and he instances in Ephorus who he observes had so little knowledge of Spain that he took it for one single City and no more We might observe likewise that little or nothing is mention'd of this our Isle of Britain either by Greek or Roman Historians before Casar's Commentaries And in the same place he takes notice that neither Herodotus nor Thucydides nor any that were of that Age make mention of Rome although it had been in great power a long time and had waged so many Wars He adds that all Things of the Greeks are new and of yesterday giving this as one Reason why the Greek Historians make no mention of the Iewish Affairs They were themselves but upstarts in respect of the Iews But though they knew but little of them yet they feigned many things and represented them as they pleas'd Especially their Poets who were very ignorant of the Iewish Institution and of the true meaning of the most things which they had from those of that Nation or from their Books yet took the liberty to invent and add and to mingle their own Conceits and Fancies with that little which they had heard or knew of them 10. Some if not most of the Heathens out of Averseness and Hatred to the Iews perverted those things which had any Relation to that People This was a Nation that was separated from all others and was different from not to say contrary to the rest of the World in many things wherefore they grew odious and detestable and the Pagans wilfully Misrepresented and Traduced them and delighted to load them with all sorts of Calumnies All Writers bandied against the Iews and Christians they were all in League against these however they disagreed among themselves Hence it is that when-ever they present their Readers with any thing concerning them they generally shew that Ill-Will which they bore to them Thus Manethon the Egyptian Historian though he hath many things that agree with what the Scripture saith of the Iews yet he mis-represents several particulars and adds others in disgrace of Moses and the Israelites And indeed from Egypt was the rise of those Malicious Calumnies against them for the People of that Nation were sensible of and retain'd in their Minds the many Plagues that were inflicted on them for their sakes and the last Mortal Farewel in the Red-Sea and they expressed their implacable prejudice against them by reproaching them and they taught others to do so too Thus Iustin or rather Trogus Pompeius whom he Epitomizes tells us that the Iews were expell'd Egypt because God had Reveal'd to the Egyptians that the Plague which then raged among them could by no other way be allay'd than by that Nation 's being turn'd out Diodorus the Sicilian and Tacitus write that the Iews were thrust out of Egypt by the Inhabitants because they were Scabby and Leprous Apion with a detestable Impudence rails against this People and out of meer malice invents and forges Lies to disgrace them He not only repeats the foresaid Calumny viz. That they were expell'd out of that Country because their Bodies were over-run with Leprosie but he adds several others and miserably perverts the History of Moses Pliny avoucheth that Moses was a Magician and Strabo reckons him among Astrologers and Diviners So Ioseph is said to have been skill'd in Magick Arts. Though perhaps it might proceed from Ignorance only that some of the Pagan Historians reckon these in the number of Magicians for they had heard of what wonderful things these Great Men had done in Egypt the one when he grapled with the Egyptian Sorcerers the other in Interpreting of Dreams and they concluded they were effected by Magick accordingly they represented them as Persons of that Character But even the mistakes of these Gentile Writers concerning them and others shew that they had heard of such Men and the things they did and they are a Testimony of the reality of the History in general Then as for the Pagan Poets the same prejudice and Hatred reigned in them and discover'd themselves in Lies and Fictions about the Iews and what is related concerning them in the Old Testament When they refer to any passage in the Sacred Story they malitiously desile it with their own Inventions they distort and falsly deliver the circumtances and they blend it so with their own ridiculous Fancies that they turn it into a Fable Again if we may give credit to Deme ãâã Phalereus Library-Keeper to King Ptolo ãâã and who was the Man that first excited him to promote that notable work of Tran ãâã the Old Testament into Greek there was this Notion among the Pagan Writers that this Holy Book was not to be prophanely handled nor the Matters of it made common by every one that undertook to write yea that ãâã inserting of them into their Writings was I gross Prophaning of them and had met with â suitable punishment Thus one Theopompus who had inserted some passages of the Bible into his Writings was struck with Madness and another named Theodectes who made use of some place of Scripture in a Tragedy of his was almost deprived of his sight for it but the former when he was made sensible of his fault was restor'd to a right mind again and the latter upon acknowledging the like Offence recover'd his Eye-sight This was related saith Iosephus
Renowned Acts of several of the Patriarchs and first Worthies c. It is a great establishing of our Faith that those Pagans derived so many things from Scripture The Gentile Writers vouch a great part of our Religion Wherefore we must needs imbrace it when it is attested by such Disinteressed Persons 3. We ought to take notice of the Wonderful Providence of God in this matter Behold the Scripture is attested by those who never owned its Authority yea the very Enemies of these Holy Writings ratiâie the Truth and Certainty of them The Heathen Poets whilst they Corrupt Divine Truth assert it Their very Lies and Fictions bear witness to the Sacred Verities their Fables confirm the Infallibility of the Bible This is the Lord 's doing here the Great and Over-ruling Wisdom of God is seen Here his Almighty Power in baââing Satan's Contrivances and Designs may be discern'd He as was said before intended the Corruption of the Scriptures the silencing of the Truth the Exalting of himself and the Advancing of his Kingdom But the All-Wise and Powerful Moderator of the World disappointed his Designs and made this thing we are speaking of serviceable and beneficial to Religion he made it become an Argument of its Antiquity Reasonableness and Certainty against the Cavils of Atheists and Infidels 4. Henceforth we are reconciled to the Writings of Prophane Authors We have this considerable advantage by reading the Works of the Ancient Heathens and by perusing their Stories and Fables that we shall find some Greater Thing couched in them than the bare Narrative For these Writers borrow'd many things from the Holy Book their broken Stories are often-times an imperfect account of Scripture Relations Sundry things in their Writings are gather'd out of the Divine Volume but are strangely wrested pervertrd and obscured by having new Names and âeigned Circumstances affix'd to them Almost all the Gentile Fables and Theology flowed from a depraved sense of the Sacred Writings The Poets disguise true Stories with many Fictions and some Reliques of Divine Truth are buried under their ingenuous Fancies and Fabulous Narrations Ovid Transcribed the Greek Theology from Orpheus Homer Hesiod and other Ancient Poets and these had it from the Bible The very Poetick Fictions refer unto real Story and are drawn from the Divine Source of Truth So that we are reading the Holy Scripture in a manner whilst we are turning over Pagan Writers In these we meet with Truths Transplanted from the Sacred Book we find many passages stollen from the Hebrew Fountains It is not to be denied then that Scholars and Students yea the very Candidates of Sacred Theology may with great profit prie into these Writings of the Pagans for here are the footsteps of Divine Verities Prophane and Sacred Learning are to be joyn'd The Gentile Monuments illustrate the inspired ones We may notwithstanding the disguise which Poets have put upon the Stories see the foundation of them and perceive that those vain Figmentsâ are grounded on some Solid Truth and that a Sacred Treasure lies hid under those confused Fables For this is not to be denied that Palestine afforded Greece matter of fancy and invention the Pagan Poets were befriended by the Iews Athens was indebted to Ierusalem Parnassus was beholding to Sinai and Helicon to Iordan You see then the advantage we may reap by being acquainted with Prophane Writers whilst we look further than the outward shape which they have given to many things and search into that Truth which lies hid under it even the Sacred and undoubted History of the Old Testament Thus we may make them serviceable to far higher and better ends than they are intended This is the best improvement that can be made of them to see the true Source of what is written by them to understand whence they borrowed their matter and to confirm our selves in the belief of the Truth of the Sacred Writings by perusing these which are Prophane 5thly and lastly then See the Authority Truth and Certainty of the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament which is the main thing I have been aiming at I had proved this before by several Arguments and those perhaps on some accounts more Forcing and Convictive than this but I thought good to add this to them as no contemptible way of proving the Antiquity and Authority of the Sacred Book The Truth of the Historical part of the Old Testament is evidenced from Heathen Writers not only Historians but Philosophers and Poets A Man may by comparing these with the Sacred Volume find out the Original of the Pagan Traditions and Fictions and observe the Lineaments of true and unquestionable History among them Hence we shall have no reason to doubt that there were such Persons and Things in being as are spoken of in the Old Testament and that the Passages and Transactions there mention'd were real and true This admirably serves to evince the Authority of those Writings this proves the Truth of the Records of Holy Writ and that they ought to be received as the Oracles of God i. e. as Infallible CHAP. X. The Authority of the Books of the New-Testament confirmed by Pagan and Iewish Writers who speak of a King or Lord that should come out of the East and particularly out of Judaea An Enumeration of the Opinions of the Learned concerning the Sibylls with the particular Sentiment of the Author viz. That the Contents of their Verses were horrow'd from the Old-Testament and that those Women were not Prophetesses but only related what they found in the Inspired Writings or heard of thence A full Answer to the Objections of those who hold the Sibylline Writings to be Spurious NExt I am to shew how the Scriptures of the New-Testament are vouched and confirmed by an External Testimony i. e. how professed Pagans ând Iews Enemies to Christianity have related ând asserted the very same things that are set down ân those Evangelical Writings First I will begin with that which is of a middle nature between what I have been discoursing of before and what â am now to ingage in which therefore may aptây serve as a Transition from one to the other I âean the belief and report recorded in Pagan Writers that a King or Lord should come from the âast and do great and mighty things This was deâived from the Scriptures of the Old Testament and ãâã belongs to the former Discourse but becaâse it is mentioned by Historians that were after Christ's time and the Application is with all reason to be made to Him I rightly bring it in here It was I say a constant Report that prevail'd about the time of our Saviour's Birth and afterwards that some eminent Person or Persons should rise out of those Eastern Nations and be Lords of the World We find Tacitus asserting this and that great Politician and Statesman would needs have it fulfilled in Vespasian and Titus because they were called out of Iudea unto the Empire of Rome Suetonius
that Sibyll's Verses and were meant of Christ's Coming and the happy state of the World which should accompany it which are frequently spoken of in the Old-Testament whence the Sibyll borrow'd these Prophesies No Man can have the face to say that These made use of here by the Roman Poet were obtruded on the World by Christians seeing Christianity it self had its rise afterwards I might go on still and shew that the Sibylls Oracles or some of them at least were mentioned by Authors before our Saviour's time as by Plato in his Phaedrus by Aristotle who particularly names the Cuman Sibyll by Chrysippus who makes mention of her of Delphos by Diodorus the Sicilian Historian and Pausanias who speak of the same Dionysius Halicarnass takes notice of another and Eratosthenes hath written of the Samian Sibyll and Euripides quotes her of Lybia Thus we are assured from the Testimony of these Writers who lived before Christ's Nativity that there were such Persons among the Heathens noted for their Enthusiastick and Prophetick Genius as they suppos'd Now what Man in his Wits dares say that the Christians forg'd the Verses of these Sibylls when there were no Chrstians at that time 2. Let it be considered how signally it was ordered by God's Providence that some of these Books of the Sibylls should be evidenced to be true and genuine Beâore Christ's Coming the Verses of these Poetick Women were enquir'd into by the Gentiles they were searched and compared with other Copies and the Spurious ones were rejected and the rest kept and safely laid up so that the Christians might alledge them as they did without suspition of Imposture These Books were first offer'd to Tarquin King of the Romans at that time who bought some of them and deposited them in the Capitol and appointed Officers on purpose to take care of them as is related by several credible Writers In that place the Books continued till the Capitol was burnt which was about fourscore Years before Christ's Birth And after it was rebuilt Messengers were dispatched by the Senate into Asia and Greece to search for these Sibylls Verses and accordingly a thousand of were brought and laid up in the new Capitol Others afterwards that were carefully collected were placed in golden Boxes in the Temple of Apollo and when ever there was any great Affair on foot these Oracles were consulted as appears from several good Historians Both Tacitus and Suetonius testifie that when these Writings had been sought out and fetch'd to Rome they were by Augustus's command diligently examined and reviewed by the Senate and by the Quindecemviri that the true Copies might be known from the False Wherefore there is not the least colour of Reason to think that these Books which were thus searched into and examined so strictly were Counterfeit much less is there any possibility that these ancient Writings could be Figments of the Christiâns for they could not feign them before they were in being 3. Nor is there any ground to think that the Volume of the Sibylls Verses now extant as to the main is not the same with that which was before our Saviour's days or that Heretical Christians corrupted it and added to it For first if they did so why is it not shew'd what Heresie what âalse Doctrin they upheld and maintain'd by these Additions and Supplements of theirs I see nothing of this made out by our Adversaries Again If these Writings had been the forgeries of Christians the Heathens would have certainly at one time or other laid open this Cheat and let the World know there were no such Verses But none of them ever pretended to do any thing of this nature wherefore no Man of consistent Thoughts can imagine that these Writings were the meer Invention of some Christians Nay I could add from good Authors that not only Heathens but Iews made frequent use of these Celebrated Books and several of them were brought to embrace the Christian Faith by reading the Contents of them and truly when they saw many things fulfill'd which are here spoken of and fore told it could not but induce them to think well of Christianity Whence it is plain that they had no suspition of these Writings they had no such apprehension as some since have formed viz. that they were a Cheat and that some Christians were the Authors of it And then as for using of Pious Frauds to vouch Christianity there is as little ground for that for seeing they had such a Cloud of Witnesses of all sorts to attest the Truth of the Christian Religion it was altogether superfluous and unnecessary to counterfeit any Or if we should suppose any such thing and grant that some ill-minded Christians inserted some things of their own into the Sibylls Writings yet it doth not follow thence that all is Spurious and Counterfeit I know some condemn all and others allow every thing that goes under the name of the Sibylls Oracles But I know no cause for either but the usual one namely that Writers must run directly counter to one an other This is their practise generally but it is no good one and I have no Inclination to follow it I take an other way the middle one I do not think that all the Verses that bear their names are theirs and genuine and I am far from thinking that all are Counterfeit What if we grant that some things in the Collection of the Sibylls Wâitings as in many others are altâed and super-added Can we conclude from thence that every thing in them is changed and corrupted No surely There were Counterfeit Gospels written but these do not prejudice the others which are True So there are many Pieces go under the names of the Fathers which are Spurious but we do not reject the rest of their Works because of them Thus perhaps it may be here some Christians might add a few things they might insert some Verses that mention those individual Acts and particular Works of our Saviour with some Circumstances which are no where mentioned in the Prophesies of the Old Testament This perhaps they might do I cannot wholly deny it but this is no Argument that the main of these Books was not composed before Christ's time and is Genuine and Authentick Nay we are certain that the date of them was long before I hope I have sufficiently demonstrated that Therefore let us not condemn the whole for the sake of a small part We are certain that many things quoted out of them by the Fathers and which are the clearest Attestations of the Sacred Truths of the Bible are not Supposititious and Forged We are certain that some of their Writings were extant before there were any Christians to corrupt and adulterate them and many of the particular Passages quoted by the Fathers in these Writings are now to be found and are the very same that they were then and consequently they are now as good a
reason no Man can rationally think that such Notable Concomitants of our Saviour's Nativity as the General Taxing and the Appearing of the Star could be recorded by this Historian And as for Tacitus who is the other Celebrated Historian there is as little reason to expect any of these notorious Matters in his Writings because he goes not back so far as Augustus His Annals begin with Tiberius and continue to the death of Nero and his Books of History begin where his Annals left off and go on to the end of Titus Vespasian's Expedition against the Iews and there have their Period L. Florus is but an Abbreviator of Livy and therefore we can look for nothing there So Velleius Paterculus though he goes something farther is an Epitomizer a Scantling of an Historian As for Iustin who flourished in the Emperor Antoninus Pius's time he was but an Epitomizer of Trogus Pompeius and goes no farther than he went therefore we cannot expect any thing of him concerning the Christian Affairs Thus you see what are the boundaries of these Chief Historians and what you may look for or rather not look for from them and also you have the Reasons given you why but few things which have reference to the History of the Gospel are found recorded in Pagan Writers But all that could be rationally look'd for is recorded as I have shew'd you by the best Historians among the Pagans These are the several Considerations which I undertook to offer and I question not but that they will fully satisfie the Scruples and Objections before started and abundantly clear up this Truth to us that we have sufficient Testimony from Pagan and Iewish Writers concerning the Gospel-History This Proposition is evident that the New-Testament is confirmed by Prophane Writers that the Evangelical Records are attested by the authority even of those who were without These have transmitted to us many of those things which are registred by the holy Evangelists The Memoirs of these things are in Prophane Story in the Writings of those that opposed the Christian Religion Thus I have finish'd what I attempted that is I have proved the Truth and Authority of the Scriptures from the suffrage and attestation of Strangers I have let you see that the Confession of our Adversaries agrees with that of our best Friends We appeal to the Iews and to the Gentile-World even these bear witness to the Sacred Writings And their witness cannot be rejected by any reasonable Person because a Testimony is least to be suspected when it comes from an Enemy yea because such a Testimony is reputed firm and solid because it is worthy to be believed bâcause it is most valid for the Commendation and Establishment of the Truth This then rendârs the Books of the Old and New-Testament worthy of all Acceptation viz. that they are vouched by Profesâ d Adversaries And this is that which I have been urging in this Discourse viz. that Iews and Pagans testifie the same things which the Inspired Writers deliver A great part of the memorable Passages set down in these Sacred Writings are left on Record in those others This is a mighty Confirmation of the Truth of these holy Books this is a clear Evidence that they are not forged and supposititious but that the Matters contain'd in them are real and certain that they give a just and faithful Account of the things they treat of in brief that they are the Word of Truth and endited by the Spirit of Truth And thus much in pursuance of the First General Head concerning the Holy Scriptures viz. the Truth and Authority of them FINIS ADDENDA Refer this to Page 261. Line 15. THe English Iay from the Hebrew Ajaâ pica cornix To abash is taken from the Hebrew âush puduit And from the Greek we borrow many words with the omission of a Letter or two in the beginning as Licourice for Glicourice from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Emonies vulgarly so call'd for Anemonies from the Flower ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã whence the Latin Anemone Sciatica for Ischiatica ab ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Hip or Huckle-bone Scaroticks among Physicians for Escharoticks Scar from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã crusta cauterio in carne facta Sol from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Rice from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã oryza Star from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Box from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Maurâs a Moor from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã obscurus Tanâie from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã To gaze from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã admiror stupeo Gay from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã elegans and perhaps Trull from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã laena And I have taken notice of several Words from the Latin with the first Letter or more cut off in the beginning as Uncle from avunculus qu. avuncle Tills as they are call'd in some Countries from Lentils Lenticula Story from History Historia Bishop qu. Pischop from Episcopus Spain from Hispania Sparagus for Asparagus A Plaister from Emplastrum Stum from mustum Dropsy from Hydrops Gypsy for Egypsy of Latin original Pouch for Capouch a Cowl or Hood whence the Capuchin Friars have their Name from Caputium a Hood worn on the Head Picked i. e. sharp at the end qu. spiked from Spica an Ear of Corn Or if it comes from a Pike then that seems to come from Spiculum a Pike or Spear and that is from Spica it is likely Sides men corruptly for Assisting-men it being their Office to Assist the Church-Wardens unless you will rather understand by them Testes Synodales Synods-Men who were anciently joined with the Church-Wardens There are other English Words derived after the same manner from the English Saxon and French Thus Poppy with the p left out in the beginning and middle seems to give the denomination to Opium which is now a Word that may pass for English and signifies the Juice of Poppy as if Popium were the Word Sterling for Easterling Bour or Bowr from Arbour Spittle or Spital for Hospital Valis for Avail Vantage for Advantage Say for Essay Grees Stairs for Degrees Cantle in Heraldry quasi Scantling Prentice vulgarly for Apprentice Stover for Cattle from the French Estover Squire for Esquire à Gall. Esâuyer Quiry or Querry for Equerry a Place a Stable where Race-Horses are set To Ply for Employ Instead of Sacristan we corruptly say Sexton For God be with you we say Good By For Koningstable or Kingstable we say Constable the Officer that is appointed and establish'd by the King or to conserve the King's Peace We vulgarly a say Spice for a Specimen Hogo for Haut-goust Carfax for Quatre voix the place were Four Ways meet in Oxford Some have thought that Elphs and Goblins with which they frighted Children heretofore are derived from the famed and so âalked of Feud between the Guelphs and Guibilines Saragosa in Spain is most corruptly pronounced for Caesar Augusta The Emperor of the Abyssines is called Prestor-Iohn
Christ into Heaven as it is expounded by that infallible Interpreter Ephes. 4. 8. Wherefore he saith When he ascended up on high he led Captivity captive and gave Gifts unto Men which refers to the abovesaid Psalm but is applied to Christ's Ascension by the Apostle here The 45th Psalm is originally a Song of Loves an Epithalamium on the Nuptials of King Solomon and the King of Egypt's Daughter but in a remote and mystical Sense it is meant of the Majesty and Glory of Christ's Kingdom and the admirable Benefits which accrue to the Church in the Times of the Gospel And many other Psalms might be produced wherein the double Sense before-mentioned is clearly to be discerned To proceed Though the whole Book of Canticles be in its literal Capacity no other than Solomon's Wedding-song yet it is to be look'd upon in the more sublime Acception of it as a Dialogue between Christ and his Church setting forth all those divine Amours which are mutually experienc'd by them And that this Part of Holy Scripture called the Song of Solomon is of a higher Strain than the bare Letter imports and that it contains great Mysteries and Abstrusities in it may be gathered from that extraordinary Reverence which the Jews paid to this Book For Origen tells us that this as well as the Beginning of Genesis was not permitted to be read by them till they had attain'd to some Maturity of Years I come next to the Evangelical Prophet Isaiah who hath many things concerning Christ and his spiritual Kingdom or Church but it is to be acknowledged that some of them in the first and literal Sense may and ought to be interpreted otherwise Yea the learned Grotius and Hammond are of the Opinion that that famous Prophecy in Isa. 7. 14. Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call âis Name Immanuel hath a double Sense The Words literally and primarily respect a strange and wonderful Birth in those very Days Secondarily and mystically they are spoken of the Messias who was to be born miraculously of a Virgin Whether this Opinion be true or no we are certain that there is a mystical Meaning to be added to the literal or rather as I said before it might be more expressive to say a secondary Meaning is added to the primary one in sundry Passages which we meet with not only in this Prophet but in Ieremiaâ and Ezekiel Concerning the former of these the Jewish Historian hath these Words Ieremiah saith he in his Book foretold the Captivity which the Israelites were to undergo in Babylon which was just then approaching and also the Slaughter and Destruction which we of this Age have seen There was a twofold Sense according to this learned Writer in some of this Prophet's Predictions Yea there was a double literal or historical Sense which was the thing that I asserted before Whence you see I had reason to make the Distinction of a first and a second Meaning of Scripture rather than of a literal and a mystical though I bring the mystical Meaning when there is such an one under the second As to the latter of these Prophets when we find him relating strange things acted in Visions and Dreams which are things only imaginary and represented to the Fancy we must not think them true in a strict literal Sense for they are only or most commonly done in Appearance and many times will not admit of a real Performance as they are related and described But we are to look upon them as Enigmatical Representations and to fix only a mystical Sense upon them that is to understand them as signiâicative of some greater and higher thing than they represent in themselves Which may be one Reason why among the Jews those that had not arrived to some considerable Age were not allowed to read the Beginning and End of the Prophecy of Ezekiel in which Parts chiefly those more mystical Visions are inserted I might pass to the other Prophets and mention some Places in which we must needs acknowledg a secondary Meaning as in that of Daniel chap. 9. 27. For the overspreading of Abominations or with the Wing or Army of Abominations he shall make it desolate which was meant without doubt of Antiochus's desolating Armies which were so abominable to the Jews and who as we read set up the Abomination of Desolation upon the Altar But yet our Saviour himself the best Expositor of the Place le ts us know that this was meant also in a prophetical and secondary way of the Roman Armies that sat down before Ierusalem and after a long Siege made their way into the City and Temple and so might be said to stand in the holy Place When ye shall see the Abomination of Desolation saith he spoken of by Daniel the Prophet stand in the holy Place then c. It is manifest therefore that Daniel spoke of both these destroying Armies His Words are to be taken in a twofold Sense a primary and secondary one In the former they speak of what happen'd to the Jews when Antiochus's Army invaded them In the latter they speak of what befel them when Titus Vespasian came against them and destroyed their City and Nation This is the double Sense and therefore you may observe what our Saviour inserts Whoso readeth let him understand As much as to say when you read that Passage in the Prophet Daniel you are to understand something more than ordinary in it you must take notice of a hidden Sense in those Words they speak not only of what was to come to pass in Antiochus's but in Vespasian's Reign which was about 250 Years after The abominable desolating Armies of both are here meant You see then here is a double literal Sense and that was the Reason why I chose rather the Division of the Scripture-Sense into primary and secondary and of this latter into historical and mystical than that received one of literal and mystical because both the Sense sometimes may be literal This ought to be carefully observed by all those who are desirous to attain to a right Understanding of the Holy Scriptures And it is the want of attending to this that hath often hindred Mens due Apprehensions of several Texts We see here in the Instance before us that the Letter of this Text in Daniel may be applied both to the Syrian and the Roman Armies I might produce those Words in the Prophecy of Hosea Out of Egypt have I called my Son ch 11. 1. Which are to be understood not only of the Patriarchs of old God's Children or Sons being brought by God out of Egypt but of Christ the Son of God call'd out thence after the Death of Herod Matth. 2. 15. This Place of Hosea must be understood of both Hither may be referred some other Places of the Old Testament made use of in the New where it is said This was done that it might be fulfilled which was
by Emblems and Allâgories And Esop the famous moral Fabâlist is the antientest Book in Prose that we have extant Hâraclitus gain'd the Name ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã becauâe of the Obscurity of his Writings by reason of his dark and enigmatical Representations of things Only Epicurus took the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã for his Motto and pretended to great Plainness and Perspicâity But generally all the antientest Greek Sages were wont to âet off their Opinions with a Mixture of Fable or Allegory This Symbolick Way of Learning was in use among the Gymnosophists and Druids as Laertius witnesses Phornutus faith the same of all the Antients Both Greeks and Barbarians used it saith Clemens of Alexandria This was partly the Fashion of the old Egyptians they used to wrap up the Mysteries of their Religion and of their Civil Affairs likewise in Hieroglyphick Figures as God who sees and sustains all things was represented by an Eye and a Staff the Periodical Revolution of the Year by a Serpent with his Tail in his Mouth a King by a Bee which is noted for its Honey and its Sting to tell us that Reward and Punishment are both necessary in Civil Government When they would represent Erudition or Learning they pictured the Heavens pouring down Dew which perhaps was borrowed from Moses Deut. 32. 2. My Doctrine shall drop as the Rain my Speech shall distil as the Dew For 't is not improbable that the Egyptians had many of their mystical Symbols and Expressions from the Jews as I have shew'd in another Place The Parabolical Way is not unlike to this it conveying the Notions of things to us by fit Representations by apt Symbols And our Saviour thought good to comport with this manner of Speech which he knew had been in use with the greatest Masters of Learning and he vouchsafed to imitate them because he could so innocently do it because as you shall hear by and by this was a very convenient and profitable way of imparting Truth to them 2. This Instructing by Parables and Allegories was used not only by the antient Philosophers and Sages among the Gentiles but as a learned Father hath amply shew'd by the holy Prophets and Men of God and other eminent Persons among the Jews of old There are interspersed in the Writings of the Old Testament several Parables and Speeches which are of a Parabolical Nature as Iotham's Parable of the Trees that went forth on a time to anoixt a King over them Judg. 9. 8. This indeed is properly an Apologue which in strictness of Speaking differs from a Parable in this that the Similitude is taken from a thing that is not only false but impossible for such is this ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã this speaking of Trees which is here represented And such is that other Apologue viz. of the Thistle's sending to the Cedar 2 Chron. 25. 18. and an Overture of a Marriage between them which is mere Fiction and a bold attributing of humane Action to irrational and sensless things There is not a third in all the Bible of this sort But among the Parables used of old by God's People we may reckon that Aenigme or Parabolical Riddle of Sampson which he put forth at his Marriage-Feast Out of the Eater came forth Meat and out of the Strong came forth Sweetness Judg. 14. 14. Nathan's Parable of the Ewe-Lamb 2 Sam. 12. is a very notable one and is famous for the admirable Effect it had In Isaiah's Prophecy we read the Parable of a Vineyard ch 5. 1 c. and several Visions and Types in a Parabolical Manner In Ieremiah we have a great many Typical Representations and Parables as of the Linen Girdle and of the Bottles filled with Wine ch 13. of abstaining from Marriage ch 16. of a Potter ch 18. of a Potter's Vessel ch 19. of good and bad Figs ch 24. of a Cup of Wine ch 25. of Bonds and Yokes ch 27. In Ezekiel there is the like way of expressing great and important Truths viz. in a Symbolical way There you have the Types or Parables of a Siege ch 4. of a Barber's Razor ch 5. of a Chain ch 7. of Ezekiel's removing and of the Vine-tree ch 15. of two Eagles and a Vine ch 17. of Lions Whelps taken in a Pit ch 19. of a boiling Pot ch 24. Thus you see it was the antient Custom of the Prophets and holy Men to deliver their Instructions in way of Parables Yea this was the Guise and Genius of the Country the Eastern People used to wrap up their Observations on Nature and the Manners of Men in this mystical way Our Saviour vouchsafed to comply with the Practice of his Countrymen but especially he thought fit to conform himself to the manner of Speech and Delivery which the Prophets used and with which the Jews were acquainted Accordingly he delivered himself very often in a figurative and mystical Stile and uttered many excellent divine Truths in the dark way of Parables 3. He did this sometimes to hide his heavenly Matter from undeserving Persons that Pearls might not be cast before Swine nor Evangelical Truths be exposed to the wilful Despisers of the Gospel This Account our Saviour himself gives in Matth. 13. 10. When the Disciptes had said unto him Why speakesâ thou unto them i. e. to the Multitude in Parables He answered and said Because it is given to you to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but unto them it is not given And v. 13. Therefore speak I to them in Parables because they seeing see not and bearing they hear not neither do they understand Some Parables which our Saviour propounded were so dark and obscure that none but the refined Minds of his Disciples could comprehend them Others who had wilfully blinded their Understandings were not able to see into the inward meaning of them Yea our blessed Lord designed to hide his Mysteries from those profane Persons and therefore disguised them in these dark Shadows 4. This artificial and allegorical Representation of things was to stir up our Diligence and to make the Truths when found out more acceptable If all Divine Veritles were propounded in an easy manner so that upon the first Proposal they were obvious to us this would nourish our Sloth and Idleness but when we see that our Blessed Instructor delivers some things which can't be understood without Difficulty and Pains this may invite us to be diligent in searching into the Mind of God and to use all our Indeavours to attain to a Knowledg of it 5. This may be assigned as another Reason why Christ was pleased to Discourse in Parables viz. that what he said might be the better fixed on their Memories for so it is that what comes in the way of Story or Narrative doth dwell longer with Men than another sort of Discourse As they listen to it with greater Attention âo generally it makes a greater Impression upon them and consequently
excellent Philosophy in several Places of Holy Scripture yet these Writings were never intended mainly for this End but for one far higher and nobler Hence it is that you hear the Holy Writers speaking sometimes not according to the very Nature of the things but according to their Appearance and the Opinion Men have of them Yea they oftentimes express themselves according to the received Opinions although they be erroneous and false as in the Instance before mentioned Theodoret gives us the Reason of it in his first Interrogatory upon Genesis he bâgins his Work with This that the Holy Script ãâã wont to sute its ãâã of Teaching to the ãâã of the Learneâ ãâã d in another Place ãâã like purpose ãâã Scripture saith he ãâã as is most ãâã and fit for Men. The ãâã Ghost in it is pleased to condescend to their Capacities and to adapt himself to their shallow Apprehensions Thus frequently in the Scripture corporeal Properties are attributed to God you read of his Face and Back-parts Exod. 33. 23. and that these latter were seen by Moses which is spoken by way of Anthropopathy as Divines commonly speak i. e. after the manner of Men in compliance with their weak Capacities As when a Man's Face and Fore-parts are seen there is a considerable Discovery and Knowledg of his Person but when he is seen behind only it is imperfectly so was it when God appeared to Moses he shew'd himself to him not fully but in part as when a Man turns away his Face from another and lets him see only his Back-parts And so in other Places of Scripture we read of God's Eyes Ears Hands Feet and other bodily Parts and Members but we must not forget here the old Rule of Cyril of Alexandria When Members and Parts are attributed to God it is said after the manner of Men but it is to be understood in a Sense sutable to the Divine Nature And Athanasius hath the like Words on this Occasion But the not attending to this gave Rise to the Sect of the Anthropomorphites who pervesly understanding those Texts which ascribe these Parts to God held him to be Corporeal and of Humane Shape Tâey ãâã not knowing not rightly interpreting the ãâã which sometimes speak after the Guise of ãâã in condescension to ãâã shallow Understandâââ Thus Gen. 6. 6. It ãâ¦ã Lord that he ãâã Man and 1 Sam ãâã The Lord repented ãâã he made Saul King are ãâã that is as spoken in a vulgar manner and after the way of Mortals who when they repent abandon their former Doings So when God is said to repent that which we are to understand by it is this that he acts in a contrary manner to what he did before As in the forementioned Places it repented the Lord that he made Man the meaning is that he purposed to destroy Mankind viz. with a Deluge for so you find it explain'd in the next Verse the Lord said I will destroy Man whom I have created And when 't is said The Lord repented that be made Saul King the meaning is that he ââââosed to depose him and set up another as you read he gave Order in the Words immediately following in the next Chapter Therefore Theodoret saith well God's Repenting is no other than the changing of his Dispensation And thus we are to interpret this Expression where-ever it occurs in Holy Writ for in many other Places God is said to repent of what he did as knowing that the Phrase of this Sacred Book is oftentimes fitted to the Apprehensions and Language of Men and not the absolute Reality of the thing That of St. Chrysostom is certainly true God accommodates himself sometimes to humane Infirmity when he speaks in Scripture So those Words are to be understood in Gen. 11. 5. The Lord came down to see the City And again ver 7. Let us go down which are spoken in a vulgar manner and with respect to the shallow Conceptions of Mankind And the same Expression is used in Gen. 18. 20 21. Exod. 3. 7 8. Psal. 144. 5. Isa. 64. 1. God is here said to come down which signifies God's taking more than ordinary Notice of the Actions of Men and his designing to do some extraordinary thing The Scripture calls the Angels that appeared to Abraham Men because they feem'd to be such The Man Gabriel you read of in Dan. 9. 21 because he appear'd in the Shape of Man And so in the New Testament the Angles at our Saviour's Sepulchre are stiled young Men because as to outward Appearance they were such Nothwithstanding what some Commentators have said upon 1 Sam. 28. 15. Samuel said to Saul and again ver 16. Then said Samuel I am fully perswaded that those Words are spoken according to the Appearance not the real Truth of the thing The Name of Samuel is given to the Devil or Spectre that appeared but we are not to think that Samuel himself in Body and Soul appear'd for 't is ridiculous as well as impious to imagine that the departed Saints are at the Command and Disposal of a Necromantick Witch a Cursed Sorceress a Hellish Hag as if she could fetch them down from the Celestial Regions when she pleaseth But this she did she raised a Spectre or substituted some Person who resembled Samuel whom she represented to Saul's Sight as if he were the Prophet Samuel indeed Thence we read in this Sacred History that Samuel said to Saul because he who appear'd in Samuel's Likeness was thought to be Samuel and thought to speak to Saul Thus a Learned Father long since expounded this Passage of Scripture and gives us this as the Reason of it We find this saith he to be the Custom of Scripture that oftentimes it relates that which is only in appearance instead of what is true and real And with him agrees another of the learned Antients The Sacred History saith he calls the Apparition Samuel because Saul believed it to be the real Samuel for the Scripture speaks frequently according to other Mens Belief and Notions So it usually calls those Gods that are not really such but because the false and feigned Deities of the Heathens were reputed True Gods by them therefore the Name of Gods is given them often in the Old Testament and sometimes in the New But to confine my self to this latter here we find several things delivered not according to the Reality of the Matter spoken of but according to the Sense and Notion of others So I understand our Saviour's Words Matth. 12. 5. The Priests in the Temple profane the Sabbath i. e. by killing of Beasts and doing other laborious Work they according to you profane that Holy-day according to the Notion which you Pharisees have of keeping and breaking the Sabbath and according to which you condemn me and my Disciples as Profaners of that Day The Phrase used by St. Mark ch 1. 32. is according to a very vulgar Conceit
whose Lives they record The Old Patriarchs owned themselves to be Pilgrims Gen. 47. 9. The Days of the Years of my Pilgrimage c. And that you may not think it is meant only of their travelling from Place to Place in those Days you will find this was said by some of their Posterity after they were possess'd of the Promised Land and were no longer in the unsettled Condition of their Predecessors We are Strangers before thee and Sojourners as were all our Fathers saith the Pious King 1 Chron. 29. 15. And in the next Words he lets us know what he means Our Days on Earth are as a Shadow and there is no abiding so that the whole Race of Mankind are all equally Pilgrims and Sojourners in this World they are Strangers in the Earth as the same devout Man often acknowledgeth and this World is stiled by him the House of his Pilgrimage After the same manner St. Peter speaks calling this Life the time of our sojourning here and he exhorts the converted Jews to whom he writes to deport themselves as Strangers and Pilgrims 1 Pet. 2. 11. which I confess may have a more particular Reference to their being expell'd out of Iudea their native Country and dwelling in a strange Place whence he stiles them scattered Strangers in the beginning of the Epistle but notwithstanding this the Apostle might apply it to them in the more general Notion and as they with all other Christians are Pilgrims travelling to another World With respect to which the other great Apostle saith Here we have no continuing City but we seek one to come Heb. 13. 14. We have no fix'd Habitation we have no settled Place of Abode we with other holy Men before us must confess we are Pilgrims Heb. 11. 13. We belong to another Country we are Citizens of the Ierusalem that is above We look as all the holy Pilgrims heretofore did for a City which hath Foundations whose Builder and Maker is God Heb. 11. 10. We are passing through this World to that Heavenly Metropolis we are travelling with our Caravan to that New Ierusalem that Holy Land and our Thoughts our Wishes our Desires our Conversation are there already Again that it may appear that Heathen Writers and the Holy Scripture have the same way of Expression I will shew that they both agree to say the Life of Man is a Warfare Thus it is called in the ancient Book of Iob ch 7. 1. for the word Tsaba though it be rendred by us an appointed time is as capable if not more of being translated a Warfare And so St. Ierom renders it The Life of Man is a Warfare on Earth And again cb 14. 14. The Days of our Warfare are the Term of Man's Life Such Holy Iob found it to be The War was warm the Service was hot the Battel was furious and he was set in the Front of it Though this great Heroick Warrior fainted in the Conflict sometimes yet his Valour was very eminent and he fought it out resolutely and won the Day and was signally rewarded by the great Arbiter of Battel the Lord of Hosts It cannot escape our Observation that several Military Expressions are used by the Holy Ghost in Scripture to set forth the Duties and Offices of Man's Life and to let us know that it is a continual Combate and Fight Yea Tsaba militare is applied to the Ecclesiastick Function and Ministry of the Levites in the Tabernacle their Service or Waiting is call'd a Warfare Numb 8. 25. and in the Verse before a warring a Warfare if we render it exactly according to the Hebrew Especially this way of Speaking is applicable to the troublesome and afflictive Part of Man's Life which is rightly call'd by St. Paul the Fight of Afflictions Heb. 10. 32. And with regard to this without doubt those comfortable Words were spoken to Ierusalem Her War is accomplished Isa. 40. 2. But more eminently in the New Testament this Mode of Speech is observable where Christianity is represented as a Warfare and the Christian Church as Militant here on Earth St. Paul is pleased to stile our Saviour the Captain of our Salvation and himself and all his Fellow-Christians Souldiers and those especially who were assistant to him in the sacred Ministry of the Gospel his Fellow-Souldiers He exhorts Timothy to war the good Warfare and to fight the good Fight of Faith and that in imitation of himself who had fought this good Fight though these latter Expressions refer more peculiarly to the Olympick Combates as you shall hear afterwards You read of the Weapons of Righteousness as well as of Unrighteousness belonging to this Spiritual War And these Weapons which are call'd the whole Armour of God are particularly enumerated by the Apostle Eph. 6. 13 14. I could observe to you in that Exhortation of St. Iames Submit your selves to God resist the Devil and he will flee from you that there are three Military Terms 1. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã be subject to your Commander observe his Orders look for the Signal of Battel from him keep the Station that is set you be obedient to the Discipline of War in all things be ruled by your General for as St. Paul saith very appositely when he is speaking of the Christian Souldier He that warreth must concern himself in nothing else but the pleasing of him who hath chosen him to be a Souldier 2. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã withstand oppose engage the Enemy be sure you give him Battel make a resolute and vigorous Onset charge through his whole Body make a Lane through his thickest Troops 3. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he shall be put to Flight he shall certainly be routed and defeated and never be able to rally again and so Victory at last crowns the Combate But St. Paul more briefly tells us what is the Employment of a Christian Souldier when he saith Indure Hardness as a good Souldier of Iesus Christ for in that one word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã he lets us understand that he is one that is to fare hardly that he is to be inured to Difficulties and Perils to tedious Marches and continual Watchings to Hunger and Thirst and infinite Fatigues and that he must converse with Dangers and Death Every Battel of the Warrior is with confused Noise and Garments roll'd in Blood The Life of a Christian Souldier is painful and laborious because he is to be exercised in denying himself in crossing his sensual Appetite in submitting to the hardest Duties and undergoing the greatest Sufferings Temptations and Persecutions He must be continually sweating toiling striving fighting grappling with Foes of all kinds and encountring all sorts of Hardships Thus a Christian is a Spiritual Souldier thus Christianity is a Holy War thus the Life of Man is a Warfare And this is that which all the Great Masters of Morals inculcate in their Writings One of the chiefest of them who
same import with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in Philo. I conceive this may be the plain sense of the Evangelist's words however I propound it only by way of Conjecture and am willing in this as in other things to submit to the Arbitration of the Wise. I will mention another Instance of this Agreement of the Stile of Pagan and Inspired Writers It is usually among the former to honour a Good Man with the Title of the Friend of God ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is usual in Homer and among the Philosophers Plato especially it is very frequent Who are the Friends of God is excellently discoursed of by this brave Man in his fourth Book of Laws A Religious Man is a Friend of God saith Max. Tyrius with whom concurs another Eminent Moralist directly asserting that Good Men are the Friends of the Deity Epictetus and Arrianus speak of God as a Friend and the Best Friend Caâbyses's Advice to his Son Cyrus was Be thou the Friend of God as Xenophon relates In short it was the common Stile and Language of the best Moralists as Socrates Antoninus Seneca Plotinus besides those before named to call a Vertuous Person a Friând or one Beloved of God Especially this Epithet was given him if he prospered in his vertuous Enterprizes if he found Success in his laudable Endeavours Yea Epictetus that Excellent Stoick Philosopher and Great Master of Ethicks was honoured with this Title as the highest that could be when he left the World as we learn from his Epitaph The same Expression we meet with often in Scripture the same honourable Epithet is vouchsafed there to Holy Men. Abraham the Father of the Faithful is particularly signalized by it and that no less than thrice 2 Chron. 20. 7. Isa. 41. 8. Iam. 2. 23. Of Moses 't is said that God spake to him as to his Friend Exod. 33. 11. Solomon was named Iedidiah i. e. the Beloved of the Lord 2 Sam. 13. 25. In that Mystical Book of the Canticles this Name is attributed to both those entire Lovers Christ and the Church Eat O ye Friends drink O Beloved saith the former This is my Beloved this is my Friend saith the latter In which places Rang and Dod are the like endearing Titles with Obâb which was the word used in the Texts before-mentioned And this further I could observe to you that the words Obeb and Obebim which are translated Friend and Friends in those places might be rendred so in many others where our Translators english them him or those that love God In the Evangelical Writings the same Stile is observable thus those words in Lâke 12. 4. are spoken by our Saviour particularly to his dear Companions and Disciples where he calls them his Friends And in three Verses together these his faithful Followers and Associates and with them all True Believers and Holy Men are stiled his Friends Joh. 15. 13 14 15. And hear what an Honourable Epitaph our Saviour bestowed on Laâarus John 11. 11. Our Friend Lazarus sleepeth What is more usual in the Language of the New Testament than to say a Wicked Man is dead This my Son was dead saith the Father of the Prodigal Son Luke 15. 24. giving us to understand that the Profligate and Debauch'd are morally dead And so some think this Term is to be understood in the former part of those words Let the Dead bury their Dead Mat. 8. 22. Of the Widow giâen to Luxury 't is said she is dead while she liveth I Tim. 5. 6. And to be dead in Sin is in Scripture-Phraseology applied after the same manner Ephes. 2. 1 5. Col. 2. 13. And in several other places the like mode of Speech is observable To which the Antient Philosophers were no Strangers in whose account Vicious Men were reputed as dead Hence an Antient Writer of the Church observes that even in the Barbarick Philosophy they were wont to call those Dead who abandon'd the right Sentiments of things which they had and made their Souls slaves to the Animal Passions Not only Pythagoras himself was wont to place a Coffin in the room of his outcast Scholars as if they had been dead but his Followers and the Platonists in imitation of him had the same Practice among them For it was an acknowledg'd Notion that Vertue makes us live and consequently that wicked Men do not properly live but that in true Morality they are rightly said to be dead There is wanting in them an inward Principle of Life as the Spartan said after all his trials of erecting a dead Body into a living Posture Hence Vice is deservedly stiled the Death of the rational part of Man and the Mortality of the Soul With relation to which guise of Speech intermortui mores are in Plautus Corrupt and Vicious Manners And the like Phrase is used by the Jews the Wicked say they are Dead while they live and again they tell us that a Dead Carcase is better than a Disciple that is void of Knowledge and true Wisdom And other such like Expressions there are not only among the Hebrews but the Arabians Once more I will observe how the Scripture speaks as the best Moralists do viz. when it calls Death a Sleep The Hebrew Verb Shacab signifies to lie down to sleep Gen. 19. 4. and likewise to die â Sam. 7. 12. Isa. 14. 8. whence to sleep with their Fathers is an usual Phrase in the Historical Books of the Old Testament Thence the Grave is call'd a Bed Isa. 57. 2. Gneres is both lectus and feretrum the Bed of those that sleep and the Bed or Bier of those that are dead as perhaps our Saxon word grave or grab as other Germans write it is from grabatus The Psalmist mentions the Sleep of Death Psal. 13. 3. And it seems this was the Stile of the Antient Arabs as appears from Iob 7. 21. I shall sleep in the Dust. If we descend to the New Testament we shall read there that Lazarus sleepeth Joh. 11. 11. and of St. Stephen 't is said that he fell asleep and of other holy Men that they sleep in Iesus and are fallen asleep in Christ. When a good Man dies he lays himself down to Rest he betakes himself to his Repose bidding the World good night he shuts his Eyes and opens them no more till the Morning of the Resurrection The like Expression is in use among the Pagans to sleep and to die are synonymous Terms with them With the Prince of Poets Sleep is not only the Brother of Death but it is the very word to express Death it self Nox est perpetuò una dormienda saith Catullus Perpetuus Sopor is Horace's Language Nox perpetua is Propertius's which is the same with Virgil's Nox aeterna Alluding to which Phrase is that of Tully and other good Authors decumbere to lie down to betake himself to sleep i. e.
now agree to that Parchments which were made of Sheepskins dress'd were long before the Emulation between Ptolomee and Eumenes who both at the same time were ambitious to procure an Universal Library but when this Quarrel arose Ptolomee forbad Paper to be sent out of Egypt whereupon Eumences caused Parchments to be made in greater Abundance than before that so there might be no need of the Paper Again 't is evident from this Testimony of Iosephus that the Books of the Old Testament were written in Parchment And seeing we have proved that Parchment was long before it is credible that the Bible was copied out at first into it That Proverbial Saying ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã shews the great Antiquity of this sort of Writing-materials for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is Membrana and it is also a Book made of the same which they of old used to write in I might take notice of the antient Practice of the Jews viz. their wearing of Phylacteries which were pieces of Scrolls of Parchment whereon they wrote some part of the Law and bound it to their Heads and Hands whence we may probably gather that the Books of the Old Testament were first of all Parchment-Writings for the Jews were strict Observers as well as Admirers of Antiquity and therefore their writing some Sentences of the Law in Parchments shews that the Bible it self from whence they were taken had been usually and of old transcribed into those very Materials Much more might be said but I will only add that the Jews Rolling up their Sacred Writings whence their Books were call'd Megilloth Volumina is a plain Argument that they were not composed of Egyptian Paper which was thin and weak and consequently was not capable of this Rolling But a Long and Broad Skin or Parchment would endure this without tearing and therefore it is not to be doubted that this was made use of The Sense of which besides the common Report and Notion among the Jews caused the Famous Rabbi Ionathan to say in his Targum on Deut. 31. 24. that Moses writ the Law upon Parchment Which shews that it was the Opinion of the Learned Jews that the Bible was originally written in Parchment not on Paper And the Talmud often mentions this Parchment-Writing as a known thing It is rational then to believe and assert that these Holy Records were written in Parchment and though we are informed from sufficient Authors that other Materials of old were used as the Egyptian Papyrus Leaves as also the Inward Bark or Coat of Trees c. when they wrote but few Words yet Parchment was the old and usual Matter on which they wrote when they had occasion to compose a whole Book which confutes F. Simon 's Notion that the Old Testament was written in Paper which upon serious Reflection so searching a Person as he is cannot but discern to be a Mistake and he knows that Charta Writing-Paper was not generally used till Alexander the Great 's time as Pliny himself acknowledges who quotes Varro for this that the first use of Paper made of the Cortex of the Egyptian Papyrus was found out in Egypt in that Monarch's Reign and that before that time they wrote upon Leaves of Trees on Wax c. Then in the next Place it were easy to disprove this Ingenious Author's Conceit about the fastning or rather as he would have it the not fastning of these Parchments together whence he fancies it was that the Transposition and Misplacing of some Parts of the Bible happened He tells us that heretofore they wrote upon Sheets or Leaves rolled together one over another round a piece of Wood and these being not well joined together there was sometimes a misplacing of what was written in them because their Order was altered This may be partly true and I cannot deny that it so happened sometimes that is when there was no Care taken to sow or other ways to fasten the Leaves or Sheets to the Stick of Wood about which they were rolled or to one another But it was not so in the present Case for you may be sure that they took all the Care imaginable to secure the Order of the Sheets and they were not destitute of a particular way of doing it so that their Books were sufficiently fastned But if he means that they were not bound as our Books are now a days then his new Discovery is only this that the Trade of Book-binding was not set up in Moses or Ezra's Days Or if he means that the written Sheets and Scrolls were loose and not well tack'd together he wilfully speaks against his own knowledg of this Matter for he knows very well that the Jews wrote in Rolls or continued Sheets or Skins which were not liable to be separated as our Writings are now He is Antiquary enough to confute himself from what he hath read concerning their manner of making their Books or Volumes their fixing the Sheets of Parchment at one end by sowing or fastning the first Sheet between two Sticks or Pieces of Wood their joining the several Sheets together as appears from the forecited Testimony of the Jewish Historian who saith the Parchments in which the Bible was written were so closely and firmly joined together that 't was not possible to discern the Seams or Places where they were joined their Rolling them up close and their keeping them in safe Repositories for they had places on purpose for all Valuable Books so that it was not likely yea scarcely possible that any of these Scrolls or Sheets which were not little ones as he suggests but of a considerable size should be put out of their places much less lost for he goes so far as to assert that many of these Scrolls were embezzel'd and lost and thence the Scriptures of the Old Testament are so maimed and imperfect But we know the Man and his Design which is to depretiate and vilify the Scriptures thereby to advance the Credit of Tradition and by that means to exalt the Church of Rome though this is not so forward to exalt him This was it which made him give us this Specimen of his Wit and Invention of which it must be confessed he hath no small Stock this made him attempt by these Paper-Proofs to lessen the Authority of the Bible Otherwise it is certain this Parisian Critick is a Person of great Worth and Learning and it is his singular Commendation that he is no Furious Bigot but is Moderate and Discreet in many things and is one that dotes not on the Opinions and Assertions of the Catholick Doctors But if you would know the true Reason or Occasion of that Transposition which you sometimes meet with in the Holy Writings not only of the Old but New Testament it is chiefly this as I conceive The Holy Writers study not Exactness they are more intent upon the Thing and Matter which they write than upon the due Order and Marshalling of it they
are not Nice and Accurate in giving every Occurrence or Event its right Place whence it is that you meet with some things in these Writings that are transposed and out of Order and it is left to the Diligent and Inquisitive Reader to amend and reform thoâe Dislocations Those who would see farther Reasons of that frequent Metathesis and Misplacing which are in the Sacred Books may consult the Learned Dr. Lightfoot in his Chronicle of the Times of thâ Old Testament CHAP. IV. There are not only Grammatical but Rhetorical Figures in the Sacred Volume The Psalmist's Words Psal. 120. 5. are Hyperbolical though not generally interpreted to be such So are our Saviour's Words Matth. 13. 32. though commonly expounded otherwise Luke 19. 44. rejected form being Hyperbolical John 21. 25. proved to be an Hyperbole This way of speaking in Scripture is no Lie Ironies are frequent in this Holy Book of which several Examples are produced Luke 22. 36 is shew'd to be of this sort And so is Acts 23. 5. I wist not that he was the High Priest This manner of speaking is not unworthy of the Sacred Penmen Synecdoches frequent in Scripture proved from several Instances Metaphors also common Solomon's Metaphorical Description of Old Age in Eccles. 12. expounded in all its Parts THere are not only Grammatical but Rhetorical Figures in this Sacred Volume the chief of which I will briefly speak of not to say that I have mentioned some of them already And though as I said of the former they have been observed by several Writers yet one Reason why I mention them here is because I shall have occasion to reduce some Texts to these Figures which have not been so interpreted by other Authors First Hyperboles are not unusual in these Holy Writings these are such Speeches as seem to surpass the bare Truth either by augmenting or diminishing it Thus a Great Caldron one of the Vessels of the Temple that held a vast Quantity of Water is call'd a Sea a molten Sea 1 Kings 7. 23. a brazen Sea 2 Kings 25. 13. It is said that the Cities were walled up to Heaven Deut. 1. 28. and that Solomon made Silver in Jerusalem as Stones 1 Kings 10. 27. and that at his being anointed King the People rejoiced with great Ioy so that the Earth rent with the Sound of them 1 Kings 1. 40. Upon which Places and some others the Jews found that Saying of theirs The Law sometimes speaks Hyperbolically The Description of Behemoth is full of this sort of Language He moveth his Tail like a Cedar his Bones are as strong pieces of Brass and Bars of Iron he drinketh up a River he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his Mouth Job 40. 17 c. Xerxes's Army was said to drink whole Rivers dry in that Hyperbolical Sense in which this is spoken of Behemoth which proves what I have asserted that the Scripture symbolizeth with other Writers or rather they with it The like Hyperbolical Description you have of the Leviathan Job 41. 18 to the end And such is that of the Locusts Joel 2. 2 12. all which is indeed one Continued Hyperbole wherein he elegantly and pathetically describes them as a well-formed Army as Virgil in his Georgicks loftily doth the Ants It nigrum campis agmen So all is Poetical and Hyperbolical in Psal. 18. 7 16. As for Psal. 120. 5. Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesech and dwell in the Tents of Kedar few Expositors take it to be of this kind Becausâ Mesech signifies protracting or prolonging some interpret the first Clause thus I have a LONG time dwelt and because Kedar signifies Blackness they understand it of the Sadness of his Condition Others would translate the pious King to those Places and Countries which bear the Name of Mesech and Kedar thinking that he was for some time confined to those Places And there are other Conjectures about the Words but the true Import of them in my Apprehension is this David being banished from home expresseth it as if he were among the barbârous Scythians as if he were in the wild Desarts of Arabia Or if you take Mesech and Kedar to be both of them in Arabia as some do then still the Sense is the same I sojourn I dwell I inhabit among the inhospitable People of Arabia call'd Scenitae because they lived in Tents or in that part of the Wilderness where the Israelites pitchâd in Tents when they travell'd to the Land of Canaan There is my Abode at present I am no longer one of Iudea This is an Hyperbolical Speech to set forth the Nature of those Inhumanâ and Malicious People into whose Hands he was fallen and with whom he was forced to converse at that time To this sort of Speech we may refer Psal. 97. 5. The Hills melted like Wax Isa. 34. 3. The Mountains shall be melted with their Blood Ezek. 32. 6. I will water with thy Blood c. I will makâ the Blood of the slain so abundant that it shall reach upto the very Mountains and all the Rivers shall be âill'd with Blood which is to be look'd upon as an Hyperbolical Description of Egypt's Destruction So Ezek. 39. 9 10. They shall burn the Weapons with âire seven Years so that they shall take no Wood out of the Field nor cut down any out of the Forests is an elevated Strain of speaking to express the Multitude of the Weapons and Spoils taken from the Enemy and the vast Slaughter of them At the first View those Words in Obadiaâ ver 4. Though thou set thy Nest among the Stars must be acknowledged to be highly Hyperbolical Neither is the New Testament without this kind of speaking as to instance in Matth. 13. 32. which I grant is not reckoned by Writers among the Hyperboles of Scripture but I appeal to the Learned whether it ought not Of the Mustard-seed there in the Parable Christ saith It is indeed the least of all Seeds for though ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã be the Greek Word yet as hath been noted before it is here put for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as is plain from its being joined with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and so it is rightly rendred the least of all Seeds but this is not exactly true for the Seeds of Sweet-marjoram and Wild Poppy are far less and the Seeds of Tobacco are so small that a thousand of them make not above one single Grain in Weight but all must give place to the Seed of Moon-wort which cârtainly is a Seed of the least size that is And another reckons among the smallest Seeds of Plants those of Reed-mace and of Harts-tongue and of some sorts of Mosses and Ferns And of these latter I have read that some of them are so small that they cannot be seen without the Help of a Microscope But our Saviour to set forth and magnify the wonderful Power of the Word of God and the Increasing and Spreading of his
Kingdom though from very small Beginnings compares them to a Grain of Mustard-seed and by a Lessening Hyperbole calls this the Least of all Seeds though in exact speaking it be not so But if this way of interpreting Christ's Words which I now offer be not approved of then you may expound them thus that this Seed is oâe of the least of all Seeds or you may understand them spoken Respectively that is it is the Least of all such Seeds as extend to large Productions no Seed so little sendeth forth Branches so wide or bringeth forth its Fruit after that plentiful manner Thus you may understand the Words but in my Judgment the resolving them into an Hyperbole is the best way though it be not made use âf by Expositors And how indeed could it when they took the Seed of Mustard to be Absolutely the least of all Grains whatsoever That of our Saviour in Luke 19. 44. They shall not leave in thee one Stone upon another which is spoken of the Last and Final Devastation of Ierusalem is generally supposed to be an Hyperbolical Expression and consequently not true in Strictness of Speech for can we think say some that the Roman Armies had nothing else to do but to pick out all the Stones in the Foundations and throw them away Those who talk thus do not remember what was done at several times towards the compleat and total Destruction of that Place This Passage of our Blessed Lord seems to refer particularly and signally to the digging up the Foundations of the City and Temple and the very ploughing up the Ground by Titus's Command which the Jews themselves do not deny and also to that Prodigious Earthquake in Iulian's time whereby the remaining Parts of the Foundations were wholly broken up and scattered abroad Here was an Exact fulfilling of Christ's Prediction without any Hyperbole As for that Close of St. Iohn's Gospel Even the Woâld it self could not contain the Books that should be written chap. 21 25. Eusâbius and St. Aâgustin of old and others more lately understand it thus The World that is the Men of the World could not contain that is conceive comprehend and digest the Books that should be written concerning our Saviour's Deeds Their Understandings are weak and must needs have been oppressed with so many Books on that Subject So ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the word here used is to be taken in Matth. 19. 11. All Men cannot receive or contain this Saying and in this Sense it is used by Philo who speaking of the Knowledge of the Nature of God and how unsearchable it is saith that neither Heaven nor Earth are able to contain i. e. to comprehend it But a modern Critick thinks ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã here signiâies to entertain and approve of and accordingly his Gloss on the Words is this The whole World would scorn reject and slight all the Books which should be writ of Christ it having despised these that are already writ The World hath other Employment it would not read and peruse such Writings This seems to be the meaning of the Verb in 2 Cor. 7. 2. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã receive entertain approve of us And Dionys. Halicarn uses the word thus saying ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the City admits not of i. e. scorns good Men. But though this and the other be the meaning of the Word sometimes yet it is very Rare and Unusual besides that it is Improper and Metaphorical and in such a case it is more reasonable to choose and imbrace that Sense of the Word which is common and usual as also genuine and proper and then the meaning is that the World as capacious and wide as it is is not able to hold oâ contain all the Books that might have been written concerning Christ and his Works But this cannot be the Sânsâ here you will say because then our Saviour'â Words would not be true for the World is able is wide enough to contain to hold those Books and many more besides I answer I grant this to be true in the strict way of speaking but the Evangelist St. Iohn had a mind to conclude his Book with some Great Word concerning his Dear Master and Saviour and therefore expresseth himself thus in a High and Hyperbolical manner The World it self could not contain the Books that should be written of him As if he had said Though I and otherâ have recorded the Sayings and Doings of the Blessed Jesus yet this is nothing in comparison of what might be said on this vast Subject Theâe is unspeakably much more reânaining than hath been told you What he said and did was so Great and so Admirable that Innumerable Volumes might be filled with enlarging on that copious Matter I may say to you the Whole World as wide and ample as it is is not able to contain those Immense Treatises those Infinite Discourses which might be written in relating all the Passages that concern'd our Blessed Lord and in commendation of them Observâ it the Evangelist saith the World it self i. e. this Material Local World therefore it cann't be understood of the Men of the world as those of the former Opinions fancied Besides it is observable that he speaks not Absolutely here but in a Qualified Manner I suppose I think I conceive the World it self cannot contain c. which plainly shews that the Words cannot be meant in the former Senses For what Sense can you make of this I suppose I think that all the Men in the World cannot comprehend the Books which should be written or I suppose all the Men in the World cannot entertain and approve of them Whether he supposed it or not it would be so and this is a thing not to be supposed but really believed and directly asserted if it be true But if you admit of the plain Sense of the Words which I have propounded then his supposing may be very pertinent and consisâent here for it is but a kind of a Supposition not an Exact and Strict Truth which he here uttereth it is a Lofty Strain or Hyperbole which he shuts up his Gospel with I think in a manner âaith he that the Whole World it self cannot contain the Books that might be composed and written on this Glorious Theme which is so Various so Voluminous Thus you see the Words must be understood in this way for the others are not reconcilable to good Sense And indeed this manner of Stile is but parallel with other Passages in Scripture as Gen. 13. 6. The Land was not able âo bear them viz. Lot and Abraham and their Flocks which expresses how exceeding Numerous they were So some understand Luke 2. 1. There went out a Decree that all the World should be taxed which sets forth the Largeness and Vast Extent of the Emperor's Dominions not that all the World strictly speaking was to be taxâd for 't was not all in his Power It was said of our
imagine that this shaking off the Dust of the Feet or Shoes hath assinity with the Jewish Rite of pulling off the Shoe mention'd Deut. 25. 9. Ruth 4. 7. which was a Ceremony of Disgrace performed by the Relict of the Deceased Brother to the Surviving one who refused to marry her But this Opinion hath but few Abettors and indeed 't is a wonder it hath had any for there is a vast difference between the shaking off the Dust of the Feet and the plucking off the Shoe Others think this Practice is of the same Nature with shaking the Lap or Garment which was an usage among the Hebrews and they would by this shâw that they wish'd or pray'd that such an one might bâ shakân removed deprived of his Goods and Possession Thus Nehemiah used this Rite against those that exacted Usury of their Brethren Neâ 5. 13. And this shaking of the Rayment was practis'd by St. Paul against the blaspheming Jews Acts 18. 6. But this is a quite different thing from what we are speaking of unless we can prove that Dust and Clothing are convertible But Dr. Lightfoot refers this Passage to that particulaâ Saying of the Jews That the Dust of a Heathen Land defiles a Man and makes him Unclean So that our Saviour bad the Apostles shake off the Dust from their Feet to shew how they reputed those People viz. as Heathenish and Prophane and consequently they were not to be convers'd with The Apostles scorn'd to have any thing to do with them and as a Sign of that they would not carry away any thing that belonged to that Place no not so much as the Dust of it But if I may be permitted to offer my Thoughts there is something more in these Words than this It is true this is signified that they would not hold Correspondence with those unworthy Persons that rejected the Gospel they would not suffer the very Dust of the Place to adhere to the Soles of their Feet but that is not all It is further and more particularly signified that the Apostles were to leave the Place speedily When they are commanded to shake off the Dust of their Feet the more especial Meaning is that they must stay no longer in the Place but be gone from it with all the Expedition they can and they must not carry so much as the Dust to burden them It is something related as I apprehend to that other Counsel of our Saviour in the very same Chapter or rather it seems to be the same but mentioned again in other terms as is usual with our Lord When they persecute you in one City flee ye into another ver 23. with what Speed you can depart from the Place where you are so ill used When you find that your Preaching is wholly despised make no Delay but hasten away that you may be in a Capacity to do good in some other Places where you may be kindly received As soon as you see your Message is scorn'd and rejected shake the Dust off your Feet and be gone away immediately This seems to be the genuine Tendency of the Words for we must know that Iudea some part of it especially was a dry hot and dusty Countrey whence it was a Custom among them to have their Feet wash'd as soon as they came into a House this was part of the Welcome which they look'd for and when this Ceremony was omitted they gathered thence that they were Unacceptable Guests Therefore saith Christ if you find not this Welcome if your Feet are not wash'd and the Dust wiped off by some of the House do this part your selves that thereby you may be somewhat refresh'd lightly shake off some of the Dust and go your way and leave the Habitation forthwith So that these Words denote Haste and Expedition which may be confirmed from that Saying of the Jews which they used in Traffick Whilst the Dust is on your Feet before 't is all wiped off sell what you have i. e. sell quickly So Pie-Powder-Court among us which is incident to every Fair and Market as a Court Baron to a Mannor is that where Causes are tried cursorily and in haste This Dusty-foot Court is so call'd to signify the Quickness of Dispatch in it Thus among the Greek Lawyers ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã rendred by the Latins Pedaneus Iudex was a sorry mean inferiour Judg a Pedant in Law that judged standing on foot on the plain Ground and had not a Chair or Tribunal he judg'd as it were in transitu passing going on foot He was a Judg of the Court of Pie Powder pedis pulverisati as our Lawyers call it because they came to it in haste and had no time to wipe off the Dirt which they contracted in their Travels Thus there is some Analogy between this way of speaking and that which I am now treating of Our Saviour adviseth his Travelling Apostles to use Prudence to be gone as fast as they could out of those Cities and Towns where the Inhabitants were wholly averse to the Preaching of the Gospel and especially when they saw it would be attended with Persecution And we read that the Apostles put this in practice when they were at Antioch where they were severely handled and saw they should be expell'd out of those Coasts they shook off the Dust of their Feet against them and came to âconium in all haste Acts 13. 50 51. This was a Sign of Speed and so the Meaning of Christ's Injunction was that when they perceived the Gospel was rejected and themselves were in great Danger they should presently depart from the Place and stay no longer among such vile People But withal I deny not that this was to be for a Testimony against them as 't is said Mark 6. 11. it was to bear witness against the Despisers of the Gospel and the Persecutors of the holy Professors of it And moreover it was a Token of Contempt and Abhorrence and with reference to a Jewish Saying before mention'd might be spoken in a Proverbial way Lastly it might be shew'd here that many of Christâs Parables of which I have treated before were borrowed from the Iewish Doctors That of Dives and Lazarus is cited in the Gemara on the Babylonian Talmud The Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard is mentioned in the same Place in the Title Beracoth and that of the five wise and five foolish Virgins is spoken of in the Book of the Sabbath and some others might be instanc'd in but I will add no more under this Head CHAP. VI. There is in Scripture a great and delightful Variety of Languages Some Chapters and Verses of the Old Testament are in Chaldee Here are Persian African Arabick Syriac Phoenician Words In the New Testament there are some Hebrew and Persian many Latin and Syriac Words Hebraisms i. e. Phrases proper to the Hebrews are not only in the Old Testament where many Examples are produced but in the New where besides
many other Hebrew Modes of Speech the Vse of God's Name to augment and inhanse the Sense the Vse of the word Sons or Children not only applied to Persons but Things the Import of the word first-born or first-begotten and of those Expressions the Son of Man a Weight of Glory are chiefly insisted upon There are no Soloecisms in Scripture St. Jerom Erasmus Calvin Beza Castellio Dr. Hammond censured for asserting the contrary Sir Norton Knatchbull salves the Grammatical Part of the New Testament and olears it of Soloecisms The same things which some call Soloecisms and undue Syntax are found in the best Classical Authors There are Chasms Expletives Repetitions and at other times unexpected Brevity seeming Inconsistencies and Incoherencies in the best Greek and Latin Authors The Propriety and Excellency of the Sacred Stile may be justiâied from the Writings of the most celebrated Moral Philosophers Orators Poets c. 4thly I Further offer this to your Observation that there is in the Scriptures a great and delightful Variety of Tongues and Languages There are in the Old Testament besides the Hebrew of which it is composed many Chapters written in Chaldee as in Ezra part of the 4th Chapter all the 5th and 6th with part of the 7th in Daniel the greatest part of the 2d Chapter and all the rest that follow till the 8th in Ieremiah one single Verse viz. the 11th of the 10th Chapter And besides these greater Portions there are many Chaldee Words dispersed up and down in several Places as Chartummim Magicians Astrologers Gen. 41. 24. used also in Dan. 1. 20. ch 2. 2. Nishtevan an Epistle or Letter Ezra 4. 7. Pithgam a Word or Decree Esther 1. 20. Sethav Winter Cant. 2. 11. Saga to magnify Iob 36. 24. Tiphsar a Captain Ier. 51. 27. and some think Macha Numb 34. 11. is a Chaldaick Verb. Other Words are of Persian Extraction as Pardes and Pardesim Eccles. 2. 5. Cant. 4. 13. Orchards or Gardens whence the word Paradise for so the Persians call'd their Orchards Gardens and Parks saith Philostratus and we read the like in Iul. Pollux Partemim Nobles or Princes Esther 1. 3. is a Word borrowed from the Persians and is proper to that Country So is Pur a Lot Esther 3. 7. and Achashdarpanim Lieutenants or Governours of Provinces Esth. 3. 12. ch 9. 3. and Chiun Amos 5. 26. passes for a Persian Name among some Learned Men. From Egypt with which the Hebrews had great Commerce several Words are borrowed as Zaphnath Paaneah Gen. 41. 45. the Title of Honour which King Pharaoh conferr'd on Ioseph which some interpret a Revealer of Secrets as both Ionathan and Onkelos render it and most of the Rabbies but others with St. Ierom translate it the Saviour of the World But whatever the meaning of it is 't is not to be doubted that 't is Egyptian for a Title given by an Egyptian King was certainly such And some think the same of the word Abrech Gen. 41. 43. the Term of Applause and Acclamation which the Egyptian People made use of when Ioseph was advanced to be the Second Man in the Kingdom and rid in Royal State through the Streets Zephardegnim Frogs Exod. 8. 3. and Zephardeang a Frog Psal. 78. 45. are of Egyptian Race and such is Ob an Inchanter Deut. 18. 10. if we may credit the Learned Kircher and Manor a Weaver's Beam 1 Sam. 17. 7. and Sarim an Eunuch 2 Chron. 18. 8. and Sarisim Eunuchs 2 Kings 20. 18. and several other Words were brought with the Israelites out of Egypt or were learn'd by Converse Totaphoth Frontlets Exod. 13. 16. Deut. 6. 8. is a compound Word as Scaliger thinks from Tot and Photh the first an Egyptian Word the second used in some other part of Africa Atad a Thorn Psal. 58. 9. is also reckon'd an African or Punick Word From Arabia others are fetch'd as Raphelingius and Golius and other great Linguists have observ'd especially in the Book of Iob they find several Arabick Words for he was of that Countrey Leviathan is of this fort saith Bochart and signifies a Dragon and any Great Fish Seranim Lords 1 Sam. 6. 18. and Cabul 1 Kings 9. 13. and many others are look'd upon as Phoenician Zamzummim Giants Deut. 2. 20. is purely an Ammonitish Word Gnerabon a Pledg Gen. 38. 17. is Syriac and Sharbit a Scepter Esth. 4. 11. ch 5. 2. used here and no where else is such rather than a pure Hebrew Word The Names of the Months among the Hebrews several of which occur in the Old Testament are generally taken from other Languages And many other foreign Words are brought into the Hebrew Tongue and mix'd with it which was caused by Correspondence with other Nations of whom they were taught these Words and particularly by Traffick and Importing of foreign Goods as Avenarius has observed the Things and the Names being brought at the same time from foreign Parts and accordingly we find them in the Writings of the Old Testament Here that of the Rabbies is true though they applied it as I have shewed before in another Sense The Scripture oftentimes speaks in the Language of the Sons of Men it hath Words which are used in other Tongues and borrowed from other Nations Thus likewise it is in the New Testament there is a Variety of Languages in it For though the main of it be Greek yet there are sundry Words there of a different Original Some Hebrew ones are made use of by the Holy Ghost as Allelujah Rev. 19. 1 3 4 6. Sabaoth Rom. 9. 29. Iam. 5. 4. Amen Rom. 1. 25. Eph. 3. 21. and in several other Places and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Mark 14. 16. and often used in the Gospels and in 1 Cor. 5. 7. Heb. 11. 28. is originally Hebrew These Words were so much in use among the Faithful that the Apostles thought fit not to translate them but to retain them as they are Again some Words in this Part of the Bible are Persian as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Matth. 2. 7 16. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Acts 8. 27. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Mat. 5. 41. Mark 15. 41. and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Paradise Luke 23. 43. 2 Cor. 12. 4. Rev. 2. 7. is of Persick Extract Remphan Acts 7. 43. is thought by some to be Egyptian It is certain that there are a great many Latin Words Grecized as Quadrans Matth. 5. 26. Legio Matth. 5. 9. ch 26. 53. Census Matth. 17. 25. Praetorium Matth. 27. 27. Acts 23. 35. Phil. 1. 13. Custodia Matth. 27. 65. ch 28. 11. Spiculator Mark 6. 27. Centurio Mark 15. 45. Opsonium Luke 3. 14. Rom. 6. 23. Modius Luke 11. 33. Sudarium Luke 19. 20. Colonia Acts 16. 12. Semicinctium Acts 19. 12. Sicarius Acts 21. 38. Macellua 1 Cor. 10. 25. Membrana 2 Tim. 4. 13. And ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the same Verse is a Greek Word made out of the Latin one Penula with
Excellency Preeminence and Authority And this is yet more clear from our Saviour's words Ioh. 5. 27. where he assigns the Reason why the Judgment of the World is committed to him by the Father He hath saith he given him Authority to execute Iudgment because he is the Son of Man because he is Head and Ruler of the Church because all Government and Authority in this lower World are devolv'd upon him because he hath all Rule and Dominion put into his Hands This is the true account as I conceive of the Expression this Title was attributed to him to signify his Authority and Exaltation and not as is commonly said and believ'd and as the Learned Grotius defends it his Meanness Condescension and Humility though I will not exclude Other Reasons which may be consistent with this as that he is call'd the Son of Man to attest the reality of his Manhood to ascertain us of the Truth of his Suffering in our Humane Nature to assure us of his Sympathy with us and that he is touch'd with the feeling of our Infirmities I will only add this That whereas it is generally said by Writers and even by the Critical ãâã among the rest that this Epithet is given to our Saviour by Himself only and not by any other in the New Testament this is a Mistake for in Acts 7. 56. he is call'd by St. Stephen the Son of Man and so he is twice by St. Iohn Rev. 1. 13. Chap. 14. 14. The Original of which must be fetch'd as I have shew'd from the Hebrew Stile in the Old Testament And so must that Expression which the Apostle uses 2 Cor. 4. 17. a Weight of Glory ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã here answers to the Hebrew cabod a Weight and yet is rendred Glory Gen. 31. 1. and the Tongue is call'd cabod Glory Psal. 57. 8. So the Verb cabad signifies both to be weighty and to be glorious or honourable Isa. 66. 5. Prov. 13. 18. And the Adjective cabed approaches to this sense as is clear from Gen. 13. 2. Thus it is with the word jakar gravis fuit but it is understood in a treble sense as if there were a threefold Gravity viz. of Weight Price and Honour Accordingly it signifies 1. To be heavy weighty 2. To be precious Isa. 43. 4. 3. To be in Honour and Glory Job 31. 26. as also to glorify and honour and therefore the word is rendred by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the Version of the 70. Thus you see that after the manner of the Hebrews Glory or Greatness is express'd by words that denote Weight and thence it is that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is here us'd by the Apostle to denote that Superlative Glory which is the attainment of the other World And 't is not improbable that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 1 Thess. 2. 6. is to be understood thus and should not be rendred to be Burdensom but to be Honourable or to be in Authority or Dignity which our English Translators were sensible of when they rendred it in the Margin to use Authority This I take to be of Hebrew extraction and in imitation of the use of the words âabad and jakar And hence also in the Seventy's Translation of the Old Testament ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã imports Grandeur or Glory and is applied in several places to a Royal Train and to a Mighty Host 1 Kings 10. 2. 2 Kings 6. 14. Chap. 18. 7. 2 Chron. 9. 1. So ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Weight or Burden is equivalent with Honour or Splendor in one of St. Chrysostom's Homilies I could remark that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã gravis and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã gloria differ but in the Accents and among the Latins honos and onus are not unlike Vir gravis is used by the Latin Orator for a Person of Authority and Worth And Graves viri in the old Roman way of Speaking are Men of Authority and Eminency And Baro which comes from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is used by Tully as a Name of Dignity and is as much as Patricius a Nobleman though I know some Criticks interpret the word in another sense Thence our word Baron a Lord a Person of Greatness and Authority And Grave answers to Baron whence Palsgrave Landgrave Margrave Burgrave for Grave among the Germans signifies a Magistrate a Ruler And we in England heretofore used the word Grave or Greve in the same sense thus Portgreve was the Name of the Chief Magistrate of the City of London till King Iohn's time who turn'd it into that of Mayor These things I here mention only to intimate the Affinity that is to be observ'd in Languages not only the Learned ones as they are call'd but others and to shew you the particular cognation betwixt Gravity and Honour or Authority betwixt Weight and Glory which it is probable was derived first of all from the Hebrews The Writers of the New Testament sometimes make use of the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the same sense that the Hebrews use the word gnanah respondere that is not to signify a Person 's Answering or Replying to what another had said but only to denote his going on with his Speech his proceeding in what he had said before Persons are said to Answer though there be no Question put to them though there be no Reply intended as Iesus answer'd and said Mat. 11. 25. Then answer'd Peter and said Mat. 17. 4. The Angel answer'd and said Mat. 28. 5. One of the Elders answer'd saying Rev. 7. 13. which is as appears from the Context no more than this They spake and said for this oftentimes is the acceptation of that word in the Hebrew Writings and particularly in the Book of Iob Chap. 3. ver 2. Job answer'd and said though no body had spoke to him or asked him any Question The words therefore import no more than this Job spake and said and so our Translators render it I might further observe that the Preposition ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the New Testament hath by an Hebraism the force of all the Prepositions it answering to the Hebrew ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Lastly I am inclined to think that what is said of St. Paul in Acts 9. 15. is spoken after the Hebrew manner for the Hebrews call any thing that is Choice and Delectable ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã vas desiderii and the Rabbins accordingly call the Law by this Name viz. a Desirable Vessel or a Desirable Instrument or Utensil for Cheli is of a vast Latitude and signifies whatever is for the use of Man Answerably to which St. Paul is said to be ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a chosen Vessel or Instrument It is spoken after the Propriety of the Hebrews with whom a Thing or Person that is made use of to some Excellent Purpose is not only stiled a Vessel but to denote yet further the Worth of it is called a Vessel of Desire
sufficiently dispatch'd it I hope I have let you see that those are no impartial Judges of Scripture-Stile who cry out of its Barbarisms but the Truth is they betray both their Ignorance and Irreligion at once in giving such a Judgment of it their Ignorance in that they shew themselves unacquainted with the Best Authors who are not always wont to bind themselves to the strict Observation of Grammatical Rules To this purpose the Learned Henry Stephens's Animadversions and Appendix at the End of his Thesaurus Gr. L. are worthy of the Perusal of all Curious Persons that would be fully acquainted with the Genius of the Attick Phrase and Idiom and the reading of these will abundantly satisfy them that the New Testament is like other Greek Writers and that the most Classick Greek Authors speak in the same strain that this doth This Accomplish'd Critick shews that there are pure Atticisms sometimes in these Holy Writings and particularly that an Ellipsis which is so frequent in them is a common Atticism in the best Grecians If those who raise Objections against the Stile of the New Testament would converse with These they might see that those Passages which seem not so proper or elegant in Scripture and that whatever looks like Soloecisms and favours of Rudeness or Defect of Language in these Holy Writings may be parallelled with what they meet with in the most Applauded Authors Their Irreligion likewise is discovered in this that nothing pleaseth them in the Holy Book and that what is not thought Improper or Rude in other Writings is accounted such in These yea that what are Soloecisms in a Sacred Writer are look'd upon as Atticisms and Elegancies in a Profane One. Having hitherto been in pursuance of this that the Holy Scripture hath many things in it according to the Strain of Other Writers I am to pass to the next Proposition CHAP. VII The Scripture-Stile hath some things in it that are not in common with Other Writers but are proper and peculiar to it self The LXX's Greek Version and the New Testament have words that are not extant in any other Authors ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Mark 14. 3. was coin'd by the Evangelist It s true Signification enquired into Inward Goodness or Righteousness is express'd by Terms which are unknown to other Writers Instances of several other Peculiar ways of Speaking Some Profane Authors differ from the rest as to the use of some particular Words and Phrases Ecclesiastical Writers have Words proper to themselves The Difficulty of Scripture proceeds partly from the Different Acception of Words which we meet with there Many Instances in the Old and New Testament The various Significations of the Word Spirit enumerated and reduc'd to distinct Heads The Author confines himself to the Hebrew Verbs of the Old Testament and shews how Different the Senses of the same words are and endeavours to remove the Ambiguity of them in the several Texts which he cites and to determine the Sense which is Proper to those particular Places The like he attempts in those Texts where Hebrew Nouns of a different meaning occur THE Third Proposition is That the Scripture-Stile hath some things in it that are not in common with Other Writers but are Proper and Peculiar to it self For though it is true some Other Authors have words proper to themselves which are not found in others thus in Pindar Plato Isocrates Homer Aristophanes Hippocrates c. there are some particular Words and Phrases peculiar to them alone yet the Bible hath Words and Expressions which are not to be met with in any of these nor in any other Writers The Original Hebrew hath greater choice of Words than any Book extant in that Language it is the most Copious Vocabulary that is in the World and all Hebrew Writers of note borrow from this The Septuagint have words peculiar to themselves as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã c. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is proper to them and was made on purpose to answer to the Hebrew ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and the Writers of the New Testament took it from them They also made the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Cant. 4. 9. to express the Hebrew word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Ex. 2. 5. is of their coining and the Apostle thought fit to use it Tit. 2. 14. And some have thought the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as it signifies Sleep or Slumber Isa. 29. 10. was made by them as if it were from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã This word is also used by the Apostle Rom. 11. 8. The New Testament in Greek hath words never heard of before as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the Lord's Prayer a word which was first used by the Evangelists And St. Luke's ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the Angels Salutation of the Virgin Mary Luk. 1. 28. is a new Greek word which the Evangelist himself made as some have thought but that is a Mistake because the Apocryphal Writer had used it before Eccles. 18. 17. Yet this is not to be denied that the word is no where to be found in any other Greek Author i. e. any Prophane one but St. Paul useth it viz. the Active ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã though not the Passive ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in Eph. 1. 6. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the Passive Voice have a peculiar Signification in Mat. 5. 24. Rom. 5. 10. 1 Câr 11. 7. 2. Cor. 5. 20. which is in no other Writer saith Grotius upon Mat. 5. 24. That likewise in Mark 14. 3. and Iohn 12. 3. is scarcely used by any Writer whatsoever and therefore the Grammarians and Criticks know not well how to assign the meaning of it some deriving ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is the word there used and joined with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and so it denotes that Ointment to have been faithfully prepared and compounded for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã according to this Etymology is as much as ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã true pure not adulterated approved it being rightly and faithfully made This is according to the Syriac Version and 't is approved of by St. Ierom and Theophylact Others think ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is put here for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the vulgar Latin having it Spicata and so it is translated Spikenard by us Beza and Camerarius are of this Opinion and think the Ointment had this Name because it was made ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã spicis nardi that is of the choicest part of Nard A third fort among whom Casaubon is Chief tell us that it is the same with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã potabilis à ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and so signifies such a Liquid Ointment as might be drank And lastly some have thought that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as if it were call'd so from a place viz Opis a City not far from Babylon whence
as we english it or People cannot be determined because the Word signifies both in several Places of Scripture Because Zaba denotes both a determinate Time and military Order that of Iob 7. 1. may be rendred either thus Is there not an appointed time to Man or Is there not a Warfare to Man And so in ch 14. 14. you may read it All the Days of my appointed Time or all the Days of my Warfare In all these Places there is no point of Religion endanger'd if you take the Words in either Sense There must needs be a double Reading in Iosh. 11. 20. because the word Techinnah signifies Grace or Favour and likewise Prayer or Supplication so that we may translate it either that there might be no Favour for them or that there might be no Supplication for them Both which Senses may be united thus that there might be none to pray for Grace and Favour for them And so both the Translations meet There is a great deal of Difference between the Rain filleth the Pools and the Teacher is fill'd or cover'd with Blessings and yet Psal. 84. 6. the latter part of the Verse may be read either of these ways because the word Moreh is pluvia and doctor and Beracoth is both piscinâ and benedictiones These two have but little Affinity he hath given you the former Rain moderately and he hath given you a Teacher of Righteousness and yet the Hebrew Words in Ioel 2. 23. are capable of being rendred either ways and accordingly our English Translators imbrace the former and the Vulgar Latin the latter Sense The Reason is because Moreh is a Teacher and Rain The word beged is perfidia Ier. 12. 1. and also vestis in above a hundred Places ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is an Isle Job 22. 30. a Region or Province Isa. 20. 6. a Bird or other Animal that frequents Islands Isa. 13. 22. Cir signifies a Laver Exod. 20. 18. a Hearth Zech. 12. 6. a Scaffold or Pulpit 2 Chron. 6. 13. Chajah is the Soul Life a Beast a Company a Village wherefore 't is no wonder that the Word in these Places admits of different Constructions Psal. 68. 30. Psal. 74. 19. Isa. 57. 10. but the Scope of the Texts will conduct a diligent Enquirer to the proper Denotation of the Word in each Place Pagnam is a Blow a Stroke Judg. 5. 28. a Foot or Footstep Psal. 85. 14. an Anvil Isa. 41. 7. and moreover it hath the Force of the Latin vice or hac vice this once 1 Sam. 26. 8. How vastly different are the Senses of the Word Tsir viz. Grief Isa. 13. 8. a Hinge Prov. 26. 14. an Ambassador or Messenger Prov. 25. 13. Idols Isa. 45. 16. So the Word which we translate Frost Psal. 78. 47. is of a large Import and signifies not only Frost but vehement Hail and therefore in the Margin of our Bibles is rendred great Hail-stones Avenarius renders it Thunder or Thunder-bolts R. Chasen understands by it not a Meteor but an Infect and reads the Place thus He destroyed their Sycomore Trees with the Locusts Tzitz hath five distinct Rendrings a Flower Isa. 28. 1. a Feather or Quill or Wing Jer. 48. 9. a Plate Exod. 28. 36. a Fringe Numb 15. 38. a Lock of Hair Ezek. 8. 3. The words Bad and Baddim signify Linen or Linen Cloth Ezek. 9. 3. Branches Ezek. 19. 14. Bars Exod. 27. 6. Greatness or Strength Job 18. 13. Members or Ioints Job 41. 3. Liars and Lies Jer. 50. 36. Isa. 44. 25. Iob 11. 3. Here are six different Senses of one Word and there is not any Affinity or Resemblance between any of them Basar to which answers ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the Greek is subject in the Sacred Writings to as great a Multiplicity of Meanings as might easily be proved And to conclude the word Iad is of a vast Latitude I know none that equals it as to its wonderful Variety of Senses It is to be understood and applied at least twenty several ways in the Old Testament but yet though it is sometimes difficult it is never impossible to distinguish the Senses These Words and many more are Proofs of what I at first asserted that there is a great Number of Words in the Scripture of Different Significations and that the Hebrew Tongue especially abounds with such For the Hebrews have but few Words very few in comparison of what there are in other Languages but they make their small Stock go as far as it can by making one Word serve for diverse things so that oftentimes the subject Matter must determine the Signification I need say no more Look but into the Margins of the English Bible and there you may be fully satisfied from the Diversity of rendring the Texts that many Nouns as well as Verbs have different and unlike Meanings which we must needs apprehend to be the Cause why some Places are Obscure and Difficult CHAP. VIII Many Hebrew Nouns whereby the several sorts of Brute Animals are signified admit of different Interpretations which is one Reason why some Places of Scripture are obscure and difficult The Great Fish Ion. 1. 17. which devour'd Jonas was a Whale properly and strictly so called but perhaps the Belly of this Fish is not to be understood in a strict Sense of the Abdomen or Iower Venter but of the Wide and Capacious Mouth of that Animal The proper Names of some Birds and Insects are ambiguous The Author 's particular Opinion concerning Kirjonim 2 Kings 6. 25. the Doves Dung that was sold at so dear a rate at the Siege of Samaria What the Locusts were that John Baptist fed on in the Wilderness The Names of Flowers Trees Plants mentioned in the Bible are somewhat uncertain So are the Words for Minerals Precious Stones Musical Instruments Yet this is so far from being a Blemish to the Sacred Writings that it is a Commendation of them The Hebrew Measures whether of Longitude or Capacity are another Instance of the Difficulty which arises from our being ignorant of the exact Significations of some Words in the Bible The Words whereby the Hebrew Weights are express'd are something dubious And so are those whereby the Jewish Coins are denoted Likewise there is Vncertainty in the Greek and Roman Coins mentioned in the New Testament IN farther Prosecution of this I will observe that many Hebrew Words which signify Brute Animals whether four-footed Beasts and other Creatures on the Earth or Fishes and Birds and Insects admit of Different Interpretations and may be applied to Animals of divers kinds It is acknowledged both by the Antient and Modern Jews themselves that they have no certain Account of the Proper Names of divers of those Animals which are mentioned in the 11th Chapter of Leviticus some of which were forbidden others allowed to be eaten by that People When they come to speak of some of them particularly they exceedingly disagree about them and variously determine what they are Sus is
when he rid forth in State signifying as they think that the People ought to salute him most humbly and even to bow the Knee to him This is certain that Barak is a general Word for Saluting whether at meeting or parting either by Word or Gesture and is equivalent with the Greek word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And because at such times they generally used to bow the Knee it hath that particular Signification as in 2 Chron. 16. 13. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã according to the LXX So in Dan. 6. 10. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã And in Gen. 24. 11. the Kneeling down of Camels to take up their Burden is expressed by it Yea the word Barak is sometimes transferr'd from its signification of Civil Respect and Kneeling and applied unto Religious Worship as in 2 Chron. 6. 13. Solomon when he pray'd kneeled upon his Knees c. And in Psal. 95. 6. Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker The Word is here made use of to denote bending the Knee in Divine Worship and prostrating themselves before God So that this word Barak in the Original Denotation of it answers to the word Nashak which signifies to salute in a lowly and humble manner to submit and do Obeisance and more particularly Kissing is express'd by it which was a Token of Homage and Subjection of old 1 Sam. 10. 1. But from this first and simple Import of the Word another ariseth which is this viz. to take leave of one because Salutations and Greetings at last end in this Men part and go their way after a short saluting and accosting one another Thus the Word is taken in 2 Sam. 14. 22. Joab âell to the Ground on his Face and bowed himself and thanked the King Hebr. Jeberek he took his leave of him he made that Salutation which was becoming at his going out of his Presence In which Notion it likewise answers to Nashak which besides its former Sense signifies to take leave of to bid adieu to one as in Gen. 31. 28. therefore that Valedictory Salutation of Kissing was call'd Neshikah Parashah osculum separationis the Kiss at parting or taking their leave of one another And then there is another derivative Sense of the Word which flows both from this and the former meaning of it and that is twofold for Persons are wont at Saluting and taking Leave to wish well or ill to one another and to express these by good or evil Words whence it is that Barak is either benè or malè precari it imports either to bless or to curse This as I take it is the true and exact Account of the Word and so you see what is the primary and more restrain'd Acception of it and what is the secondary and more general Sense of it Now that which I offer is this that the Word in that Place of Iob is to be understood chiefly in the first and most proper Denotations of it i. e. as it signifies humbly to salute to bow down and do Obeisance or as it signifies to take one's leave According to the former Acception of the Word Iob's Wife speaks thus to him Do not continue to retain thine Integrity or to hold fast thy Perfection as it is in the Original Do not justify thy self before God as if thou wert void of all Guilt but with humble Reverence bow thy self before the Lord adore and worship the most High and submit thy self to him and acknowledg thy Meanness and Sinfulness Do thus and then thou mayst die with Peace and Comfort In this only she might incur the Imputation of speaking foolishly because she like Iob's Friends afterwards had wrong Apprehensions of this Good Man and imagined that he justified himself and was in his own Thoughts a Sinless Person Or else this was the Worser Language of that Woman Take now thy leave of God and die i. e. seeing thou art in this miserable Condition smote with fore Boils from the Sole of thy Foot to the Crown of thy Head ver 7. think not of living but rather desire to quit this World and to be gone Bid God adieu take your Farewel of him and only beg this of him that you may die as soon as may be Or you may suppose this Woman's Language or Meaning rather to be much worser yet even after this sort Take your last Valâ of Heaven utterly renounce God as well as your Integrity shake him off and have nothing to do with him since he deals so severely with you abandon him for ever and hasten out of the World Though this be not so harsh as downright Cursing of God yet this was indeed speaking like one of the foolish sottish Women as he roundly told her v. 10. The Stile was something too rough to say Curse God She would not speak after that rate to her Pious Confort but she impiously counsels him to take his Leave of God and Religion and to bid an eternal Farewel to both In three other Places in this Book the Word is taken in this latter Sense for it is most probable that in this particular Book the Word is always used in the same Meaning as in ch 1. 5. It may be my Sons have as 't were taken their leave of i. e. tacitely renounced God in their Hearts in the midst of their Pleasures and Entertainments it may be they have had an Aversion to God they have in some measure departed from him for it is not likely that Iob's Children openly blasphemed or strictly speaking cursed God So that part of the 11th Verse of this Chapter and of the 5th of the next which we translate he will curse thee to thy Face seems to be too harsh a Representation even from the Mouth of the Devil of that Holy Man's Carriage for though he cursed the Day of his Birth he never curs'd and blasphemed the Almighty and that to his Face i. e. openly and audaciously but he might be said in some Degree to have forsaken and abandoned God and to have turned himself from him by indulging too much to Impatience and Murmuring And not only these Places in Iob but that in 1 Kings before-mentioned which we translate thus Naboth blasphemed or cursed God and the King may be understood in this Sense He by certain Actions discovered as was pretended that he had forsaken God and revolted from his Duty to the King But I submit this to the Judgment of the Learned Thus you see that Words of Different much more of Contrary Significations occasion some Difficulty in interpreting the Texts where they are found There are many Other Hebrew Words in Scripture which signify Contrary things the Sense sometimes as well as the Letters must be read backwards Nor is the Greek wholly destitute of such Words as in Tit. 1. 12. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã may be rendred either slow or quick Bellies for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is both piger and celer The Cretians of whom this is spoken might be said
have studied to impair the Truth and Authority of the Holy Scriptures and particularly of Moses's Writings have exposed this Place as disagreeing with the rest of the Sacred Story concerning the first Rise and Propagation of the World But this is a very shallow and vain Attempt and grounded chiefly on Prejudice and Ill-will against the Inspired Volume of Scripture I have made it clear that there is no Absurdity or any thing that looks like it in the words above-mentioned and I defy that Man who pretends to give any Satisfactory Answer to the Particulars which I have offered in defence of them Again 't is said That none save Caleb and Joshua should come into the Land of Canaan Numb 14. 30. and yet we read that Eleazar and others entred into that Land Ios. 14. 1. Chap. 22. 13. This is objected by some as a Passage in Scripture derogatory to the Truth of it But if we will read the Holy Book with the same Candour and Ingenuity wherewith we read other Authors we shall not be offended at this or the like Passages For nothing is more common in the most serious and considerate Writers than to speak things by way of Restriction and Limitation as those words are spoken and yet to leave them to be understood with some Latitude which shall afterwards be express'd and explain'd when they speak of the same Matter So here we read that none but Caleb and Ioshua entred into the Land of Promise this being spoken of the Chief Leaders that had that Privilege and Honour but then if we consult other places where this thing is more particularly related we shall find that a Larger meaning was not excluded We cannot think that the Tribe of Levi were denied entrance into that blessed Land because 't is evident from the History that they murmured not and 't is as evident that 't was threatned to the Murmurers only that they should not see the Land which God swore unto their Fathers Numb 14. 22 23. therefore Eleazar and Phineas being Priests are excepted Again it cannot be meant of those that at that time were gone to spy the Land of Canaan for they were none of the Murmurers and therefore that Threatning before cited doth not reach them and consequently those words are consistent with what we read in other places relating to this matter But That in 1 Sam. 16. 22 23. is cried out against as an unanswerable Repugnancy to Chap. 17. 55. for in the former we are told that David came to Court and stood before King Saul i. e. waited continually upon him and play'd upon the Hart before him and was greatly beloved of him and became his Aymour-bearer and yet in the latter we read that Saul did not know David but ask'd who he was Whose Son is this Youth These seem to be very repugnant to one another but there is really no such thing all is clear and obvious for in Chap. 17. 15. it is said David went and returned from Saul to feed his Father's Sheep at Bethlehem He stay'd not long at Court either because he liked not that manner of Life or because Saul was weary of him David then having been absent from Saul a considerable time and following a Country-Life and now appearing perhaps in his Shepherd's Weeds it is no wonder that Saul did not well know him This I think is sufficient of it self and clears the Text of all Contradiction though I know there are other Solutions used by the Learned as that of our English Rabbi Saul saith he asked whose Son David was not that he was ignorant who he was but he only enquired who that was that had such a Son The question is not of David's Person but Parentage So Lightfoot Others are more Curious in their Objections as thus Whereas the Diameter in respect of the Circumference is as seven to two and twenty this is not observ'd in 2 Chron. 4. 2. speaking of the brazen Laver and by consequence the Geometry of Scripture is faulty In answer to these men who are such Well-willers to the Mathematicks I say first That the Proportion of a Diameter to its Circle is not exactly as seven to two and twenty therefore these Gentlemen are not exact themselves Secondly I say this that the Scripture oftentimes speaks after the Vulgar manner as I have shew'd elsewhere and it is likely it doth so here and then we must not expect Accuracy of Words or Things The Bible was not calculated for them only that can square a Circle or that understand all the Mysteries of Algebra Thirdly If this doth not satisfy I answer that the Circumference of the brazen Sea was not exactly Round but it may be towards an Oval Figure which makes some alteration as to the Proportion of the Diameter It was ten Cubits from brim to brim and a Line of thirty Cubits did compass it round about saith the Text but if it had been quite orbicular the Circumference must have been one and thirty Cubits Or perhaps in this place as in several others a round Number is express'd and the remainder being so small and inconsiderable is omitted But further 't is Objected that this Molten Sea or Laver is said to contain 2000 Baths 1 Kings 7. 26. but in 1 Chron. 4. 5. we read that it received and held 3000 Baths therefore some infer that one of these places is faulty and ought to be corrected I answer there is no need of it because both these are consistent The Laver was of that vast dimension that it could hold 3000 Baths of Water but it generally and usually contain'd but 2000. In a Synagogue of the Jews at Amsterdam there is one of these Lavers and thence we may solve the seeming difficulty they fill it up to the Neck but not higher but if they would fill it higher it would contain much more The Neck is large and of another figure and is capable of receiving a third part more Another Place which they alledg cannot they will tell you be answer'd any of these ways for it plainly Contradicts another place of Scripture It is said of Asa 2 Chron. 14. 5. he took away the high Places but in 1 Kings 15. 14. it is expresly recorded that the high Places were not removed by him I answer first there were two sorts of high Places namely some where they worship'd Idols and False Gods others where they worship'd the True God The former were taken away as is intimated to us when 't is said he took away the high Places and Images i. e. the high Places where those Images were adored but the latter were not taken away the Reformation which he had set on foot had not gone so far Besides 't is observable that he took away the high Places out of all the Cities of Judah which signifies to us that he removed them out of all the Chief Places of his Kingdom though he had not time to effect it in some other less considerable places
and down to rest or be quiet Sharash to take root to eradicate or extirpate Taab to desire in Kal to abominate in Piel Gnuph to shine to be obscure Natzar to save to destroy Gnazab to desert to help Batzar to rob or prey to defend one's self from âobbers Bara to make or create also to remove or destroy Salah to tread under foot to esteem Garaph to gather to disperse Asaph to gather or preserve also to remove or destroy Nacham to grieve or repent to abandon Grief or to be comforted Chissed to consecrate to desecrate There are Instances of all or most of these viz. the same Hebrew Verbs and Nouns which have not only Different but Contrary Senses in the Writings of the Old Testament which the Reader may consider at his leisure and thereby be help'd to a distinct understanding of the Words in those Texts where they occur BOOKS written by the Reverend Mr. JOHN EDWARDS AN Enquiry into several Remarkable Texts of the Old and New Testament which contain some Difficulty in them with a Probable Resolution of them In two Volumes 8o. A Discourse concerning the Authority Stile and Perfection of the Books of the Old and New Testament Vol. I. with a continued Illustration of several Difficult Texts throughout tâe whole Work 8o. A Discourse concerning the Authority Stile and Perfection of the Books of the Old and New Testament Vol. II. wherein the Author 's former Undertaking is further prosecuted viz. An Enquiry into several Remarkable Texts which contain some Difficulty in them 8o. All sold by Ionathan Robinson Iohn Everingâam and Iohn Wyat. Imprimatur Ian. 10. 1694 5. CAROLUS ALSTON R. P. D. Hen. Episc. Lond. Ã sacris DISCOURSE Concerning the Authority Stile and Perfection OF THE BOOKS OF THE Old and New Testament Vol. III. Treating of the Excellency and Perfection of the Holy Scriptures Wherein are also several Remarkable Texts interpreted according to the Author 's Particular Judgment By IOHN EDWARDS B. D. sometime Fellow of S. Iohn's College in Cambridge LONDON Printed by I. D. for Ionathan Robinson at the Golden Lion Iohn Taylor at the Ship and Iohn Wyat at the Rose in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCXCV Octob. 13. 1694. I judg the Reverend Author shall do well to print the following Discourse wherein he hath Learnedly demonstrated the Excellency and Perfection of the Books of the Old and New Testament Io. Beaumont D. D. The King's Professor of Divinity in Cambridge TO THE Most Reverend Father in God His Grace THOMAS Lord Archbishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitan of all England and one of his Majesties most Honourable Privy Council May it please Your Grace I Imbrace this welcome Opportunity of congratulating Your late Access to the Highest Station in our Church which all Wise and Good Men look upon as an Happy Omen of the future Felicity of these Realms For in Your Grace conspire all those things which can render us by the Divine Blessing a Prosperous People viz. Your unstained Faithfulness and Loyalty to his Majesty Your most Ardent Love to Your Country Your Great Ability for Publick Counsels and Affairs Your perfect Abhorrence of all Immorality and Debauchery Your Zealous Concern for the Church of England and in that for the whole Protestant Religion Of this last You have afforded the World such an Illustrious Proof as will give an immortal Reputation to Your Name For you have not only with Your Learned Pen encountred the Idolatry of the Church of Rome and therein vindicated the Reformed Cause but in all Your Actions You have demonstrated Your singular Care for this latter and Your Detestation of the former Especially when in the late Reign this Idol began to be set up again and too many fell down to it You with the utmost Zeal Vigour and Courage remonstrated against this Practice You bore the Insolencies and Insults of the Enemy with an unimitable Bravery You withstood their Boldness with a Confidence becoming the Goodness of Your Cause You obviated their Folly and Madness with a profound Wisdom and Prudence You defeated their Diligence by a more unwearied Industry And in brief You were the Successful Maul and Scourge of the Hectoring Jesuits that lifted up their Heads in that Day For this You were hated and defamed and are so at this Hour by all the sworn Friends to the Pontifician Interest who look upon You and that justly as their most Dreadful Enemy But this very thing deservedly makes Your Grace to be loved admired and honoured by all Sincere Protestants and True English men I am one that glory in being of that Number and accordingly I now attempt to express my infinite Regards and Veneration of Your Grace's Transcendent Undertakings in behalf of our Religion and our Church and of the Whole Nation And as a Testimony of my Resentments and Duty I here offer to Your Grace a Discourse of the Perfection of the Holy Scriptures which was designed to be presented to Your Lordship before you were advanced to this Supreme See to which Your Merits have called You. Wherefore I having then consecrated it to Your Name I hold it unlawful now to alienate it especially it being the Choicest and Noblest Subject that I have yet treated of and therefore I hope not unworthy of Your Grace's Patronage I submit the Work wholly to Your Grace's Judgment and beg leave to have the Honour of professing my self to be Your Grace's most Humble and Obedient Son and Servant JOHN EDWARDS The PREFACE I Now present the Reader with that Part of my Discourses concerning the Holy Scriptures wherein I have attempted to display the matchless Worth and Perfection of those Divine Records Besides the Great and Important Remarks which I have offer'd I could have mention'd other things barely Critical and which though they be of an inferiour Nature in comparison of those which I have insisted upon are deemed to be Excellencies and Embelishments in other Authors of good Rank Thus some Criticks have observed concerning that of Virgil Aen. 8. Quadrupedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum That in the very Sound of the Words the swist Career of the Horses beating and shaking the Ground with their Hoofs seems to sârike the Ear. The Poetick Feet are so form'd that they express those of the Steeds And so in the same Writer Aen. 5. Procumbit humi bos is thoght to be a great Elegancy and Pulchritude as if it represented in a lively manner the Dull and Heavy Fâll of that Creature Both in this and the former Instance the very Noise of the Words the very Composure of the Syllables are justly applauded by the Admirers of that Poet. The like I could have observ'd in the Inspired Writings especially those that are Poetical among which I reckon the Book of Isaiah to be one for tho it be not in Verse yet a Poetick Genius and Strain may be observ'd in most Parts of it Those Words ch 21. v. 5. Prepare the Table watch in
of it Anah's Invention of Mules Writers borrow from one another The Bible only is the Book that is beholden to no other Here is the Antientest Learning in the World and that of all Kinds 'T is common with Authors to contradict themselves and one another they are uncertain lubricous and fabuâous But the Divine Writers alone are certain and infallible How strange and improbable soever some of the Contents of this Holy Book may seem to be they justly command our firm Assent to them p. 263 CHAP. VII A particular Distribution of the several Books of the Old Testament Genesis the first of them together with the four following ones being written by Moses his ample Character or Panegyrick is attempted wherein there is a full Account of his Birth Education Flight from Court retired Life his Return to Egypt his conducting of the Israelites thence his immediate Converse with God in the Mount his delivering the Law his Divine Eloquence his Humility and Meekness his Sufferings his Miracles and his particular Fitness to write these Books A Summary of the several Heads contain'd in Genesis to which is added a brief but distinct View of the Six Days Works wherein is explained the Mosaick Draught of the Origine of all things and at the same time the bold Hypotheses of a late Writer designed to confront the First Chapter of the Bible are exposed and refuted The Contents of the Book of Exodus to which is adjoined a short Comment on the Ten Plagues of Egypt A Rehearsal of the remarkable Particulars treated of in Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy That Moses was the Pen-man and Author of the Pentateuch notwithstanding what some have lately objected against it p. 305 CHAP. VIII A short Survey of the Books of Joshua Judges Ruth which is a Supplement to the History of the Iudges Samuel the Kings Chronicles Ezra which is a Continuation of the Chronicles Nehemiah Esther The Author Stile Composure Matter of the Book of Job discuss'd An Enquiry into the Penmen Subjects Kinds Titles Poetick Meter and Rhythm of the Psalms p. 350 CHAP. IX The Book of Proverbs why so call'd The transcendent Excellency of these Divine and Inspired Aphorisms Some Instances of the Different Application of the Similitudes used by this Author The Book of Ecclesiastes why so entituled The Admirable Subject of it succinctly displayed The particular Nature of the Canticle or Mystical Song of Solomon briefly set forth It is evinc'd from very cogent Arguments that Solomon died in the Favour of God and was saved The Books of the Four Great Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah with his Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel are described So are those of the Twelve Lesser Prophets Hosea c. p. 379 CHAP. X. An Account of the Writings of the Four Evangelists the peculiar Time Order Stile Design of their Gospels The Acts of the Apostles shew'd to be an Incomparable History of the Primitive Church The Epistles of St. Paul particularly delineated He is proved to be the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews An Enquiry into the Nature of this Apostle's Stile and manner of Writing The excellent Matter and Design of the Epistles of St. James St. Peter St. John St. Jude An Historical Series or Order is not observ'd in the Book of the Revelation p. 415 CHAP. XI None of the Books of the Holy Scripture are lost Not the Book of the Covenant Nor the Book of the Wars of the Lord Nor the Book of Iasher Nor the Acts of Vzziah An Account of the Book of Samuel the Seer the Book of Nathan the Prophet the Book of Gad the Seer the Book of Iddo the Books of Shemaiah Iehu c. What is to be thought concerning the Books of Solomon mention'd 1 Kings 4. 32 33. Objections drawn from Jam. 4. 5. from Luke 11. 49. from Acts 20. 35. from Jude v. 14. from 1 Cor. 5. 9. from Col. 4. 16. fully satisfied Other Objections from 1 Cor. 7. 6 12 25. 2 Cor. 8. 8. 11. 17. particularly answer'd p. 451 CHAP. XII A short View of the Eastern Translations of the Old Testament especially of the Targums The several Greek Translations more especially that of the LXX Jewish Elders The impartial History of them and their Version Some immoderately extol it others as excessively inveigh against it The true Grounds of the Difference between the Hebrew Text and the Greek Translation of the Septuagint assigned viz. One Hebrew Vowel is put for another One Consonant for another Sometimes both Vowels and Consonants are mistaken The Difference of the Signification of some Hebrew Words is another Cause sometimes the Sense rather than the Word it self is attended to Some Faults are to be attributed to the Transcribers Some because the LXX are Paraphrasts rather than Translators they take the liberty to insert Words and Passages of their own The Greek Version hath been designedly corrupted in several Places Why the Apostles in their Sermons and Writings made use of this Version though it was faulty Sometimes the Sacred Writers keep close to the Hebrew Text and take no notice of the Seventy's Translation of the Words At other times in their Quotations they confine themselves to neither but use a Latitude The Greek Version is to be read with Candour and Caution and must always give way to the Hebrew Original The chief Latin Translations of the Bible especially the Vulgar examined Modern Latin Translations and lastly our own English one consider'd p. 477 CHAP. XIII Our English Translation shew'd to be faulty and defective in some Places of the Old Testament But more largely and fully this is performed in the several Books of the New Testament where abundant Instances are produced of this Defect and particular Emendations are all along offer'd in order to the rendring our Translation more exact and compleat The Date of the Division of the Bible into Chapters and Verses p. 532 CHAP. XIV The Reader is invited to the Study of the Bible as he values the Repute of a Scholar and a Learned Man That he may successfully study this Holy Book he must be furnish'd with Tongues Arts History c. It is necessary that he be very Inquisitive and Diligent in searching into the Mind and Design of the Sacred Writers In examining the Coherence of the Words In Comparing Places together In observing and discovering the peculiar Grace and Elegancy and sometimes the Verbal Allusions and Cadences of the Holy Scripture of which several Instances are given He must also be Morally qualified to read this Book i. e. he ought to banish all Prejudice He must be Modest and Humble He must endeavour to free himself from the Love of all Vice He must with great Earnestness implore the Assistance of the Holy Spirit p. 532 OF THE EXCELLENCY PERFECTION OF THE Holy Scriptures CHAP. I. The different Esteem and Sentiment of Persons concerning the Authors they make choice of to read No Writings can equal the Bible It hath been highly valuâd in all Ages by
Men of the greatest Learning Wit and Judgment A Scheme of the following Discourse briefly propounded The Holy Scriptures are the perfect Rule of Faith They are the best Conduct of our Lives and Actions They are the only Ground of solid Consolation Joy and Happiness This Perfection of Scripture is opposed by many of the Rabbins An Account of their Cabala and Oral Law The Papists by preferring their Traditions before the Scriptures and by indeavouring to keep these latter in an unknown Tongue deny the Perfection of them So do Familists Quakers and all Enthusiasts IT may be observed that the Minds of Men have been differently disposed as to the choice of the Authors they would read and their Esteem and Value of them have been as various It hath been usual for Persons to express a particular Kindness for one Writer above another Thus Homer of old was excessively magnified by those famous Warriors Agesilaus and Alexander the Great The former read him continually at home and in the Camp and whenever he had any time to spare for Reading The latter could not sleep without his Iliads under his Pillow Scipio âirnamed the African had a great Opinion of Xenophon's Institution of Cyrus and was always consulting it and valued it at a high rate So among Christians St. Cyprian was a great Admirer of Tertullian and when he had a mind to read him his usual Saying was Give me my Master Charles the Great was hugely taken with St. Augustine de Civitate Dei and had it constantly read to him yea even at Supper King Alphonsus in all his Expeditions and at all other times carried Iulius Caesar's Commentaries others say Livy's History with him Theodore Gaza gave his Vote for Plutarch's Works and was so pleased with them that he protested if he could have but one Man's Writings he would certainly choose His before all others Thomas Aquinas was no less in love with St. Chrysostom on St. Matthew and expressed his high Esteem of him by saying he preferr'd him before the goodly City of Paris Charles the V th gave a greater Deference to Comines than to any other Writer and perpetually conversed with him Scaliger would rather be the Author of the ninth Ode of Horace than be Emperor of Germany And to come down yet lower Grotius gives Cujacius the Prefârence to all the other Commântators on the Imperial Laws Salmasius admired no Divine so much as Calvin and particularly preferred his Institutions And the Reverend Mr. B. Oley tells us if he were to be conâined to one Author he would choose Dr. Iackson's Works Thus have Mens Sentiments and Esteems been various about Books âome preferring one Writer and some another according as their Genius or Studies led them âut when we mention the Bible i. e. the Book of Books we are certain there is no Comparison between This and any others whatsoever This Sacred Volume is emphatically and by way of Eminence call'd ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as if other Books in respect of This deserv'd not the Name For in what other Writings can we deâcry thoâe Excellencies which we find in This None of them can equal it in Antiquity for the first Penman of the Sacred Scripture who relates the Origine of the World and whose Writings contain the Acts and Monuments of the Patriarchs hath the start of all Philosophers Poets and Historians and is abâolutely the Antientest Writer extant in the World No Writings are equal to these of the Bible if we mention only the stock of Humane Learning contain'd in them Here Linguists and Philologists may find that which is to be found no where else Here Râetoricians and Orators may be entertained with a more loâty Eloquence with a choicer Composure of Words and with greater Variety of Stile than any other Writers can afford them Here is a Book where more is understood than expressed where Words are few but the Sense is full and redundant No Books equal This in Authority because ãâã is the Word of God himself and dictated by an unerring Spirit It excâls all other Writings in the Excellency of its Matter which is the Highest Noblest and Worthiest and of the Greatest Concern to Mankind Lastly to name no more at present that I may not anticipate what is intended in the following Discourse the Scriptures transcend all other Writings in their Power and Efficacy This Word of God is pure enlightning the Eyes irradiating Mens Minds with Supernatural Truth affecting their Hearts and Consciences subduing the Refracotriness of their Wills transforming their Lives and changing them into other Persons Thence it is that all Men of well-disposed Souls find a plain Differene between their reading This and other Books When they read those it is true they are something affected and pleased the Stile or the Matter give them some Satisfaction but if they read them often and confine themselves to them their former Pleasure and Satisfaction abate and the Authors seem not to be so entertaining and acceptable as they were before and at length they become burdensom and nauseous and hence it is that some Writers grow out of fashion and other New ones are called for But it is far otherwise with this Holy Book the Affection and Pleasure which you feel in the reading it are lasting and durable because this Blessed Word sinks down into the Center of the Soul and is always present with it Though you lay this Book aside and afterwards take it up and do so again and again yea never so often you will not âind it grow worse but much better i. e. it will yield you greater Delight and Satisfaction and the oftner you converse with it the more you will discern the Worth of it yea the more pleasing will the very Words and Syllables of these Divine Writings be to you For what the Great Critick observes of Homer's Poem that there is a certain kind of Peculiar Easiness and Sliding in his Verse which are not to be found in any other Poets is eminently true of the Holy Scriptures if compared with other Authors there is a peculiar Sweetness a matchless Softness and Pleasantness in the Stile of these Holy Books the Words as well as the Matter are Winning and Ravishing and all pure and sanctified Minds have a clear Perception of this yea the clearer because they so frequently converse with these Inspired Writers We may then on this Account as well as on others challenge the World to shew us where there is any Book like this where there is any Author comparable to it In all Humane Writers there is something wanting something imperfect but in this Sacred Volume there are all things and every thing here is compleat To the Holy Scriptures therefore all other Writings must vail to this Best of Books they must all submit and acknowledg their Meanness and Inferiority Hence it was that the Wisest and Best Men as we may observe did always extol the Scriptures I adore the Plenitude
it should be believed as an Article of the Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation And this is a sufficient and solid Proof of a thing 's not being Necessary to Salvation that it is not contain'd in Scripture This then we assert that these Writings are Plain and Perfect as to all Matters that are Necessary and accordingly are able to put an End to all Controversies which relate to Salvation And if Men will not end them with This Rule they will never do it with any This is the Chief Perfection of Scripture that in it the whole Will of God as to those things that have a necessary Tendency to our Happiness and consequently are the only Necessary Things to be known and done by us is plainly revealed The New Testament particularly is the last Revelation of God's Will and Counsel and nothing is to be added to it or taken from it which makes it a Perfect Standard of Belief and a Compleat Rule of our Lives in which there is nothing short and defective nothing superfluous and redundant Here are all the Principles of True Religion and all the Measures of Holy Living so that whilst we proceed according to this Perfect Canon we are infallibly certain of the Truth of what we believe and of the Rectitude and Lawfulness of what we act On this sole Account the Holy Writ excels all Writings in the World besides 3. We are to adjoin this that as it is a Light to our Vnderstandings and a Rule of our Lives so it is the grand Procurer of our Comfort Ioy and Tranquillity Alas they are Cold Topicks of Consolation which the Writings of the Best Moralists afford us When our outward Distresses and Miseries much more when our inward and spiritual Maladies increase upon us Epictetus and Seneca with all their Spangled Sayings are too mean Physicians to take us in Hand The Great Cicero when in the Close of his Life he was reduced to marvelous Difficulties declared that his Learning and his Books afforded him not any Considerable Arguments of Comfort that the Disease of his Mind which he lay under was too great and too strong to be cured by those Ordinary Medicines which Philosophy administred to him There must be some greater Traumatick some more powerful Application to these Wounds to work a perfect Cure And this Divine Book is able to furnish us with it This alone can remove our Pains and Languors and restore us to an entire Health This faith the Psalmist is my Comfort in my Affliction Thy Word hath quickned me And again Vnless thy Law had been my Delight I should then have perished in my Affliction It was this which upheld and chear'd him in his greatest Straits and yielded him Light and Joy when all things about him look'd black and dismal If but a small part of the Bible had this blessed Effect how powerful and successful will All of it prove if we duly consult it seriously meditate upon it and give it admittance into our Hearts If the Apostle could say Whatsoever things were written asore time in this Book were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the scriptures might have Hope how much greater Hope must needs be administred to us in all Conditions of Life but more especially in the Day of Trouble and Calamity when we have the Scriptures not only of the Old but New Testament to repair unto This latter especially will be a never-falling Spring of Contentment and Joy to us In these Books we have a true and perfect Landskip and View of the World Here is unmask'd and laid open the Vanity of it Here we are assured that many of the Gay things which it presents us with and which fond Minds so dote upon are but empty Bubbles deceitful Phantoms and Apparitions mere Conceits and Castles in the Air. Here we are inform'd that a Prosperous State is not really Good that an Overplus of Riches and Worldly Abundance does frequently prove a Clog to vertuous Minds and that Excess of Pleasures is too fulsom and luscious and takes away that purer Relish of spiritual and heavenly Delights yea that Men generally find a worse Effect of them for when they are gorged and clogg'd with them they revolt from God when they are waxen fat they kick against Heaven So their Worldly Plenty is turn'd into the worst of Punishments and this Plethory is their Disease On the other side we are taught in these Writings that Crosses and Afflictions are not evil in themselves yea that they are Good and Medicinal and advance our spiritual Health that they are so far from being a hindrance to our Happiness that they are a part of it for otherwise the Afflicted would not be so often pronounced Blessed That God's Afflicting a Man is Magnifying of him and setting his Heart upon him It shews that God is greatly concern'd for his Good and that the Almighty hath more care of him than he hath of himself Here we are instructed that we have ground to suspect our Condition if we be wholly exempted from the Distresses of this Life and that not to be Chastised is a Mark of Bastardy Here we learn the true use and end of all those Adverse Dispensations which we meet with viz. that they were designed to try us to make us know our selves and to inform us how evil and bitter a thing it is to offend the Divine Majesty to awaken us out of our Sloth and Security to hold us in Action to keep us in Breath and Exercise as Carthage was useful to rouze Rome's Valour to abate our Pride and Haughtiness and make us humble and submissive Creatures to check our immoderate Passions and Pursuits after earthly things to disintangle us from these Snares to free us from these Charms to keep us from being suck'd in and swallowed up in the powerful Circle and Eddy of this World as who knows not that it is True Philosophy that the World is made up of Vortices to cause us to look after Better Things when these are taken from us to reclaim us from our evil Courses and to reduce us unto Vertue and Goodness to excite us to a Renunciation of all Trust and Confidence in our selves and the transitory Enjoyments of this World and to depend upon God alone It is this Book whence we are acquainted that our Sufferings make us conformable to Christ our Master and therefore are Honourable Badges of Christianity That the Curse which usually attends outward Crosses is taken away by our Saviour's Death That the Calamities of the Faithful are Chastisements rather than Punishments That no Adverse Accidents can do us any hurt if we believe in Jesus and abandon our Sins That the Pressures of this Life are serviceable to make us pity those that are in Misery to know and relish the Love of Christ in suffering for us to inhanse the Comforts of a Good Conscience to commend
purely Hebrew or of near alliance with it It is well known that the Chaldeans and Syrians have abundance of Hebrew words in their Tongue only there is some difference in the inflection of them The Arabick likewise hath great affinity with the Hebrew and so have the Punick and Ethiopick as the Learned Bochart hath demonstrated And this you may observe which confirms the thing I am establishing that the nearer any People were to the Hebrews and their Country the greater Number of Hebrew Words and Idioms they retained in their Languages and on the contrary the more remote any Nation was from them the fewer Hebrew Words have they and the greater Strangers are they to their manner and way of Speaking But there are some Reliques of that Primitive Tongue every where all Languages have borrowed from this as St. Ierom long since observed and Mercer and other Learned Moderns take notice that Sac and some other Hebrew Words are to be found in all Languages and thence argue that Hebrew is the Mother-Tongue of all Again where should we look for the Original Language and where should we hope to find it yea where is it possible to find it but among the First People of the World and the immediately succeeding Generations of Men before the Flood and Confusion of Tongues Accordingly we discover that Hebrew was that Language which was in use with them The Book of Genesis abundantly testifies this where are the Names Adam Ishah Woman Chavah or Eve Cain Abel Seth Noah and a Multitude of other Words of Hebrew Extraction which are Arguments that Hebrew was the Language of those first People and therefore the Primitive One. The Etymology and Derivation of these Words do irrefragably prove this for there is no other Tongue that hath these Words from whence these Names are taken but the Hebrew therefore this was the First Tongue And this was it which Noah carried into the Ark with him and if he did so no Man questions that he brought it out with him and that it was universally used till the Babel-Conspiracy Otherwise it could not be said as we have heard that the whole Earth before that Confusion was of one Lip or Language and one Speech This Text is peremptory and therefore it is to be wondred that a Learned Man contents himself with saying There seems to have been One Tongue before the Flood till the building of Babel And in another place he understands one Lip and one Speech of their mutual Concord and Agreement which Interpretation of his is refuted from what follows Let us go down and confound their Lips that they may not understand one anothers Lip v. 7. Where we see the Confusion of Lips is opposed to one Lip and one Speech before mentioned It is evident then from this Text that there was only One Language in use at first and that could be no other than Hebrew for I have shew'd before that this Language was spoken and therefore if there was but One Language on the whole Earth This must be it for there was no Alteration as to Language till the building of Babel whence we infallibly gather that the Language which was used before the Flood and the Erecting of Babel was Hebrew and consequently that the forementioned Writer who holds that the Hebrew Tongue is no more Primitive than any other Oriental Tongue is under a Mistake and that his Learned Country-man who asserts that the Hebrew was one of the Tongues that arose out of the Confusion of Tongues at Babel is grossly overseen For it is a flat Contradicting of that plain Text above named which acquaints us that there was One Universal Language in the World at that time and no more which from what I have suggested appears to be Hebrew And as this was the Common Tongue of the World above seventeen hundred Years viz. from the Creation to the building the Tower of Babel so we are to observe further that the Curse of the Confusion of Tongues fell only or chiefly on those People that were at Rabel and concern'd in that Wicked Exploit Viz. the Inhabitants of Shinar and the neighbouring Places those impious Troops of Men that were the greatest Admirers and Flatterers of Nimrod and his Government The Sons of God the holy Posterity of Noah assisted not in the building of the Tower and therefore among them and their Posterity and those that learn'd it of them was the Primitive Tongue preserved Which some think had its denomination of Hebrew from Heber who was none of the Babel-Builders and therefore the Original Tongue was preserv'd entire in his Family This is the general Opinion of the Iewish Writers and it hath been receiv'd by many Christians More especially the Learned Bochart is of this Opinion but is contradicted by some other Learned Pens who tell us that the Hebrew Tongue was call'd so from Gneber Transiit i. e. from Abraham the Traveller or Passenger Gen. 14. 13. But Mr. Selden whose Learning was equal to any of these suspends his Judgment in this Controversy though at the same time he declares that he is more prone to the Opinion of those who deduce it from Eber Transitus This is a short Account of the Aâtiquity of the Hebrew Tongue and we may rationally conclude from it that it was the Primitive and Original Speech and that from the corruption of this was the Generation and Production of other Tongues And that Worthy Critick himself who makes the Phaenician the First Tongue agrees to what I here assert though he seems to oppose it for if we scan what he saith we shall see that even according to him the Phaenician and Hebrew are the same which appears from this that he holds the Canaanites and Phaenicians to be the same People He proves that the Phaenicians or Punicks or Syrians or Sidonians for they were Known by all these Names were formerly the Inhabitants of Canaân but being expell'd thence by Ioshua when he subdued that Land they carried Colonies into most parts of the World and their Language is found in all Languages of other People as he endeavours to shew This is the Hebrew Tongue he confesses abating the Difference of Dialect and therefore Hebrew he saith is call'd the Language of Canaan Isa. 19. 18. If then the Punick was in its first Purity Hebrew as some others besides Bochart grant it follows that in proving the former to be the Original Tongue he doth in effect prove that the latter is so because they are the same And truly it is no hard task to evince the Language of the Canaanites to have been Hebrew for all the Proper Names of Men and Places reckoned up in Scripture in those Nations are purely Hebrew as Salem Ierusalem Hebron c. To which a Learned Scots-man gives his Suffrage expresly vouching that the Canaanites spoke Hebrew and that the Hebrew Tongue is call'd the Language of Canaan because 't was the
Olâ Roman Laws that were fix'd up in publick were written on Plates of Brass as a great Number of good Latin Authors testify And âome to preserve what they writ imprinted Characters on Slices of Ivâry thence call'd Libri Elephantini in Tacitus and Flavius Vopiscus Thus Sculpture was one antient way of Writing among Men of whiââ the First Instances are to be found in the Holy Scripture And I doubt not but Aâoliab who wââ the Chief Master of Engraving and that by the particular Inspiration of Heaven was the fiâââ Improver of this sort of Letters This was ãâã Primitive Writing of Mankind the First Lettâââ were cut and engraven which indeed may be fouââ in the very Word for to grave is the same with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and is thence derived without doubt As hither to we have seen by Help of the Sacrââ Records that Sculpture or Eâârâtion was the anââ entest sort of Characters so These likewise inâoâ us that Painting was the next i. e. that Lettâââ were generally drawn and pouâtrayed in some blaââ or âable kind of âolouring And to this end iââstead of those Hard Materials which were madâ use of in writing before there were others aâterwards found out of a more tractable Nature The Scripture doth not mention those that were ãâã seldom and little used as Leavâs of Trees espeâââally Palms which was the way âf the Siâââ transmitting some of their Verses And that of old they wrote sometimes on Leaves not only of Trees but Flowers is more than once witnessed by Virgil and Ovid. Still to this Day we seem to retain the Memory of this antient way of Writing when we say a Leaf of Paper and Books in Folio Nor are the thin Coats or Rinds which were between the Bark and Body of Trees and were used in Writing of old as several relate and from whence came the Name of Liber at first mention'd by the Holy Writers because their Use continued but a little time and they were of little Service Much less is there any thing said of writing in Linen which yet Livy Pliny Vopiscus and others take notice of because this was used among the Indians and such remote People as the Sacred History had no occasion to speak of But those Materials for writing which were of constant Use and that among most Nations as Papyr and Parchment are either expresly mention'd or tacitely referr'd to The former was made of broad Rushes and Flags which grew in great abundance in Egypt of which the Prophet Isaiah foretelling the Confusion of that Country speaketh ch 19. v. 6 7. The Reeds and Flags shall wither the Paper-Reeds by the Brooks shall wither be driven away and be no more The Gnaroth the Materials for Writing which were so celebrated all the World over and which were the peculiar Commodity of Egypt and which brought in so great Revenues to that Nation these even these shall decay the Traffick of them shall cease Yea when 't is said that Moses was laid in an Ark of Bull-rushes Exod. 2. 3. a Great Critick tells us that the Papyrus is meant here and for this he quotes Lucan Conseritur bibulâ Memphitis cymba papyro And before him St. Ierom the most Critical of all the Fathers thought the Egyptian Rushes of which the first Paper was made are to be understood in this Place and therefore Gome which is the Word here used is rendred by him Papyrââ And he it is likely had this from Iosepâus who acquaints us that the Ark in which Moses was secured was made of this great Flag growing on the Banks of Nile of which they made Leaves to write on and whence our Paper at this Day hath its Name It was divided into thin Flakes which were press'd and dried in the Sun and so were made serviceable to write upon in some tolerable manner Of this Pliny and several other Writers speak and thence Nile is call'd Papyriferus by Ovid. Parchment which was made of Sheep Skins or the thinner Skins of other Animals dress'd was another thing they writ upon The best of this sort was made at Pergamus and thence had its Name Pergamena but it was invented before Attalus King of Peragamus his time though the contrary hath been believ'd by some Men and was in use at the same time that the Egyptian Papyrus was only this was used for common Purposes and the other for more choice Writing and such as they designed should last a long time Therefore it is most probable that the Books of the Mosaick Law and the rest of the Old Testament were transcrib'd into this Moses writ the Words of the Law gnal sepher upon a Book Deut. 31. 24. i. e. on Parchment saith Ionathan the Chaldee Paraphrast on the place for so he and other Learned Jews understood the Text. This is meant by Megillah a Roll Ezra 6. 2. and Megillah sepher a Roll of a Book Jer. 36. 2. and Gillaion a Roll Isa. 8. 1. and a Scroll rolled together Isa. 34. 4. for it was Parchment which is of some Consistency not thin and weak Paper that was capable of being thus rolled up To this Herodotus refers when he saith that writing on Skins was used by the Barbarians meaning the Eastern People especially the Iews And Iosepâus avoucheth that the Books of the Old Testament were written in Sheets of Parchment exactly joined and fastned together of which Testimony of his I have spoken in another Place It is the general Opinion of Interpreters that by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã are meant Writing Parchments 2 Tim. 4. 13. but I have heretofore proposed another Sense of that Word and therefore I make no use of this Place here It is likely that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Scroll rolled together Rev. 6. 14. refers to this And though I will not aver that by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which our Translators render Paper 2 Ioh. v. 12. is to be understood Parchment yet it is not wholly improbable for this was the usual Word to signify any thing that they writ upon whether Egyptian Reeds or Leaves of Lead or Gold or Stone or Wood or any of the other writing Materials before specified The Matter whatever it was was called ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and Charta from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and this from the Hebrew Charath seulpsit exaravit for this was a general Term and signified any thing that had Characters engraven or written upon it But the Scripture hath not only taken notice of the Materials on which they wrote of old but of the Instruments with which they form'd their Letters on them I mean here such as were of common Use and therefore we must not expect that it should say any thing of the Rubrica mention'd by Persius and others which serv'd sometimes instead of Pen and Ink. With this they writ oâ rather mark'd their Titles of Books whence that of Iuvenal
Pârlege rubras Majorum leges At other times they made use of Chalk and of Coal both which are mention'd by Persius Illa priùs cretà mox bââc carbone notasti But these were used only on special Occasions and were not the ordinary manner of Writing therefore 't is no wonder that the Bible is wholly silent aâ to this But it mentions the Writing Instruments that were of common Use as first those which were peculiar to the Harder Materials those wherewith they made Incision into Stone Wood c. Accordingly it tells us that they used an Iron Pen or Style and therewith cut what Characters they thought fit in them Of this we have mention in Iob 19. 24. where that holy Man wisââth that his Complaints were written down and recorded that future Ages might take notice of them which Moses or some other Inspired Person who digested and compiled this Book thus expressetâ O that my Words were engraven with an Iron Pen and Lead with a ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã according to the Seventy made of Iron and with Lead plumbi laminâ as the Vulgar Latin a thin Sheet or Plate of Lead on which they engraved Letters with this Iron Pen. And in the next Clause of this Verse he wisheth yet further that his Words might be written in the Rock ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as the LXX render it ut sculpantur in silice the Vulgar Latin following the Septuagint as it generally doth every where which refers to the antient manner of writing in those Days which was by Engraving of Letters not only on Leaden Tables but on Stone and Flint with Iron Pens or Bodkins These were the first Instruments used in writing in the World And when Ieremiah saith The Sin of Judah is written with a Pen of Iron and graven upon the Table of their Hearts it is an Allusion to this Practice though here another Word is used viz. Cheret from Charath sculpsit whence ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which is a graving Tool and so is rendred Exod. 32. 4. With this they made the Letters on Wood and Stone and such like hard Substance and in Wax-Tables Next the Scripture takes notice of the antient Instrument which was proper to the other way of writing viz. upon the softer Materials as the Papyrus and Parchment This is called Shebet which Word in other Places is rendred a Scepter We read that the Tribe of Zebulon afforded some that handled the Pen of the Writer Judg. 5. I4 such as were dexterous at this Instrument such as knew how to wield this Shebet this Writing-Scepter with Art and Skill In other Places it hath the same Names that were given to the Engraving Pen thus it is stiled Cheret ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã according to the Septuagint Isa. 8. 1. the Pen of a Man i. e. such a Pen as Men usually writ with in those Days when they wrote upon any soft and yielding Matter and that was a Reed which is confirm'd to us by Ier. 8. 8. where Gnet the Pen of the Scribes is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the Greek Interpreters And in Psal. 45. 1. where it is again call'd Gnet the Pen of a ready Writer the same Interpreters render it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and the Vulgar Latin Calamus which is the Word used by Martial and others for the Egyptian Reed Which was the Writing Pen in their time Dat chartis habiles calamos Memphitica tellus And Aquila a Learned Jew who knew the genuine Meaning of the Hebrew Word in this Place renders it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã i. e. juncus arundo aquatica wherewith they antiently writ It appears then that Egypt afforded both Paper and Pens the former was of that Rushy Plant before described the latter were of a Reed growing in the same Place viz. about the River Nile and the fenny Parts of Egypt which being dried and hardned and conveniently shaped was the usual Instrument of writing before the Invention of Quills It was so made that it would contain and convey in it a black sort of Liquor which answers to our Ink which we use at this Day into which they used to dip it To this antient writing with Ink or such like dark Substance some have thought Ezek. 9. 2. hath reference where we read of the Writers Inkhorn but though the Hebrew Word be rendred Atramentarium by the Vulgar Latin yet in its Original Signification it hath no reference to that particular thing but may be translated a Pen-case or a Writing-Table as well as an Inkhorn From the bare Sound of the English Word we cannot infer the thing it self We may as well affirm the Art of Printing was found out and practised in Iob's Days because he wisheth that his Words were printed in a Book Job 19. 23. But there is a Place to our purpose and that is Ier. 36. 18. I wrote them i. e. the Words which Ieremy spoke with Ink in a Book The Antient way of writing appears from what Baruch here saith that he wrote Ieremiah's Prophecy ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã atramento which was the black and inky Matter whatever it was that was laid on by his Pen in writing This is the ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã mention'd 2 Cor. 3. 3 2 Ep. Iohn v. 12. and again 3 Epist. v. 13. where it is joined with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Which shews what was at that time the way of writing viz. with Reed-Pens dipp'd in Ink which as we are told by Pliny and Persius was variously prepared The Greeks and Romans made it of Soot saith the former of these Writers and from him and Persius we learn that the Africans used the dark Excrementitious Humour which the Sepia afforded them and other black Juices serv'd for Ink in other Countries Thus the most Antient as well as the most Authentick Memoirs concerning Letters and the Manner of Writing are in the Books of the Holy Penmen Thus the Foundation of all Grammar and the Root of all Learning is laid here Next unto Grammar I might mention History the first Father of which was Moses whose Writings begin the Bible All that I will say of him under this present Character is this that we are solely indebted to him for our Knowledg of the Transactions of the First Ages of the World As he wrote before all other Historians so he gives us an Account of those things which none besides doth wherefore his Books are the Key of all History To him are added Others who are not only of admired Antiquity but ought to be prized as much for the Admirable and Various Matter they communicate Here are Excellent Historical Passages of all sorts Religious and Civil Sacred and Profane Foreign and Domestick relating to Politicks and Oeconomicks to Publick and Private Affairs Yea the Title of Procopius's History belongs only and properly to these Sacred Chronicles for here the Secrets and Depths of all Antient Occurrences are
Great Man that he was learned in all the Wisdom of the Egyptians Acts 7. 22. which comprehends not only Arithmetick Geometry Astronomy all Parts of Mathematicks Physicks of all which there are several remarkable Strictures in the Pentateuch but Moral Philosophy with which his Books are every-where fraught Solomon also was a most profound Philosopher as those Words in 1 Kings 4. 29 c amply testify God gave Solomon Wisdom and Vnderstanding exceeding much His Wisdom excell'd the Wisdom of all the Children of the East-Country and all the Wisdom of Egypt He spake of Trees from the Cedar-tree that is in Lebanon even to the Hyssop that springeth out of the Wall he spake also of Bâasts and of Fowl and of creeping things and of Fishes And as Iosephus adds after the same manner he discours'd of All Terestrial Things for he was ignorant of no natural Things he pass'd by none of them unexamin'd but philosophized concerning every one of them and fully discuss'd the Properties and Nature of them Thus he was certainly the Greatest Natural Historian that ever was and his Book of Proverbs and that which is entituled Ecclesiastes abundantly inform us what skill he had in Ethicks Oeconomicks Politicks so that we may justly stile him an Vniversal Philosopher Iob's skill in the choicest Parts of Physicks is evident from his excellent Discourses and Disquisitions concerning Thunder the Clouds the Sea Chap. 26. concerning Minerals and other Fossiles and Fountains Chap. 28. concerning Rain Vapours Snow Hail and other Meteors Chap. 37. 38. And several sorts of Animals both wild and tame with their chiefest Properties and Qualities are discours'd of in Chapters 39 40 41. And here I must insert this that the Knowledg and Study of the Bible are absolutely necessary in order to the Study of Natural Philosophy It is a very good Thought of an Ingenious Man The Doctrine of the Scriptures saith he is to be well imbiâed before young Men be enter'd into Natural Philosophy because Matter being a thing that all our Senses are constantly conversant with it is so apt to possess the Mind and exclude all other Beings but it self that Prejudice grounded on such Principles often leaves no room for the admittance of Spirits or the allowing any such things as immaterial Beings in the nature of things Which shews the necesâity of our conversing with the Inspired Writings wheâ we have abundant Proofs of the Existence and Operation of those Invisible Agents No Book â so fully and demonstratively convince us of their Being and Power as the Holy Scriptures And the grand Reason in my Opinion why so many reject the Notion of Spirits and run into wild and extravagant Notions which are the Consequent of it is because they are unacquainted with and which is more dislike this Book which is the Basis of aââ Natural Philosophy in that we have here an irrefragable Demonstration of those Incorporeal Beings Whence it follows that no Man can be a Good Naturalist if he be a Stranger to the Holâ Writings much more if he slights and vilifiââ them We shall perpetually fluctuate without an Adherence to these Infallible Records The Cartesian and indeed the whole Corpuscularian Philosophy depraves Mens Minds unless it be temper'd by these Nay I may say the Study of Nature abstract from them will lead us into Scepticism and Atheism for many Substantial Notions as well as Phaenomena are utterly unaccountable without Help from this Book But this rectifies our Apprehensions and gives us a true Account of the State of Things and of the Government of the World which is managed chiefly by Spiritual and Immaterial Substances This salves the most surprizing Difficulties by acquainting us with the Spring of the Generality of those Motions and Transactions which are observable in Natural Bodies In short this will season and qualify our Speculations concerning Nature and all its Operations for when the Operations and Results of Matter are defective here we are taught to have Recourse to a Higher Principle Thus the Bible lays a Foundation for our Study of Philosophy and is it self the Best Body of Philosophy I mean on the foresaid Account because it assures us of the Existence of Spirits by whose Influence so many Works of Nature and those of the greatest Importance in the World are effected This was known of old by the Name of the Barbarick Philosophy and 't is frequently call'd so by Clement of Alexandria and both he and Eusebius and some Modern Writers have shew'd that the Grecian Philosophy was derived from this Which indeed was the Confession of some Considerable Men among the Pagans whence Diogenes Laertius tells us this was their Saying Philosophy had its Original from the Barbarians i. e. the Hebrews which is as much as to say that all the true Notions about God and Providence and the Souls of Men and other great Doctrines in Philosophy are taken from the Jewish Writings the Sacred and Inspired Scriptures In the next Place the Antiquity of Medicks Chirurgery Anatomy Embalming is likewise discover'd here For Ioseph commanded the physicians to embalm his Father and the physicians embalmed Israel Gen. 50. 2. The Word here repeated is Rophim and it is the proper Hebrew Word for Men skill'd in Medicks and there is no other Wherefore Vatablus and some others are mistaken who fancy this Place is not meant of Physicians properly so called because this Term is translated ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by the Septuagint and because they are bid to embalm Jacob. Whence they infer that they were not Physicians in the Sense that we use the Word in at this day viz. for such as take care of sick and diseased Persons and endeavour by their Skill and Art to restore them to Health but that they were only Embalmers that is that their sole Office and Employment was to take care of the dead Bodies and to preserve them from putrifying But this Misapprehension had its Rise from this that they judged of Physicians and their Employments according to what they see now according to the Practice of these Days which no Man of due Coâsideration and unprejudiced Judgment ought to do For of old the Physician was both Chirurgeon and Embalmer yea even in Hippocrates's time the Work of the Physician and Chirurgion was not different but the very same In Antienter times much more these Professions were united and were the Employment of the same Person It is no wonder therefore that Embalming was annex'd to it and constantly went along with it for the Chirurgion or Physician call him which you will or both was the Man that had Skill to dissect Bodies in order to their Pollincture He knew what Parts to take out and how being acquainted with the Situation of the Vessels for Anatomy was first of all practised among the Egyptians as we may gather from Pliny and others who attest that the Egyptian Kings used it to find out the Cause and
former of which wore a Mitre Mitsnepheth Exod. 29. 6. 39. 28. and the latter Bonnets Migbanoth which were of of fine Linen Exod. 29. 9. 39. 28. as well as the Mitre and are said to be bound upon their Heads for that is the true Import of the Hebrew Word in the forecited Place in Exodus and in Lev. 8. 13. which plainly shews that these Mitres and Bonnets were of the Nature of Turbants and so were the same with the Tsaniph which was a Covering rolled up in Folds and tied about the Head from tsanaph circumvolvere circumligare And indeed Tsaniph if we exactly enquire into it will be found to be the same Word with Mitsnepheth only this latter is with a Mem Heemantick in the beginning and a Tau in the End of it If I had time I could shew that other Ornaments were borrow'd from the Jews and that what God himself enjoined the High Priests was afterwards used by the Eastern Princes As to the antient Head-Covering of Women I had occasion given me to speak of it when I discours'd on 1 Cor. 15. 29. therefore now I shall only speak of what was meer Ornament the most eminent of which sort was their Frontal Iewel which though it was fastned on their Foreheads hung down lower and thence is call'd Nezem Haaph a Nose-Iewel Isa. 3. 21. Gemma in fronte pendens as the Vulgar Latin renders it and St. Ierom tells us that the Women in his time had Rings or Jewels hung from their Foreheads dangling over the Nose Nor was this of old reputed an immodest and unbecoming Ornament for we find that Rebekah was presented in the Name of her absent Lover with this Forehead-Pendant as a Pledg of his Conjugal Faith and Love Gen. 24. 22. For it is a Vulgar Errour yea 't is a Mistake which I find hath prevail'd among some Learned Writers that Part of the Love-Token which was sent Rebekah was an Ear-Ring there is no ground at all for it for in express Terms it is said that the Nezem Zahab the Iewel of Gold as 't is call'd in this v. 22. which our Translators render a Golden Ear-ring was put gnal Aphah upon her Nose v. 47. or as our Translators themselves render it upon her Face for the Word Aph is largely taken sometimes for the Face But we never find that it is taken for the Ear and therefore this place can't be meant of an Ear-ring yea our Translators themselves acknowledg as much when gnal Aphah is rendered by them upon her Face wherefore there was no reason to render Nezem an Ear-ring at the same Time and in the same Place Besides the Women wore that sort of Ornament by Couples and consequently we may gather thence that this Golden Nezem which was sent to Rebekah was no Ear-ring but a Pendulous Jewel upon her Face or Forehead Isaac had more of Generosity and Courtship in him than to make an offer to his Mistress of a Half-Present The truth then of the Matter is this they had of old Forehead-Ornaments as well as those that they wore in their Ears The plain and unquestionable Difference between these is observable in Ezek. 16. 12. I put a Iewel on thy Forehead and Ear-rings in thine Ears The Nezem gnal Aph the Iewel on the Forehead or on the Nose or Face for 't is the same with Gen. 24. 47. is distinguish'd from the Ear-Ornaments the Rings and Pendants that hung at that part Some have thought and St. Augustin was of that number that the Nezem before mention'd Gen. 24. 22. and the Nose-Iewels mention'd Isa. 3. were Rings in their Nostrils for as this Father observes there was such a Custom among some of the African Women and others since that time tell us the like of some of the Eastern People Particularly a Modern Traveller informs us that at this Day not only in Persia but other Oriental Regions it is usual with the Women to bore their Nostrils and wear Pendants there But whatever may be the Custom at this Day there is no Author that makes mention of it as practis'd of old by the People of the East and particularly of Syria and Iudea Therefore we may conclude that the Nezem Haaph was a Jewel for the Forehead but had its Denomination from its hanging above or over the Nose So much of this ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã or Nose-Ornament as Symmachus renders it and very properly whereas the LXX most absurdly translate it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and that too in the forenamed Place in Ezekiel where it is plainly distinguish'd from the Ear-Ornament I thought therefore I was obliged to give you a true and exact Account of the Original Word And truly if we observe what large Searches Eustathius and Servius make into a single Word in Homer and Virgil and how busily and concernedly other Critical Commentators on Prophane Authors dive into some dubious Expressions which occur in them we cannot think this present Criticizing or any other undertaken in this Discourse upon the Words in this Holy Book to be superfluous and impertinent unless we can perswade our selves that the Terms which the Holy Ghost makes use of in this Sacred Volume are not as well worth our enquiring into as those in other Authors Another Ornamental Furniture which I will name and which of all others is most frequently mention'd in the Books of the Old Testament is that which is appropriated to the Ears Concerning which these useful Remarks may be made Firââ we may take notice of the Words whereby this Pendulous Ornament is express'd The Word Nezamim the Plural of the former Word Nezem is not only a general Term for Jewels but it is particularly used concerning those which are woââ in the Ears Gen. 35. 4. Exod. 32. 2. and accordingly are render'd ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by the Seventy Interpreters Another Word is used in Isa. 3. 20. viz. Lechashim from lacash to whisper or mutter also to charm because these are the Ornaments of that part the Ear which is most affected and wrought upon in Charms and by which the Inchantment is receiv'd But the more particular and restrained Word is Gnagil Numb 31. 50. Rotula sphaerula a round Ring from Gnagol Circulus and the Plural Gnagilim we read in Ezek. 16. 12. which is render'd ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã i. e. rotulae by the LXX Ear-rings had this Denomination because of their circular Figure and the Jewels and Pearls which hung at thâm were known by this Name because they hung at these Circles these round Wires of Gold put into the Ears These then are the Ear-Ornaments properly so call'd being peculiar to this part alone and no other It seems they antiently chose the lower part of the Ear as the fittest Place to have little Incisions made in it because it is spungy and flexible and will safely admit of these soft Penetrations and indeed it seems as it were to be made to receive some Ornament to
part of it extant before there were any Writers in the World and so it was utterly impossible to borrow from Others This is the Peculiar Excellency of this Book this is the Particular Commendation of these Writings that they were the First of all and could not be taken from any else These Holy Scriptures borrow from none unless you will say they do so from Themselves as the 18th Psalm is taken out of 2 Sam. 22. or this out of that The Evangelists borrow from one another The Virgin Mary's Magnificat refers in several Places of it to Hannab's Song 1 Sam. 2 and St. Paul takes some things out of his Epistle to the Epbesians and puts them into that which he wrote to the Colossians and so st Iude may be said to borrow from St. Peter but this is not the Plagiarism which Other Writers are guilty of and which is an Argument of their Wants and Defects whereas the Holy Spirit supplied the Penmen of the Bible both with Matter and Words In the Old Testament especially and more particularly in the Books of Moses there is nothing at second hand all is fresh and new thâ things there spoken of were never delivered by any Writer before But most of the Profane Historians began when the Holy History was just ending And Herodotus himself the Father of History writ not till Ezra and Nehemiah's time The Greeâ Historians go no further back than the Persjan Eâpiâe and most of the Roman History takes not its Rise so high Indeed the Egyptians boasted that they had been ruled by Kings above ten thousand Years as Herodotus relates and thence perhaps it was that one of their Pharaoh's which was the common Name of all their Kings bragg'd that he was the Son of antient Kings Isa. 19. 11. The Chinoises pretend to give an Account of Passages almost three thousand Years before Christ and we are told by Martinius in his Atlas that they preserve a continued History compiled from their Annual Exploits of four thousand and five hundred Years yea they have if we may credit the younger Vossius Writers antienter than Moses But these high Flights are exploded by all Considerate Men and upon a View of whatever Pretences are made by Others they conclude that Moses was the Antientest Writer and that the earliest Discovery of Transactions and Occurrences in the World is to be learnt from him alone Some of the Wisest Pagans had a hint of this and travell'd into the Eastern Countries to acquaint themselves with these Records And it was observ'd long since by Plato as I took notice before that the Oldest and most Barbarous Tongues meaning the Hebrew and Chaldee were very requisite for the finding out the first Beginnings of things for the first Names of them which are now grown obsolete by length of time are preserved in those Languages they being the antientest of all In the Hebrew especially are to be found the Primitive Origines of things and most of the Pagan Historiââs have borrowed from these And so have their Poâts Orators and Philosophers as a great Number of the Christian Fathers whom I have particularly quoted in another Place to evince the Authority of the Scriptures have largely proved In a word all other Antient Writings refer to these or suppose them this Inspired Volume alone being the Fountain from whence either they or we can derive any Truth and Certainty And as there is the Antientest Learning so there is All Learning I speak now of that which is Humane and is reckon'd the Accomplishment of Rational Persons and all the kinds of it in this Book of Books Here is not only Prose but Verse here are not only Poems but Histories Annals Chronicles Here are things Profound and Mystical and here are others that at the first sight are Intelligible and Clear here are Prophecies Visions Revelations for even in the Narratives which are given of These there are some things serviceable to promote the Study of Humanity here are Proverbs Adagies Emblems Parables Apologues Paradoxes Riddles and here are also Plain Questions and Answers Propositions Discourses Sermons Orations Letters Epistles Colloquies Debates Disputations Here are Maxims of Law and Reason Rules of Iustice and Equity Examples of Keen Wit and Deep Politicks Matters of Church and State Publick and Private Affairs and all manner of Subjects either treated of or referr'd unto Thus the Bible is excellently sitted to entertain any Persons as they are Students and Scholars for here is a Treasury of all Good Letters here are laid up all things that conduce to Humane Knowledg Porphyrius is said to have writ a Book of Homer's Philosophy wherein he attempts to prove that he was as much a Philosopher as a Poet and no less a Person than Maximus Tyrius affirms him to be the Prince of Philosophers and another Grave Author undertakes to shew that the Seeds of all Arts are to be found in Homer's Works This is said by his Admirers to inhanse his Credit and Repute but far greater things and more justly may be pronounced concerning these Famous Records of Learning and Antiquity With more Reason may we maintain that the chiefest Arts and Inventions are originally in the Sacred Volume and that the Foundations of all Humane Learning and Science are laid here for though these are not the chief things designed in this Book it being writ to higher Purposes yet they are occasionally interspersed every where and a Studious Enquirer cannot miss of them It is rationally and undeniably to be inferr'd from the Particulars above-mention'd though many more might have been added that the Bible is the most Compleat Book and hath All Learning in it This truly deserves the Name which Diodore the Sicilian gives his History that is it is indeed a Library an Universal one and contains All Books in it As the Writers of it were Persons of Several Conditions Kings Noblemen Priests Prophets c. so the Matters of it are Various and Different and by reading and studying these Writings we may Commence in all Arts and Sciences we may be accomplish'd Grammarians Criticks Chronologers Historians Poets Orators Disputants Lawyers Statesmen Preachers Prophets Many valuable Monuments of Learning have been lost The famous Library of Alexandria which contain'd six or seven hundred thousand Volumes and that of Constantinople which consisted of an hundred and twenty thousand perished by Fire And the Works of Varro the Learnedsâ Man of all the Romans are extinct And many others might be reckon'd up besides those that Historians say nothing of But having the Scriâture Hacatub as the Jews rightly call'd it by way of Eminence the most Excellent Writings in the World fraught with all manner of useful Literature we may afford to be without the other for this is a certain Verity that if we have the Bible we want no Book And more particularly I have made it appear that the Choicest Antiquities are to be found here A prying Antiquary may
I find it is yea flatly denied by Aben Ezra and Pererius and lately by Hobbs and Spinosa A very little Portion of them was writ by him saith Monsieur Simon who hath a new Notion of certain Publick Scribes or Registers that penn'd this and other Parts of the Old Testament which sort of Abbreviating Notaries he borrows from the Egyptians as he confesâes himself because there were such Officers in the Egyptian Court who had a Privilege to add to or take away from to amplify or abridg the Publick Records he thence groundlesly infers there were such among the Iews who made what Alterations they pleased in the Sacred Writings which Paradox of his I have consider'd and made some Reflections upon in a former Treatise This I may truly say that it is not necessary that we should know who was the Particular Penman of this or any other Book of the Holy Scripture because the Authority of them depends not on the Writers of them but on the Holy Ghost who endited them They are the Books of God that is their peculiar Character and Dignity and that alone makes them Authentick after they have been delivered to us by the unanimous Consent of the Church so that there is no absolute Necessity of our certain knowing who penn'd them Yet this must be said that it cannot with Reason be denied that the Authors of some of these Sacred Books are well known and particularly there are very convincing Proofs that Moses wrote the Books which I have been giving an Account of This may be evinc'd from our Saviour's Words Luke 16. 31. 24. 27. where by Moses as is most evident he means the Books of the Pentateuch and consequently thereby lets us know that Moses was the Writer of them And more expresly the Book of Exodus is call'd the Book of Moses by our same Infallible Master Mark 12. 26. And St. Paul tells us that when these Books are read Moses is read 2 Cor. 3. 19. And both our Saviour and this Apostle distinguish between Moses and the Prophets Luke 16. 29. Acts 26. 22. plainly signifying that as those Books which pass under the Prophets Names are theirs so these that are said to be Moses's were written by him I think this is very plain and needs not to be further insisted on As to the Objections of those Men before named against this I forbear to produce them and to return particular Answers to them because this is so lately done by Monsieur Clerk and because another Learned Frenchman hath laudably performed this Task Especially he hath with great Vigour and as great Success attack'd Spinosa a Iew as they tell us by Birth but neither Iew nor Christian by Profession but a Derider of both We may also find his Arguments which are generally borrow'd from Aben Ezra refuted with great Clearness by the Learned Professor of Diâinity at Paris who at the same time betakes himself to the Positive Part and renders it unquestionable that Moses himself was the Author of the Five Books that go under his Name Wherefore the particular Fancies of those few Objectors and those no Friends to the Sacred Text are not to be heeded by us As to that common Scruple which is so much insisted upon that in the last Book of the Pentateuch there is mention of Moses's Death and some things that happen'd after it whence they conclude that Moses wrote not those Books or at least not the last of them I take this to be a sufficient Answer that Moses being a Prophet might foresee and have revealed to him a particular Account of his own Death and so he committed it to writing by a Prophetick Spirit wherefore none can from thence prove that he was not the Penman of all this Book However we will not contend here for perhaps the Conclusion of this Book was affixed by Ioshua or afterwards by Ezra who was an Inspired Person likewise and who revised the Books of the Old Testament and inserted some things into them by the same Spirit that endited the rest Notwithstanding then the foresaid Objection which refers only to a few Passages in the End of the Book of Deuteronomy wâ have Reason to assert that the whole Five Books excepting that little Addition in the Close were written by Moses these are his Authentick Records consisting chiefly of History which compriseth in it the Occurrences of about 2400 Years and Laws which were given by God Himself to his own People and will be of use to the End of the World Here is the Cabinet of the greatest Antiquity under Heaven here are the First and Oldest Monuments of the World CHAP. VIII A short Survey of the Books of Joshua Judges Ruth which is a Supplement to the History of the Iudges Samuel the Kings Chronicles Ezra which is a Continuation of the Chronicles Nehemiah Esther The Author Stile Composure Matter of the Book of Job discuss'd An Enquiry into the Penmen Subjects Kinds Titles Poetick Meter and Rhythm of the Psalms NExt unto this is that Excellent History written by Ioshua the Captain General of the Israelites and Moses's famous Successor whose very Name without doubt was as terrible to the Canaanites as those of Hunniades and Scanderbeg were afterwards to the Turks Here he admirably describes the Holy War the Martial Atchievements and Stratagems of the People of God against those Nations whose Lands they were to possess and at length their Victory over them Here are very particularly set down their Conquests over those Kings and Countries This Book is the Fulfilling of the Promises which were made to them concerning the entring into Canaan and enjoying that Land which is a Type of the Heavenly Canaan the everlasting Rest which remaineth to the People of God Heb. 4. 9. Here is the Actual Possession of that Promised Inheritance and the Division of it among the several Tribes by Lot The short is in the whole Book which I must not now give you by retail there are abundant Demonstrations of the Divine Providence repeated Instances of the Infinite Kindness of God to his Servants remarkable Examples of the Divine Vengeance on his Enemies yea and visible Proofs of his Severe Dealings with his own People when they refuse to obey his Will and when they act contrary to it Here is in the large Account which is given of Ioshua and his Actions an Exact Character of a Worthy Prince a Ruler a General who ought to signalize himself by his Exemplary Piety and Zeal for Religion by his constant Sobriety Justice and Charity by his undaunted Courage Valour and Prowess by his deep Wisdom Policy and Conduct And his Great and Wonderful Success which is so much required in a General crowned all The Whole contains the History of the Jews from Moses's Death till the Death of their Great Commander Ioshua in all about eighteen Years And 't is not to be wondered at that the Age Death and Burial of this latter are
a Consequent of them the many Disappointments and Crosses he met with the various Judgments and Plagues which were inflicted on him and his People by God The Books of the Kings are the History of the Kingdoms of Israel and Iudah under the Reigns of their several Kings The first contains the latter Part of the Life of David and his Death the Glory and Prosperity of that Nation under Solomon who succeeded him his erecting and consecrating of the Temple at Ierusalem his scandalous Defection from the true Religion the sudden Decay of the Jewish Nation after his Death when it was divided into two Kingdoms under Rehoboam who reign'd over the two Tribes of Iudah and Benjamin and under Ieroboam who was King over the other ten Tribes that revolted from the House of David The rest of it is spent in relating the Acts of four Kings of Iudah and eight of Israel The second Book which is a Continuation of the History of the Kings is a Relation of the Memorable Acts of sixteen Kings of Iudah and twelve of Israel and the End of both Kingdoms by the carrying of the Ten Tribes Captive into Assyria by Salmanasser and the other two into Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar the just Rewards of that People's Idolatry and Impenitency after so many Favours shew'd to them This and the former Book together comprehend the History of about four hundred Years The Chronicles or Iournals according to the Hebrew are the filling up of those Parts of the History which are omitted in the Books of the Kings And though we know not which of these Histories viz. of the Kings or the Chronicles I speak as to the main Body of the Books not one particular Passage as that in the Close of the Second Book of Chronicles where mention is made of the Deliverance of the Iews by Cyrus which might be added afterwards were written first for the Book of Kings refers to the Book of Chronicles and this again sends the Reader to that yet this we see that this of the Chronicles is more full and ample sometimes than that of the Kings what was left out or not so fully set down in the one is supplied in the other And thence these Books are call'd ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã i. e. Remains Supplements Additions by the Greek Interpreters The first Book of Chronicles relates the Rise and Propagation of the People of Israel from Adam which is the entire Subject of the first Nine Chapters which consist wholly of Genealogies and then afterwards most punctually and accurately gives an Account of the Reign of David The second Book as faithfully sets down the Progress and End of the Kingdom of Iudah even to the Year of their return from the Captivity in Babylon These Books of Chronicles together with those of the Kings and Samuel make up the Best and Choicest History in the World Here we are abundantly furnish'd with such Useful Notices Truths and Maxims as these all confirmed by Noted and Illustrious Examples and such Instances as are Certain and Unquestionable Crowned Heads are encircled with Cares and seldom find rest and repose though their Lives are more Splendid yet they are not less Calamitous than those of the Common People Good Kings are rare and the Number of them is inconsiderable in comparison of those that are Bad. The best Kings have their Faults and some of them of a very scandalous Nature There is little Piety in Princes Courts and as little Integrity and Honesty The People are easily induced to follow the Examples of their Governours and Religion and Manners too often vary according to the Wills of Superiours Good Kings are the greatest Blessing and Wicked Ones are the greatest Curse to a Nation Princes mistake their Measures when they either disobey God or oppress their People Tyrannical Princes procure their own Ruine The Sins and Vices of Rulers prove fatal to their Subjects Publick Enormities are punish'd with Publick and National Calamities Kings may be known by the Ministers they choose and make use of Those Counsels that are founded in Religion are most successful Evil Counsellours contrive their own Destruction Wars are the Effect and Consequence of fighting against God The Success of Arms depends upon the Divine Blessing The Church is never more shock'd than under Bad Princes Religion and Reformation are never effectually promoted unless the Great Ones have a Hand in them Divisions and Rents about Religion have immediate influence on Secular Affairs and when the Church is divided the State is so too The Revolutions in both are by the particular Disposal of the Wise Over-ruler of the World True Religion and Godliness are attended with Earthly Rewards and Blessings and the contrary bring down the greatest Plagues even in this World The worst Times afford some of the Best and most Holy Religious and Zealous Men. Whatever Changes and Revolutions happen in the Kingdoms of the Earth the Church of God remains secure Though there are great and frequent Defections yet there never is a total Extinction of it In a Word the Church is impregnable this Rock is immoveable And many other Propositions and Maxims of the like Nature which are of great Service in the Life of Man are to be deduced from these Excellent Histories Ezra is a Continuation of the aforesaid Book of Chronicles and compriseth the History of the Jews from the time that Cyrus made the Edict for their Return until the twentieth Year of Artaxerxes Longimanus which was about a hundred Years For the Jews return from Babylon was at two several Times viz. first in the Days of Cyrus the first Perââan Monarch under the Conduct of Zerubbabel their Captain and Ieshua their High Priest Here are recorded the Number of those that returned Cyrus's Proclamation for the rebuilding of the Temple the Laying of the Foundations of it the Retarding of the Work under the Reign of two of the Kings of Persia at last the Finishing of the Temple in Darius's Reign The second Return of the Jews was in the Reign of Artaxerxes under the Conduct of Ezra a Priest who had been a Courtier in the Persian Court and was sent into Iudea by Artaxerxes in the seventh Year of his Reign which was above eighty Years after the first Return in Cyrus's Time to expedite the Building of Ierusalem This Pious Reformer observing the Peoples ãâã with Strangers and Inâidels and their joining themselves to them in Marriage proclaim'd a âolemn Fast and Pray'd and Mourn'd and Lamented their gross Miscarriages and with great Earnestness and Zeal exhorted them to Reformation and Amendment of their Ways that they might thereby avert God's Wrath and conciliate his Favour and Pardon This is that Ezra who was the Penman of this Book and who was also a Restorer of the Sacred Books of the Old Testament and collected and methodized them into certain Order and reviewed the Copies and amended all Errata's that were contracted in the time of the Captivity Nehemiah who
wrote the Book which bears his Name was a Jew Cup-bearer to the King of Persia and return'd into Iudea thirteen Years after Ezra There is another Nehemiah who came with those that returned at first from Babylon Ezra 2. 2. but he whom we now speak of came afterwards by Artaxerxes's Leave in the twentieth Year of his Reign and went back to Persia again twelve Years after Neh. 5. 14. This Writer begins where Ezra left of and continues the History of the Building of Ierusalem and of the Deportment of the Iews in those times from the twentieth Year of Artaxerxes to the Reign of Darius about fifty Years in all As Ezra chiefly related the Restoring of Religion and Erecting the Temple so this Author gives us an Account of the Building of the City and the Reformation of the Religion which had been restored In several Particulars he shews what were the Abuses and Corruptions of the People and how they were redressed even by his own Hand He tells us what Methods he took of regulating both their Ecclesiastical and Civil Affairs in short of Reforming both Church and State which were even then so early corrupted From the whole both here and in the Book of Ezra we are taught many useful Lessons but This above all that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church that they shall never have Power to extinguish this Little Flock Israel is not always a Captive in a strange Land Babylon sends back her Prisoners and Bondmen Her very Enemies by an extraordinary Direction of Heaven promote her Peace and Prosperity For we are informed from this Part of Sacred History that God stirr'd up even the Persian Monarchs to restore his People to Ierusalem and when they were there to help and assist them and to baffle all their Opposers The Book of Esther is a Particular History of what happen'd to the Jews in their Captivity in the Reign of Ahasuerus one of the Kings of Persia whether he was Artaxerxes Longimanus as some think or Artaxerxes Mnemon as most Authors both Antient and Modern say or Artaxerxes Ochus as Serarius holds or Xerxes the fourth Persian Monarch according to Scaliger or Darius the Son of Hystaspes or Cambyses for so various aâe the Opinions of Authors I will not here dispute Only we know that the Sacred Writings and the Profane intend the same Person sometimes though they give different Names The Story is this Haman a great Favourite and Minion of the King and advanced to great Honour by him was highly incens'd against Mordecai one of the Captive Jews because he refused to do him Reverence and to Bow to him Whereupon he resolv'd for his sake to compass the Destruction of all the Iews in those Territories and to that end gain'd a Decree from the King to put them all to the Sword But this wicked Design was happily frustrated by means of Esther a Jewish Captive Virgin who for her transcendent Beauty had a little time before been advanced to the Throne and now prevail'd with her Royal Husband to spare the Life of her dear Countrymen In this manner Haman's cursed Conspiracy was defeated he himself advanced to a Gibbet and that of his own preparing the Jews delivered from their Fears and Dangers Mordecai who discover'd this Bloody Design to Queen Esther and who had before that discover'd another Conspiracy viz. against the King which was recorded in the Chronicles and about this time read to him and was in a great measure serviceable by the Divine Providence to bring about this happy Frustration of Haman's Plot this Mordecai I say was preferr'd unto the greatest Honours in the Kingdom and by the by let me suggest that perhaps from his riding the King's Horse and thereby being preferr'd to Kingly Dignity the Story of Darius's being made King of Persia by the Neighing of his Horse had its Rise for as I have often had occasion in another Place to prove the Gentile Historians mistook one Person for another the Hearts and Mouths of all the Jews in the King's Provinces were filled with Joy and an Annual Festival was appointed to be kept in all succeeding Generations in remembrance of this singular and unexpected Deliverance vouchsafed to them This is the Sum of this Short History in which there are many Admirable and Surprizing Circumstances which though they could not be particularly related here commend it to the Reader It is certainly a most Remarkable Instance of God's Singular Providence and Goodness to his Church in discovering and defeating the Contrivances of her malicious and cruel Enemies in delivering her in her greatest Extremities and in bringing Vengeance and Ruine on the Heads of those who plot her Downfal As to the Author of this Book there is no Agreement among Writers though one would be enclined to think that it was Mordecai's by reading ch 9. v. 20. and ch 12. of Apocryphal Esther v. 4. The next Penman of the Old Testament is Iob whose Book might have been placed next to the Pentateuch if it be true as is generally believ'd that he lived about Moses's time Though some are of opinion that he lived a considerable time before the Israelites came out of Egypt and that he was before Moses It was writ by himself say Origen and Suidas but the Rabbins generally pronounce Moses the Author Others make Solomon the Author of this Book discovering as they think his manner of speaking in it The most probable Account is that the Materials of this Book were drawn up first by Ioâ himself or one or all of his Pious Friends that were concern'd in the things spoken of here and that they coming to Moses's Hands as some of the Jewish Masters tell us or afterwards to Solomon's were made up into Hebrew Verse as we now find it For the greatest Part of the Book is of this Composure and indeed is the first Poetical Book we meet with in the Bible Whence we may infer something concerning the Nature of it viz. that as M. Luther well observ'd Iob and his Friends spake not all the very Words which are set down in this Book for Men do not use to speak in Verse in their Discourse one with another and especially in such a Lofty Stile of Poetry as we read here sometimes But this is true that both their Thoughts and Words were exactly agreeable to what is here written and Things actually and really happen'd as they are here represented only the Whole Argument being clothed in Verse the individual and express Words which they all the time used are not always written down neither indeed could be But we must by no means attend to the Talmudick Doctors who tell us that this Book is not a Relation of Matter of Fact but writ in a Parabolical way to exhibit to the World an Eminent Example of Patience Nor are the Words of the Parisaan Professor to be tolerated who saith the History is true but the
as This of the Pious King and Prophet Here are all things that are proper to beget Religion and Piety in us here is every thing that is serviceable to nourish and sustain all our Vertues and Graces and that in the utmost height of them Before I pass to the next Book I will add a few Words concerning the Nature of the Poetry here used This is to be said with great Truth that these Poetical Measures are far different from those which we have been acquainted with in Other Writers But then it is not to be question'd that tho we are ignorant of the true Quality of these Poetick Numbers yet they are very Melodious and Lofty and not unworthy of the best Poets It is not to be doubted that there is a certain Artificial Meter observ'd in this Book which renders the several Odes and Hymns very delightful The Younger Scaliger denies and that with some Earnestness and Sharpness otherwise he would not shew himself his Father's own Son that there is any thing like this in this Book though at the same time he grants that the Proverbs and almost all Iob are Metrical But Iosephus and Philo two Learned Jews and who may reasonably be thought to be Competent Judges in this Matter attest the Meter of these Psalms as well as of the Books of Iob c. So do Origen Eusebius Ierom and some of the most Judicious Criticks among the Moderns But then they confess that the Meter is not so regular as that of succeeding Poets And who sees not that even these exceedingly vary in their Measures It is not denied that Sophocles and Euripides Plautus and Terence write in Verse but they can scarcely be said to do so in comparison of Homer and Virgil. There are some Hexameters Iambicks Saphicks and other known kinds of Verses in David's Psalms but they are very rare and seldom pure and unmix'd but notwithstanding this it is easy to perceive if we be observant and attentive that there are several Verses together that are Matrical The Arabian Criticks tell us that the Alcoran is written in a sort of Verse and sometimes in Rythme but every Reader cannot find this No more can an ordinary Eye or Ear discern the Numbers in the Hebrew Verse for the Hebrews way of measuring their Feet was different from that which is in use among the Greek and Latin Poets yet so as we may oftentimes perceive a certain Harmony of Syllables And as the Psalms are Metrical so some of them are Rhythmical This is clear in the very Entrance of these Divine Hymns ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Again in Psal. 6. 2. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã This is evident in Psal. 8. 5. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã This is plain in Psal. 12. 4. 51. 16. 63. 3. 116. 7. 148. 1 2. And in abundance of other Places there is not only a certain Orderly Number of Syllables but the last Words of the Verses end alike in Sound CHAP. IX The Book of Proverbs why so call'd The transcendent Excellency of these Divine and Inspired Aphorisms Some Instances of the Different Application of the Similitudes used by this Author The Book of Ecclesiastes why so entituled The Admirable Subject of it succinctly displayed The particular Nature of the Canticle or Mystical Song of Solomon briefly set forth It is evinc'd from very cogent Arguments that Solomon died in the Favour of God and was saved The Books of the Four Great Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah with his Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel are described So are those of the Twelve Lesser Prophets Hosea c. WHO should succeed David but Solomon as in the Throne so in the Sacred Canon of the Bible And He like his Father was a Divine Poet his three Books viz. the Proverbs Ecclesiastes and his Song being written in Hebrew Verse The first of these Books is composed of Excellent Proverbs whence it hath its Name By this word Mishle which is here rendred Proverbs sometimes are signified I. Parables strictly so call'd which are no other than Apologues or Artificial Fables of which I have spoken under the Stile of Scripture but there are none such in this Book 2. By this Word is meant any Trite and Commonly received Saying any Vulgar Proverbial Speech as that in ch 26. v. 11. The Dog returneth to his Vomit But there are few of this sort here 3. Sarcastick Speeches Gibes Taunts as in 2 Chron. 7. 20. Psal. 69. 11. are intended by this Expression and this Book of Solomon is not wholly destitute of these 4. The Hebrew Word denotes such Speeches as are by way of Similitude Ezek. 18. 2. of which kind there are many in this Book as that in ch 11. 22. As a Iewel of Gold in a Swine's Snout so is a fair Woman without Discretion and in ch 25. 11. A Word fitly spoken is like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver This we find to be the frequent manner of the Wise Man's speaking in this Book he generally illustrates and amplifies his Doctrine by some fit Simily or Comparison so that thereby it is as it were twice deliver'd 5. Sayings that are mixed with some Obscurity and Intricacy such Speeches as require Sharpness of Wit and Understanding both for propounding and conceiving them are denoted by this Word in Scripture Thus an Intricate Question or Problem Mashal is set down in Psal. 49. 4 5. and in the rest of the Psalm there is an Answer to this Problem a Resolution of this Difficult Point Proverbial Sentences are sometimes Enigmatical and have a Meaning far different from what the Words directly signify Thus you 'l find some Sayings that carry a Mystical Sense with them in this Book as that in ch 9. 17. Stolen Waters are sweet and in ch 25. v. 27. It is not good to eat much Honey and such like Allegorical and Allusive Speeches which contain in them a higher Sense than the bare Words import This Proverbial manner of Speaking and Writing was in great Use and Esteem among the Hebrews and all the Eastern Countries whence it was that the Queen of Sheba came to prove Solomon with hard Questions 1 Kings 10. 1. Parables according to the Chaldâe Problems Riddles These were the Chidoth which the propounded to be solv'd by him Yea this way of Speaking may generally be taken notice of in the Writings of most of the Wise Men of Antient Times Pythagoras and Plato were much addicted to this Abstruse way and all their Followers were delighted in Mystical Representations of things 6. By this Word we are to understand all Wise and Excellent Sayings graviter dicta as the Latins call them Sentences of great Weight and Importance but plain and easy to be understood The Hebrews antiently call'd any Saying that had Graces and Wit in it Mashal but especially any Eminent Speech or Smart Saying for the Use of Life and Direction of Manners went under that Name A Moral or Religious Saying that was of singular
Worth and Excellency was stiled a Proverb for this as the Hebrew Word denotes is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Dominatrix sententia a Speech that hath the Preheminence above others a Saying of great Authority and Force and therefore deserves to be highly esteemed by all These Wise Moral Speeches were taken notice of and held in great Repute of old Homer was a Noted Master of this Excellency and is applauded for it by the Learned And indeed when I read in the skilfullest Accomptants of Times that this Poet flourish'd not long after Solomon's Days I am apt to credit Casaubon and Grotius and a Famous Homerist of our own who all agree in this that Homer borrow'd many of his ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã his Sage Sayings or Proverbs from our Royal Author and they produce very fair Instances out of his Poems to prove it After this Great Poet I might mention those Minor ones Theognis and Phocylides who are famed for their Excellent Moral Sentences Pythagoras is celebrated for his Golden Sayings or Verses and so are some of his Scholars for their Worthy Speeches proper to their School and truly if we remember that these Pythagoreans were enjoined by their Master a five Years Silence we may well expect some Handsome Sentences from them at last when they began to speak I might add here the Set Sayings of the Stoicks such as Tully's Paradoxes Yea I might remind you that the Sages of all Schools and Sects had their Peculiar Motto's and Devices As in Theoretical Philosophy there are Axioms and Maxims in Medicks there are Aphorisms in Mathematicks there are Theorems among Rhetoricians there are ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Select Themes and Matters to declaim upon so in Ethicks there are ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Pithy Short Sentences Wise and Weighty Apophthegms containing Great Morals in few Words ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Proverbs Short but Studied Sayings of great and frequent Use in our Lives This Book of Solomon is chiefly made up of this sort and they outvy all that ever were extant before or since The Queen of Sheba came to hear the Wisdom of this Matchless Prince and to be benefited by his Divine Accomplishments but we save our selves the Labour of so long a Pilgrimage he having visited us and his Admirable Writings being brought home to us fraught with the most desirable Treasures Here is a great Number of Useful Maxims and Rules for our Practice in the several Occurrences of our Lives Here are Faithful Sayings and wortây of all Acceptation as the Apostle speaks Here are Smart and Quick here are Grave and Sage Apophthegms Here are Concise and Pithy Adagies the very Extracts and Essences of the Strongest Sense and most Precious Truth Here you will find Solomon as a Father and with a Paternal Affection instructing his Readers and Hearers as his Sons whom therefore he calls by that affectionate Title more than once in this his Admirable Treatise of Morals directing them in the various Passages and Affairs of this Life and framing their Manners most becomingly and successfully in order to another The whole Book is divisible into three main Parts 1. The Inscription or Title of the Book which contains the Use and Scope of it The Proverbs of Solomon the Son of David King of Israel to know Wisdom Instruction to perceive the Words of Vnderstanding c. v. 1 2 c. to the 7th that i to make Men truly Wise and Understanding or which is the same thing Holy and Religious 2. The Preface or Introduction to the Book which is a General Exhortatory to True Wisdom and Holiness This is the Subject of the first Nine Chapters 3. The Main Body of the Book from the Beginning of the 10th Chapter to the Close of all which comprehends in it several Excellent Precepts Rules and Cautions of a mixt and various Nature applicable to the different Circumstances Cases and Occasions of Persons These are more signally called Mishlim the Proverbs a Collection of Sâcred Aphorisms useful in the Lives of all Men whether we look upon them in a Natural Civil or Religious Capacity whether we consider them Alone or as Members of a Society whether we speak of them as they are desirous to live happily here or hereafter or rather as they desire both To all these excellent Purposes they may be plentifully furnished by this Royal Author this Great Master of the Sentences this Divine Penman of the Proverbs There is mention of the Words of Agur ch â0 v. 1. who was the same with Solomon say R. Levi among the Iews and several Christian Expositors However if he be not Solomon under that Name but a different Person yet the Words or Prophecy for so they are alâo call'd there contain'd may be said to be Solomon's because collected and preserved by him So Bathsheba's Instructions to Solomon ch 31. 1. 10. may be call'd his because he had carefully recorded them and in the greatest Part of his Life had observ'd them But whether the Encomium of a Vertuous Woman or a Good Wife from v. 10. to the End was penn'd by Solomon or his Mother is disputable however this we are sure of that it was dictated by Divine Inspiration as the rest of the Sacred Writ and moreover it is observable that it is composed in Alphabetical Order i. e. according to the Series of the Hebrew Letters as âeveral Psalms are which I took notice of before Before I dismiss this Book it may not be improper here to observe concerning several of the Proverbs that they may be applied several ways Accordingly as we interpret the Similitude which is made use of in them so we may form the Sense of the Place and this ought not to offend any good or wise Man To give an Instance or two As he that bindeth a Stone in a Sling so is he that giveth Honouâ to a Fool Prov. 26. 8. The Meaning of which may be that Honour conferr'd on an undeserving Person is thrown away and lost like a Stone cast out of a Sling Or thus he that bestows Preferment and Dignity on such an one doth as 't were Arm him against himself he helps to do himself a Mischief because he puts him into a Capacity of doing it Others have a different Notion of the word Margemah which is here translated a Sling and by it understand a Heap of Stones and they frame such an Interpretation as this He that gives Respect and Honour to a Fool to an unworthy vile Person is like him that casts a Pretious Stone for so they limit the Sense of the word Ebân as Laâilli among the Latins and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã with the Greeks have that particular Signification sometimes among common Pebbles Others expound it thus As one single Stone thrown into a great Heap is scarcely discern'd and makes no Accession to it so by the Honour and Favour that are collated on a Fool there is no real Addition made to him there 's âo
Acts and Works of Holiness Wherefore he offers several Plain Marks and Tokens whereby they may certainly know whether they be Real Christians truly Religious and the Children of God The Sum of all he propounds is this that if they love God and their Brethren and demonstrate this Love by the proper and geââine Fruits of it then they may conclude they are Christians indeed otherwise they are mere strangers to Christianty and to all Religion they deceive themselves and there is no Truth in them This the Beloved Disciple and Divine Amorist inculâates with that Spirit Warmth and Earnestness which so Weighty a Subject deserves His second Epistle is written to the Elect Lady and her Children that is saith St. Ierom to some Eminent Select Church in Asia and to all the Christians belonging to it for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã among the Athenians and Curia with the Romans are of the same Import with ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã an Assembly Perhaps Ephesus is meant saith a Learned Man which was the Metropolis of Asia and so may more signally be call'd ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã But it is the general Opinion of the Antients and Moderns that a person not a Church ãâã meant here and that St. Iohn the Evangelist not another Presbyter of that Name as St. Ierom thinks writes to a Vertuous Lady who was an ãâã Servant of Christ a very Godly and Religions Woman or it may be her Proper Name was Elect as a Learned Critick hath conjectured Which may seem the more probable because the word hath no Article prefix'd to it It was usual with our Saviour himself as the Evangelical Writings inform us to make his Applications to those of this Sex to cherish and commend their Vertues It is particularly recorded that of the Chief Women afterwards call'd Honourable Women not a few were St. Paul's Proselytes And to descend lower we read that St. Ierom took great Pains in instructing the Roman Ladies and in commending and incouraging their Study of the Holy Scriptures Yea many of his Writings were directed and dedicated to Noble Women Widows and Virgins as Paula Eustochium Salvina Celantia and several others that were Roman Ladies and of noble Extraction Such is our Elect here who is the only Person of that Sex to whom an Inspired Epistle is written She is commended for her vertuous bringing up her Children she is exhorted to abide in the Doctrine of Christ to perservere in the Truth and to be careful to avoid all Delusions of False Teachers But chiefly the Apostle beseecheth this Noble Matron to practise the great and indispensable Commandment of Christian Love and Charity His third Epistle was writ to Gaius a Converted Iew or Gentile as others think because he hath a Roman Name a Man of a fair Estate and who had been very bountiful and hospitable to the Saints The Design of the Epistle is to own and commend his Hospitality especially his seasonable Beneâicence and Charity to Strangers to those that were Exiles for the Cause of Christianity and to stir him up to continue in the Exercise of the same Charity and Liberality to the distressed Brethren Demetrius is propounded as an eminent Example of this for which and all other Vertues he had the good Report of all Men yea and of the Truth it self that is as he was spoken well of by every one so he really deserv'd it On the other side he complains of the Uncharitable Insolent and Ambitious Diotrephes a Prating Opposer not only of him and his Doctrine but of all the true Servants of Iesus The General Epistle of Iude or Iudas as we render it in Iohn 14. 22. it being the same Name with that of the Traitor for it is no unusual thing for good and bad Men to have the same Names as in the Old Testament Eliab Iehu Hananiah c. in the New Testament Simon Iohn Ananias are Instances of this This Epistle I say of this Good Apostle with a Bad Man's Name was written to all Christian Churches or at least to all the Iewish Christians Dispersed the same to whom St. Iames and St. Peter wrote wherein he exhorts them to contend for the Faith against those Dreaming Hereticks and Seducers that were at that time crept into the Church whose Erroneous Tenents and Ungodly Practices he here particularly deciphers and from the Examples of God's Vengeance on other Great Offenders infers the Certainty of these Mens Ruine In short this Epistle hath all the Marks of a true Apostolick Spirit and is of the same Argument with the second Epistle of St. Peter and is a kind of Epitome of it and therefore I need not be very Particular in rehearsing the Contents The last Book of the New Testament is the Revelation of St. John the Divine which Epithet is signally given to him here because of the Divinity and Sublimity of his Raptures because he of all the Apostles had the greatest Communications of Divine Mysteries It may be referr'd either to the Historical Books or to the Epistles to the former because it is a Prophetick History of the State of the Church from the Apostles times to the end of the World to the latter because it is in the Form of an Epistle after the three first Verses by way of Preface viz. to the Seven Churches of Asia at first planted by and now under the Government of St. Iohn and as it begins so it ends after the usual way of concluding Epistles The Grace of our Lord Iesus âbrist be with you all Amm. Concerning the precise time when St. Iohn receiv'd and when he wrote this Revelation there is some Dispute but the most probable if not the most generally received Opinion is that he being âânish'd into Patmos an Isle in the Archipelago situated about forty Miles from the Continent of Asia by Domitian under whom was the Second persecution this Revelation was deliver'd to him about the middle of the Emperor's Reign but at several times and that he committed it to Writing about the latter end of it As to the Visions themselves I will not here particularly inâist upon any of them only in general it is commonly said and believed that the Vision of the Seals sets forth the State of the Church under the Heathen Persecâtions from Nero to the end of Dioclesian's Persecâtion the Vision of the Trumpets which follows that shews the Calamity of the Church by Herâsies Schisms and Persecutions afterwards in the times succeeding the Pagan Roman Emperors viz. under Papacy And then the Vials tell what Vengeance befals the Papal Antichrist and all the Churches Enemies So that the Seals Trumpets and Vials give an Account of the three Grand Periods of the Church There is great Probability of this but I must add and I will offer it to the Reader as a thing necessary to be taken notice of in order to the right understanding of this Book that the Order of Time and History is
Close of it when Christ shall come to Judgment Thus I have attempted to evince the Perfection of Scripture by enumerating all the Books of both TESTAMENTS and giving you a brief Account of them These Excellent and Incomparable Books are the True Pandects indeed the Books that comprehend all that treat of every thing that is necessary They are the most Valuable Collection of Writings under Heaven they are of all the Books in the World the most worthy of all Acceptation because they are our Infallible Rule and Surest Guide to Wisdom Holiness and Blessedness to the Attainment of the most Desirable Things here and of the most Eligible hereafter If this and all that I have said before do not prove them to be Compleats and Perfect I despair of ever telling you what will CHAP. XI None of the Books of the Holy Scripture are lost Not the Book of the Covenant Nor the Book of the Wars of the Lord Nor the Book of Iasher Nor the Acts of Vzziah An Account of the Book of Samuel the Seer the Book of Nathan the Prophet the Book of Gad the Seer the Book of Iddo the Books of Shemaiah Iehu c. What is to be thought concerning the Books of Solomon mention'd Kings 4. 32. 33. Objections drawn from Jam. 4. 5. from Luke 11. 49. from Acts 20. 35. from Judev. 14. from 1 Cor. 5. 9. from Col. 4. 16. fully satisfied Other Objections from 1 Cor. 7. 6 12 25 2 Cor. 8. 8. 11. 17. particularly answer'd But tho this be a clear and demonstated Truth yet it is question'd and doubted of by some Wherefore the Fourth General Undertaking which I propounded was this to clear the Point of those Objections which are wont to be brought against it and to shew that notwithstanding these the Prefection of Scripture is unshaken First Some tell us that there is a considerable Number of Books mention'd or quoted in Scripture as the Books of the Covenant the Book of the Wars of the Lord the Book of Iasher c. which seem to have been once a Part of this Holy Volume but now are lost Among the Fathers St. Chrysostom who is followed by Theophilact is of this Opinion Bellarmine and several of the Papists hold it Yea some Protestants acknowledg as much Calvin and Musculus and our Whitaker encline this way And Drusius is very angry with any Man that denies that there any Books of Holy Scripture missing Now if this be true there is ground to complain of a Defect and Imperfection in the Sacred Writings by reason of the loss of these Books That therefore which I am to undertake here is to shew that there are no Books mentioned in Scripture as belonging to it but what are now to be found in it and are really a Part of it and consequently that the Holy Writings are not Defective that the Body of Sacred Scripture is not Maimed and Imperfect First As to the Book of the Covenant mention'd in Exod. 24. 7. which some fancy is lost it is not any distinct Book from the Body of the Iewish Laws If we impartially weigh the Place we shall find that it is no other than a Collection or Volume of those several Injunctions and Institutions which we read in the foregoing Chapters viz. 20 21 22 23. which God delivered to Moses on the Mount It is the very same with the Book of the Law Deât 31. 9. That which hath caused a different Perswasion in some is this that these Laws are call'd a Book but I shall make it evident afterwards that this Appellation is of a great latitude and is applied to any sort of Writing by the Hebrews Secondly As for the Book of the Wars of the Lord Numb 21. 14. which is thought to be now wanting the Answer given by some is that this was an Apocrypbal Author and so cannot be said to belong to the Holy Scriptures and consequently the loss of this Book doth not argue the Imperfection of the Bible But tho this way of Solution be tolerable when made use of as to some Other Books hereafter mentioned yet I think there is no need at all of using it here because it is not unlikely according to the Judgment of our Learned English Rabâi that Moses refers here to himself and a Book of his own composing for we read that upon the Discomfiture of Amalek God commanded Moses to write it for a Memorial in a Book Exod. 17. 14. and as it follows to rehearse it in the Ears of Joshua So that it may seem to have been some Book of Directions written by Moses for Ioshua's managing of the Wars after him Thus this Learned Writer makes this Book only to be of private use and dictated by an Ordinary not a Divine Spirit wherefore it cannot be one of the Books of the Bible And if this be true then though it be lost yet no Canonical Scripture is lost hereby But from what I shall propound I think it will be found reasonable to believe that the Book in this Place mention'd is one of the received Books of the Old Testament i. e. it is the Book of Iudges which deservedly hath the Name of the Book of the Wars of the Lord because it recounts those Warlike Enterprizes which those Heroâck Spirits stirr'd up by God in an extraordinary Manner were famous for Or Milchamoth Iehovah the Wars of the Lord are as much as the Great Wonderful and Renowned Wars for perhaps the Name of God is used here as in several other Place to augment the Sense and to express the Greatness and Excellency of the Thing fought by the Valiant Iews To any one that consults the Text together with the 26th v. of that Chapter it will plainly appear that this Passage particularly refers to the 11th Chapter of Iudges v. 15 16 17. But if you ask how Moses who was dead long before could write this I answer though he undoubtedly writ the Book of Numbers as well as the rest of the Pentateuch yet some few Passages in this and the other Books may reasonably be supposed to be inserted afterwards by some other Inspired Persons as I have had Occasion to advertise before Ezra it is likely revising this Book added this of what God did in the Red Sea and at the Brooks of Arnon And to give yet more ample Satisfaction to this Scruple I desire it may be observed that though we translate the Text thus It is said in the Book of the Wars c. yet in the Original the Verb is in the future Tense ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã diceture it shall be said and so we may look upon it as a Prophecy of Moses He here foretels that afterwards it shall be commemorated how God fought for his People When there shall be at solemn Times a Rehearsal of the Jewish Wars then this Passage shall be call'd to mind and made mention of And then we must look upon these two Verses not as cited
out of the Book of Iudges but proposed to be inserted there afterwards The plain Answer then is that the Book of the Wars of the Lord is the Book of Iudges together with that of Ioshua where are related the Particulars of the Holy War i. e. the War of the Jews against the Infidels and that in one of these it shall be particularly remembred and recorded what God did in the Red Sea and in the Brooks of Arnon c. and accordingly we find it inserted in the forecited Place in Iudges Thus you see it can't be proved hence that the Church hath lost any Part of the Book of God Another Book said by some to be lost is the Book of Iasher mention'd in Iosh. 10. 13. 2 Sam. 1. 18. But some of the most celebrated Hebrew Doctors say they have found it telling us that it is the Book of Genesis wherein are contain'd the Acts of Abraham Isaac Iacob and other Patriarchs who were by way of Excellence call'd Iasherim Recti Iusti. But surely that Man is easily satisfied who can acquiesce in this Dr. Lightfoot holds the Book of Iasher to be the same with that which I asserted the Book of the Wars of God to be But there is little Foundation for it for though the particular Narrative of the Sun 's standing still be in the Book of Iasher as we learn from the Text yet there is no intimation that all Ioshua's Wars or the Wars of the Israelites were registred there This Book was according to the Excellent Grotius an ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Triumphal Poem in which ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã was for the Verse sake contracted into ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã But though this be very Ingenious yet it wants solidity and it is not probable that the Word would be twice mention'd i. e. both in the Book of Ioshua and in the 2d Book of Samuel in its Abbreviated Form The Learned Iewish Historian seems to me to bid fairest for Truth who âaith by this Book are to be understood certain Records kept in some safe Place on purpose and afterwards in the Temple giving an Account of what happen'd among the Jews from Year to Year and particularly the Prodigy of the Sun 's standing still and the Directions and Laws about the Vse of the Bow i. e. setting up of Archery and maintaiâing Military Exercises And if it be ask'd why the Title given to these Jewish Annals was the Book of Iasher i. e. Rects this may be rendered as a probable Reason viz. because it was by all Persons reckon'd as a very Faithful and Authentick Account of all those Events and Occurrences which it recorded it was composed with great Vprightnesâ and Truth Thencâ it was commonly known by the Name of Iasher's Book or Chronicle And if you remember that Iasher is translated ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã by thâ Seventy in several Places of the Book of Ioâ it will âurther confirm what I say and induce us to believe that Iasher's Book is as much as a True Book a Book that is not counterfeited It was not the Work of any Inspired Person but was of the Nature of Common Civil Annals and consequently we cannot infer hence that any Book properly belonging to the Holy Scripture i. e. that was written by Inspiration of the Holy Ghost is at this Day missing Again some reckon the Acts of Uzziah written by Isaiah the Prophet 2 Chron. 26. 22. in the Cataâogue of such Books of Scripture as are lost But they have little reason to do so for by thoââ Words is plainly meant that Part of the Life and History of that King which we now have in the Prophecy of Isaiah for the first six Chapters are â Relation of what was done in his Days They give an Account of several Passages which belong to the Church and State in that King's Reign And Isaiah is truly said in the foremention'd Place in the Chronicles to have written his Acts first and last because you will find that the Prophecy of Isaiah begins at the Days of Uzziah v. 1. and the sixth Chapter relates what happen'd in the Year that King Uzziah died v. 1. So that something of what was first and last in his Time is here recorded This I look upon as a very substantial and satisfactory Answer to the Scruple about that Place Also some would infer from 1 Chron. 29. 29. that all the Canonical Books of the Bible are not extant at this Day bâcause there is mention of the Book of Samuel the Seer and the Book of Nathan the Prophet and the Book of Gad the Seer in which it is said all David ' s Acts were written But no such Inference can rationally be made only this we gather which is the Solution of the Difficulty that Nathan and Gad as well as Samuel compiled the History that goes under the Name of this last and because it was made by them all three therefore it is represented here as three different Books But the true Account is that those two Books in the Old Testament which bear the Name of Samuel were written partly by him the greatest Part of the first Book relating things that happen'd in his time and partly by Nathan and partly by Gad two eminent Prophets in those Days and who survived Samuel Then as to 2 Chron. 9. 29. where we are told that Solomon's Acts were written not only in the Book Hebr. Dibrim the Words as the Book of Chronicles is call'd the Words of Days of Nathan of which before but in the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the Visions of Iddo the Seer which last are call'd Midrash the Story or Commentary of the Prophet Iddo Chap. 13. v. 22. And as to 2 Chron. 12. 15. where we read also of this Book of Iddo the Seer and of Shemaiah the Prophet in which it is said Rehoboam's Acts were written the Answer which I give relating to these Books in brief is this that few of them if any are different from those of the Kings but are only a Part of them though they are here spoken of as Distinct Books and that for this reason because that individual Part of the Story viz. concerning Solomon and Rehoboam is quoted which these particular Persons here named wrote You must know then that this Historical Part of the Old Testament was the Work of several Persons it was a Collection made by sundry Prophets and Holy Men as Samuel Nathan Gad Ahijah Iddo Shemaiah and the Books which they wrote are called the Books of Samuel and the Books of the Kings and are generally known by these Names but when those Parts of them which were particucularly inserted and written by Samuel himself or Nathan c. are quoted or referr'd to in the Books of the Chronicles they are mentioned as Distinct Books the meaning of which is that they are Distinct Parts of such a History and wrote by such Particular Persons who altogether made up that
express it by the Verb ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã sanare because reviving or healing the Stones in this Place are synonymous In 2 King 20. 7. Hos. 6. 2. the same Hebrew Verb is express'd by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and in Gen. 47. 25. Prov. 15. 27. Ezek. 33. 12. and other Places by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã they being Words of the like import with Chajah Dibre hajamim Esth. 2. 23. is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and not amiss but the Sense not the Words is attended to In Prov. 11. 8. Mitsadah angustia is according to the LXX ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Venatio Persecutio which is a Word of the like tho not the very same Import In the Close of Esth. 10. 3. the Hebrew Noun is Zarang semen but the Greek Word here used is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã because it is of the same Signification in this Place for to speak Peace to all his Seed or to all his Nation which were of the same Seed and Race are the same ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is the Word that the Seventy make use of in Iob 6. 4. but Ruach is the Original yet any observing Man cannot but discern the Congruity of the Greek Word for the Blood is the Vehicle of the Spirits and besides to drink up the Blood is an Elegant way of Expression The Hebrew Word Keren a Horn Job 16. 15. is not unâitly translated ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Strength the Sense being minded and not the Word The Drops of Water Job 36. 27. are explain'd by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Drops of Rain Keren happuk Job 42. 14. is rendred ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã referring to the Greek Fable of Amalthea's Horn which signifies all manner of Good things and so comprehends in it the meaning of that Name given to one of Iob's Daughters And in several other Places in this Book the Hebrew Terms are explain'd rather than translated Bagnal Canaph Prov. 1. 7. is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Bagnal Aph ch 22. v. 24. is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Bagnal Nephesh ch 23. v. 2. is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã all which Versions are Exegetical So is that in Eccl. 10. 20. Bagnal Hakephanim Gr. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Iathad a Nail Isa. 22. 23. is rendred ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã a Ruler but the Sense is preserved for that Promise that Eliakim should be a Nail fastned in a sure Place imports his being advanced to Shebna's Office or Place of Rule as the foregoing Verses as well as those that follow plainly shew The Daughter of Tarshish Isa. 23. 10. is Carthage according to the Seventy because they thought this Place was meant by those Words They render Dibre Haberith Jer. 34. 18. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã whereas it should be the Words of the Coveâant according to the Original but who sees not that it amounts to the same What according to the Hebrew is the Mountain of the Lord Mic. 4. 2. is the House of the Lord according to the Septuagint but these two differ not in the Sense because the Temple the House of God was built on Mount Sion The Word Derek a Way Jer. 23. 22. is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in 1 Kings 22. 52. it is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in Ezek. 20. 30. it is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in 2 Chron. 13. 22. 27. 7. it is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in Iob 34. 21. 36. 23. it is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in Prov. 31. 3. it is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but in all these Places the true meaning of the Hebrew Word is maintain'd ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in 1 Chron. 2. 20. Ieâ 16. 14. Ezek. 2. 3. 35. 5. 37. 21. 43. 7. is rendred by the Greek Translators ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but in all these Texts you 'l find the Sense of the Hebrew Word kept up So Iehovah Tsebaoth is rendred in above fifty Places ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã should be translated ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but instead of it we read ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 1 Sam. 15. 24. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Exod. 17. 1. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Numb 3. 16. So Lashon which exactly speaking is the Tongue is rendred ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Iob 15. 5. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Isa. 54. 17. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Esth. 8. 9. In accuracy and propriety of Translation Shaphah is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã but the general Signification of the Word is preserv'd when the Word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Ezek. 24. 22. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Gen. 11. 7. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Prov. 16. 21. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Ezek. 36. 3. are used I could add several hundreds more of the like Nature but I will at present mention only a few Instances out of the Book of Psalms That is a very remarkable one Psal. 2. 12. where ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã apprehendite disciplinam is the rendring of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã osculamini filium the LXX not intending here barely to Translate but taking the Liberty to render the Sense not the Exact Words of the Original When Heathen Kings and Governours are admonished to kiss the Son i. e. to submit to the Government of Christ the Meaning is that they should accept of his Doctrine and Discipline and live and act according to these But others solve this Translation by telling us that the word Bar had heretofore different Significations and denoted both a Son and Discipline If this could be made good it belongs to the Fourth Particular where we spoke of the Diversity of Significations which some Hebrew Words have Again in Psal. 18. 2. 31. 3. they intended not an exact Version but rather chose to give the Sense of the word Selang a Rock when they express'd it by ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the former Place and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the latter In Psal. 19. 4. their Line Cavvam is rendred ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã their Sound or Voice because it amounts to the same Sense and Intention of the Psalmist unless you will say they read it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã instead of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and then it is to be reduced to one of the former Particulars The word Machol Dancing is not improperly rendred ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Psal. 30. 11. because it is of the very same Import In Psal. 40. 6. the Sense of the Seventy is the same with that of the Hebrew Text although the Translation be not Word for Word Mine Ears hast thou âpened saith the Hebrew a Body hast thou prepared me say the LXX Here is one meaning though the Words differ Christ is here introduced speaking of his Incarnation when God the Father gave him a Body and prepared and fitted it for the Cross where it was to be nailed as the Ear of that Servant who loved his Master and would not depart from his Family was fastned for a time to the Door-post Exod. 21. 6. Deut. 15.
of all the Latin Editions was the most generally received and used and was really the Antientest of all the Latin Translations But this was but a Translation of a Translation viz. that of the 70 and must have undergone the same Censure with the Greek Version of which I spoke before if it had been now extant But it is not it is wholly lost only the Psalms remain and as much as is found quoted here and there in the Fathers and Antient Writers 2. St. Ierom's Version for this Learned Father observing the Errors in the several Latin Versions the Italian especially which were in his time did as I said before translate both the Old and New Testament himself the first he wholly did by a New Translation out of the Hebrew Original the second was rather a Correction and Emendation of the Old Latin or Italian Version than a New One. The Psalms because they were daily sung in the Churches and could not without offence to the People be changed remained the same that they were in the Old Version There is no occasion to add any Censure of Ours here concerning this Translation because it agrees with the Original Hebrew Only we will observe that when St. Ierom had finished it it was not presently received by the Latin Church but many Bishops refused it and St. Augustin particularly forbad it to be read in his Diocess so greatly did they esteem the Greek Version of the LXX Many that were ignorant in the Hebrew Tongue spoke against this Translation as a meer Innovation and fell heavily upon the Author of it But he with great earnestness defended his Work and sometimes repaid the Invectives of his Adversaries with too much Bitterness Though some Bishops and others disliked his Translation yet it was authorized and approved of by Damasus the then Bishop of Rome by whose Command it was first undertaken and a great Number of other understanding Persons who saw its conformity to the Hebrew Text and perceived it was void of those Mistakes which the other Latin Translations abounded with whilst this Division Iasted both the Translations were publickly read i. e. they read some Books of the Bible in Ierom's Version and others in the Italian and this lasted till the time of Gregory the Great At length another Translation prevail'd viz. 3. The Vulgar which we now have which is made up of both the former and is call'd by the Romanists Vetus Vulgata This by degrees got the better of all the others in the Roman Church and was generally used by them and is still Authentick there and is the Vulgar Latin which they now so commend yea which some of the Church of Rome hold to be of Divine Inspiration and consequently free from all Faults either in Words or Matter and there are others of them as Genebrard and Mariana who extravagantly extol it and they would perswade us that both the Italian and St. Ierom's Version and comprised in this one But it is evident that this is not the Old Italian Translation which was used before Ierom and Augustin's Time for that was made out of the Greek Version of the 70 Interpreters whereas this differs from it in many Places Nor is this Vulgar Latin of the Church of Rome St. Ierom's Version because that was exactly according to the Hebrew Text but this though it comes nearer to the Hebrew than to the 70 Interpreters yet it often varies from the Hebrew and adds many things to it as in the Book of Kings especially and in other Places So that this Modern Vulgar Edition is not the Pure Version of Ierom but mixt of his Translation and of the old one which was in the Latin Church before his Time And this is the Opinion even of those Great Romanists Baronius and Bellarmine We know then what censure to give of this Latin Edition of the Bible it is for the greatest Part of it very Antient and hath been used many Ages in the Church and is justly reckon'd to be a very Learned Translation for which reason Fagius who was well skill'd in the Hebrew Tongue and Drusius whom all acknowledg to be a Learned Critick had a great Reverence for this Edition and give a very high Character of it and Beza and Grotius prefer it before all other Latin Translations Yet this is certain it hath many things faulty in it it leaves the Hebrew very often and follows the Septuagint or the Chaldee Paraphrase or even some Rabbin Luoas Brugensis took notice of above six hundred Faults in it and Isidore Clarius a Spanish Abbot and afterwards of the Council of Trent observed eight thousand Errata's in it Besides that it hath many Barbarous Words the Sense in many Places is corrupted and sometimes quite lost Sometimes it runs directly contrary to the Original Text as in Gen. 8. 7. non revertebatur instead of revertebatir And in 1 Cor. 15. 51. Omnes quidem resurgemus sed non omnes immutabimur whereas according to the Greek it should have been Non omnes dormiemus sed omnes mutabimur And several Instances might be produced of the like Nature So far is the Vulgar Latin from being absolutely Authentick as the Council of Trent determined it to be even before that Edition was mended But see how that Council baffles it self it defines the Vulgar Latin to be the Authentick and then orders it to be Corrected and printed again Accordingly the Popes set about the mending of it first Sixtus the Fifth put forth a mended Copy and tied all Persons to that when he was dead Gregory the Fourteenth set about the correcting of that Edition and afterwards Clement the Eighth amended Pope Gregory's in many Places This was done after the Council of Trent had declared the Vulgar Latin to be the Authântick Copy Which with what we have suggested before is a clear Proof that it deserves not that Epithet but that there were and are still in it many Corruptions In vain therefore doth the Church of Rome prefer this Vulgar Latin Edition of the Bible before the Hebrew and Greek Originals unreasonably do the Doctors of that Church complain of the Defects and Errors of these yea maliciously do they urge the Disagreement between these especially the Hebrew and the Vulgar Latin and thereby endeavour to accuse the Sacred Scriptures of Imperfection The Sum is notwithstanding what the Romanists and some others that are their Abettors endeavour to impose upon the World the latter i. e. the Vulgar Latin is ever to be corrected by the former viz. the Hebrewd and not this by that Besides these 3 Old Latin Versions there are others that may justly be called Modern for soon after the Year of our Lord 1500 there arose several Learned Men well skill'd in the Tongues who seeing the Corruptions that were in the Latin Versions and comparing these with the Originals endeavoured to correct them by those Fountains Hence after the Attempts of Ximenius Archbishop of Toledo in hiâ
eternal Life In ch 19. v. 8. that should be this according to the Greek which is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Query whether ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ch 20. v. 4. may not be better exprest than by that single Word outrun In the 8th v. of this Chapter ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã therefore is forgot in our Translation and ought to be supplied Those Words in the 10th v. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã may be rendred thus Therefore the Disciples came again or returned to themselves of which Translation I have given a particular account in another Place And here before I quit the Evangelists I might take notice of an undue rendring of the Words ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which occur in all of them as Mat. 9. 10. 26. 7 20. Mark 6. 22 40. 8. 6 11. 14. 18. 16. 14. Luke 5. 29. 22. 27. Iohn 6. 10. 12. 2. 13. 12. and several other Places where they are express'd in our English Translation by sitting or sitting down but they properly signify lying down leaning lying along or lying on one side and so should be rendred In the Acts of the Apostles ch 1. v. 12. the English Version is very deficient for whereas it runs thus which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath-day's Iourney in the Greek 't is after this manner which is near to Jerusalem containing a Sabbath-day's Iourney Those two Words ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã are omitted In ch 2. v. 13. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã may be rendred sweet Wine i. e. the best and most generous Wine which would soon intoxicate those who took a great Portion of it as well as new Wine which is generally sweet and luscious at least the former rendring of the Word may be set in the Margin In v. 40. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is be ye saved not as we render it save your selves though 't is true some Copies read it ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã In v. 47. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã refers to this Place and is to be rendred the saved ones not as 't is in our English Bibles such as should be saved In ch 4. 14. we read they could say nothing against it but according to the Greek it is they had nothing to say against it The 32d v. is rendred thus the Multitude of them that believed were of one Heart and of one Soul but the Greek runs thus the Heart and Soul of the Multitude of them that believed was one The 9th v. of the 9th ch cannot but be thought to require some Correction for there is no Word in our Translation that answers to ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã therefore thus the Verse should be rendred And he preaching boldly for so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ought to be rendred and there is an Example of it v. 27. in the Name of the Lord Iesus spake and disputed against the Grecians But in our English Version the Word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is left out untranslated In ch 10. v. 10. eaten is instead of tasted for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is of the latter import In ch 11. v. 17. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã should be who not what was I In ch 12. v. 12. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã should be rendred and Praying but ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is forgot In ch 13. v. 20. the direct rendring of ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is after these things not after that In v. 22. there is something redundant and something wanting for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã should be rendred after my Hâart not after my own Heart and in the next Clause ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã should have been translated Wills in the Plural I might add also that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã might here be more plainly and simply rendred he shall do than he shall fulfil Besides not only in this Place but in all others in the Old and New Testament after when it bears this Signification should be exchanged for according to In v. 27. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is rendred because they knew him not whereas the plain Translation is knowing him not or having not known him In v. 42. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is rendred to be preached but that is not the usual Translation of the Word in other Places for ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is to be spoken and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is to be preached In ch 15. v. 20 29. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ought to be englished thus from what is strangled and not as 't is now in the Plural Number from things strangled In ch 16. v. 1 and in many other Places Timotheus is in the English Translation whereas this Word is express'd with some Variation elsewhere and he is call'd Timothy This is to be blamed because as hath been hinted more than once the same Greek Word especially a Proper Name ought to be rendred the same in all Places In ch 17. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is translated Areopagus v. 19. and Mars-hill v. 22. as if ât were not the same Word This I here blame again and shall afterwards animadvert upon viz. the Unâitness of translating the same Word differently in the same Chapter or Book Either one or the other Version is to be stuck to In v. 21. there is no notice taken of the Word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã which should be rendred sojourning or who sojourned there In ch 19. v. 19. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is englished fifty thousand Pieces of Silver but not rightly for there is not the Word fifty in the Verse but the true rendring of the Greek is five Myriads or five times ten thousand Pieces of Silver It is granted that this is the same with fifty thousand but the Translation should be according to the Words in the Original which are five Myriads I dislike the rendring of v. 24 25. for the reason before-mention'd viz. because the very same Word is differently translated ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in the former Verse is rendred Gain in the latter Crafâ but without doubt it ought to be rendred alike in both which will suggest unto us the True Translation of that Word Demetrius the Silver-smith brought ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã no small Trade so I render it to the Craftsmen whom he called together and said Sirs ye know that by this Trade so ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã must be translated again we have our Wealth This I take to be the true rendring of the Words for it is not probable in the least that the Word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã should signify two Different things in so short a Space Besides it is plain that it is meant here as I have represented it for Demetrius here spoken of was a Man of a very Great Trade and had several ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Artificers and Workmen as they are here call'd under him and so is said to have brought them no small Work or Trade wherefore he warmly stirr'd up these and their Fellows
use was drawn up in haste whereby some Matters that should have been united are severed and vice versâ The 1st Verse of the 4th Chapter to the Colossians should have been joined to the third Chapter and the Division of the Verses in many other Places ought to be corrected and altered as Sir N. Knatchbull hath in several Instances shew'd We may take Iunius and Tremellius for an Example who have alter'd the Chapters sometimes in the Latin and it might be as convenient to imitate them both in the Old and New Testament in English Nor will this Changing or any other Alteration which I have before suggested be any Argument at all of the Imperfection of Scripture This remains entire in it self and is not in the least changed And the âesign of my present Enterprize was to assert this and to evince the Perfection of the Original Text and to let us see that all Translations must be regulated by that No Version of the Bible is so absolutely Authentick that we ought to adhere to that and no other The Hebrew of the Old Testament and the Greek of the New are the only Standard and all must be examined and tried altered and amended by this It is granted there is some Variation in the Copies but the Diligent and Unprejudiced may find out what is Genuine Some have fancied that the carelessness of Transcribers hath caused some Literal Faults but then they acknowledg that none of them are Material and Considerable they relate not to Faith and Good Manners This is the very Confession of Spinoza who hath spoken so ill of the Bible This I can certainly affirm saith he that I have not found any fault or variety of readings about the moral Documents which may render them obscure and dubious Wherefore our Assertion still remains impregnable and unshaken that the Sacred Volume of the Scriptures is Compleat and Perfect and hath all things in it which can speak it a most Consummate Work CHAP. XIV The Reader is invited to the Study of the Bible as he values the Repute of a Scholar and a Learned Man That he may successfully study this Holy Book he must be furnish'd with Tongues Arts History c. It is necessary that he be very Inquisitive and Diligent in searching into the Mind and Design of the Sacred Writers In examining the Coherence of the Words In Comparing Places together In observing and discovering the peculiar Grace and Elegancy and sometimes the Verbal Allusions and Cadences of the Holy Scripture of which several Instances are given He must also be Morally qualified to read this Book i. e. he ought to banish all Prejudice He must be Modest and Humble He must endeavour to free himself from the Love of all Vice He must with great Earnestness implore the Assistance of the Holy Spirit IT remains that I conclude with a serious Address and Invitation to the Reader to admire and value this Book which is so transcendently Excellent and Compleat to prize it above all others whatsoever constantly to read peruse and study these Holy Writings The Laws of that Vile Impostor Mahomet are stiled the Alcoran from ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã legit as much as to say the Book is to be read And shall we not think that that Sacred Volume which contains the Laws of our Heavenly Master and Infallible Teacher deserves that Respect from us For this reason the Hebrews call the Holy Scripture Mikra i. e. lectionem because it is to be read by all because this Divine Book is to be universally perused revolved and searched into We are not forbid to be acquainted with Other Authors such as may conduce to uâeful Knowledg whether secular or religious especially such as may be someways helpful towards the understanding of the Scriptures But there is a great Number of Writers that are trifling vain and useless others are dangerous and pernicious Meddle with neither of these or if you have lay them out of your Hands forthwith and take up the Bible the only Book that is Worthy of your most serious perusal Behold here the Book of God! There are no Writings any where like these none can afford any thing comparable to them It may be observed that the Holy Spirit hath made use of divers Sorts of Persons in the penning of this Volume Moses bred up in the Schools of the Egyptians Daniel one of the chief of the Wise Men and Princes of the Persian Court David and Solomon Kings Ieremy and Ezekiel Priests Amos a Herdsman in the New Testament Matthew a Converted Publican Paul broâght up at the Feet of Gamaliel the rest of the Evangelists and Apostles Fithermen and Tradesmen that hence Persons of all Ranks and Degrees may be admonish'd to converse with these Sacred Writings that they may think themselves concern'd in these Messages deliver'd by different Embassadors I have sometimes observed that some Men of no contemptible Learning and Reading and who are acquainted with store of Good Authors have no regard for this Excellent Book and never think themselves obliged to look into it But this argues a great defect of Judgment to say no worse now for even in the Point of Scholarship they cannot be without the Knowledg of the Bible So far as they are Ignorant of this they are deficient in Learning for as I have demonstrated this Book is fraught with all Humane Learning and gives Instructions concerning the choicest Arts and Sciences Upon which account it is of such universal use tâat no sort of Persons can be ignorant of it without great Inconvenience and Damage He is no Antiquary that is not skill'd in these Writings which are of the greatest Antiquity He is no Historian that is not acquainted with the Important Transactions of this Book He is no Statesman or Politician who hath not insight into the Excellent Maxims and Laws which are found here He is no right Natural Philosopher who is not acquainted with the Origin and Make of this Mundane System as they are represented in the Mosaick Physiology in the first Chapter of Genesis He is no Accomplish'd Grammarian Critick or Rhetorician who is ignorant of that Philological Learning which these Writings afford And chiefly he is no Good Man or Christian who is a Stranger to those Admirable Rule which are here laid down Wherefore it is the concern of all Persons to converse with the Scriptures and to apply themselves with great diligence to the reading of them and that daily and frequently Let this Holy Book be seldom out of your Hands Though you have often perused it yet continue to do so still for you will thereby receive infinite Advantage There is ever something gain'd by a fresh and repeated reading of it Some new Matter is discover'd or the old is illustrated and confirm'd We either know more or know better than we did before That our Reading of the Holy Scriptures may be of this Nature and that we may study and
understand them aright I propound these ensuing Rules and Directions First It is requisite that we furnish our selves with other Learning to make our selves capable of understanding the Bible All Arts require a Master and Teacher even the lowest and mechanical All Trades and Sciences are to be learn'd none presumes to meddle with them till they have been instructed in them And yet we may observe that all degrees of Persons pretend to interpret the Scriptures though they were never instructed never prepared as St. Ierom complain'd of old A great many imagine that the Weakest Brains can comprehend the Contents of this Book and without all other knowledg attain to the meaning of them But this is a gross Mistake and is one cause of Mens wresting and corrupting the Scriptures They are ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 2 Pet. 3. 16. unlearned and unwilling to be taught for so the Word imports they neglect the means of Knowledg they use not the proper Helps conducing to it Or whatever they were in St. Peter's Time we are sure that now a competent Measure of Humane Learning is required to understand these Writings For though they surpass all Humane Wisdom yet it is as true that they have strictures of all Arts and Sciences in them and are written in the Learned Languages and as I have shew'd formerly contain in them all sorts of Words Phrases and Idioms Wherefore there is a Necessity of the Arts and Tongues for understanding this Book In the Writings of Moses and the Prophets of the Apostles and Evangelists there are the Rites Customs Manners Opinions Sayings Proverbs of almost all Nations in the World especially of the Antient Hebrews Wherefore a Knowledg of their Writings and Antient Monuments a Converse with History and Antiquities are absolutely requisite especially for explaining the difficult Places And to have a true Notion of several Passages in the Epistles of the Apostles Ecclesiastical History in needful which gives us nitice of the Hereticks of that time or of those concerning whom the Apostles prophetically speak The Writings of the Fathers are to be consulted and that with great application of Mind that we may not mistake the Interpretations which those Learned and Pious Men give of the respective Places of Scripture that we may be ediâied by their Religious Comments but not imbibe any of their Errors This which I now say principally concerns the Guides and Ministers of the Church who are supposed to be Men of Learning and Scholarship and truly a great Part of the Bible is more especially fitted for such It is their province to expound and teach this Holy Book which is it self a Library and is of that Nature that it cannot be rightly understood and explain'd without acquaintance with the Antient Writers of the Church without skill in the Tongues Rhetdrick Logick Philosophy History Criticism for as it is furnish'd with all Literature so it requires all to unfold it aright As for the Apostles tho some of them had no knowledg in Arts and Sciences yet that Defect was abundantly recompensed by the extraordinary Gifts and Endowments of the Holy Ghost So most of the Primitive Christians in the Apostles Days who were not Hebrews understood the Language in which the Old Testament was written by their Gift of Tongues And as for the Greek of the New Testament it was universally known and so was in a manner the native Tongue both to the Jews and others of that time But Men are not now instructed in Strange Languages by the Spirit nor are they born with Hebrew or Greek neither are they Inspired with Arts and Humane Knowledg and consequently Study and Reading and Long Exercise are indispensably requisite Clement of Alexandria would have his ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã i. e. his Perfect and Compleat Theologuâ be skill'd in Humane Literature and Philosophy Inshort to be a Consummate Divine and thorowly knowing in the Bible it is necessary that he be a Man of Universal Learning Secondly that we may read and understand the Scriptures it is requisite that we be exceeding Attentive Observing Considerate that we be very Inquisitive Thoughtful and Diligent This Rule may be explain'd in several Particulars 1. We must use great Thoughtfulness Diligence and Care in penetrating into the Design and Sense of those Inspired Writings St. Chrysostom delivers the Rule thus we must not only examine the meer naked Words and insist upon them simply and absolutely consider'd but we must chiefly attend to the Mind and Intent of the Writer Sometimes instead of an Absolute meaning of the Words in Scripture they are to be taken Comparatively or with Limitation they must be restrain'd to the Matter in Hand As to Instance No Man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1. Cor. 12. 3. i. e. no Man can say so from his Heart There is that Reserve implied Where I am ye eannot come John 7. 34. i. e. ye can't come yet but afterwards you shall All that came before me are Thieves and Robbers John 1 o. 8. i. e. all False Prophets for he means them are such It is reported that there is such Fornication among you as is not so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his Father's Wife 1 Cor. 5. 1. This sort of Fornication was not only named but practis'd among the Gentiles for there are several Examples in Pagan Story of marrying the Father's Wife therefore here must be meant the more Sober Sort of Gentiles And so in many other Places things which seem to be absolutely spoken are to be understood in a restrained Sense 2. It is necessary that we be very thoughtful and inquisitive about the Context the Dependance the Connection of those Places which we search into We are to be exceeding mindful what the Words refer to what Coherence they have with what went before and what follows To Know the true Sense of them we must carefully observe the Subject-matter for this is certain that Propositions are true or not true according to this You will meet with several Instances of this in my former Discourses on the Holy Scriptures and therefore I will forbear to mention any here Only I offer this at present as a General Rule for guiding us to the true and genuine meaning of Scripture 3. This Attentiveness and Care must be exercis'd in Comparing one Place with another or with divers others if there be occasion For as an Intelligent Person rightly suggests all Truth being consonant to it self and all being penn'd by one and the self-same Spirit it cannot be but that an industrious and judicious Comparing of Place with Place must be a singular help for the right understanding of the Scriptures This One Rule if well and duly observ'd will carry us through most of the Difficulties of the Bible For this we may depend upon that the Scripture is its own Interpreter that the best Comment on this Book is it self Wherefore let
us not be hasty and giddy but diligently compare the Scripture with it self for there are certain Texts and Passages of the Bible that are allied to and symbolize with one another The observing of this will be of great Advantage to us Thus Gen. 49. may be explain'd out of Deut. 32. The Blessings and Prophecies of Iacob concerning the Tribes receive Light hence and also from the particular Histories in Ioshua and Iudges concerning the Actions of the several Tribes This ought to be remembred that Obscure and Difficult Places of Scripture are to be explain'd by those that are Clear and Easy We must interpret those that are Uncertain by Texts that are undoubtedly certain and plain So as for those that are Brief and Contracted the best way is to expound them by those that are Large and Full. The Beatitudes in Luke 6. are the same but epitomized with those in Matth. 5. and therefore there is good reason to explain the former by the latter That Text of Isaiah ch 6. v. 9. Hear ye indeed but understand not c. is contracted in Mark 4. 12. Luke 8. 10. Iobn 12. 40. but it is at large in Mat. 13. 14 15. and accordingly thence the Sense appears best And whilest we are expounding one Place by another we must not forget to search diligently into all the Circumstances of either and to consider distinctly by whom of what particular thing to whom at what time on what occasion they were spoken If we be thus Industrious and Attentive we shall be effectually directed to the right meaning of the Texts and we shall find none of those Contradictions which Unthinking and Careless Readers through want of Collation of Texts imagine to be in Scripture 4. This Inquisâtiveness and Observation will lead us to a discovery of the singular Elegancy and Beauty of the Sacred Stile There are peculiar Forms and Modes of Speech in several Nations proper to them and 't is very hard to rendeâ them in another Tongue or if you attempt it the Elegancy vanisheth Thus there is a particular Excellency and Lustre in the Phrase and manner of Expression which the Holy Ghost useth in this Book it is such that it sometimes rises above the strain of the most Eloquent Orators of Greece or Rome But this cannot be taken notice of by the generality of Readers because it is impossible to discern it unless with great sedulity they search into the Words themselves and by being acquainted with the Original come to perceive the peculiar Grace of the Words and Phrases Thus in the Greek of the New Testament there is in many Places a most Remarkable Choice of Words and a Wonderful Accommodating them to the Matter spoken of Many Words in this Language are so full and comprehensive that they cannot be express'd in English We do not reach the pregnancy of the Word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Gal. 6. 3. and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Tit. 1. 10. for in these Words is included not only deceiving but self-deceit or deceiving and imposing upon a Man 's own Mind Yea the latter Word which is barely rendred Deceivers may import the deceiving of the Minds or Souls of others Our Translators are forced to use two Words to render that single one ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Iam. 5. 16. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã 1. Pet. 4. 15. is translated by a Poriphrasis six Words in English for one in Greek but indeed this is a Compound or Double Word There is more in the Original Luke 21. 34. than can be express'd in the Translation We render it thus Take heed lest your Hearts be overcharged But there is a Marvellous Elegancy in the Greek which ordinary Readers cannot perceive For ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is an equivocal Word and signifies not only the Soul and its Faculties but that noble Visous of the Heart well known by that Name and also that Part of the Body which is the receptacle of Meat and Drink viz. the Stomach This is a Criticism not unworthy the taking notice of and it much inhanses the Sense of our Saviour's Excellent Caveat here That ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã hath this latter Signification sometimes is evident from the Name of that Distemper which Physicians give to the Pain in the upper Oriâice of the Stomach which being near to the Heart affects that whence the Distemper is call'd ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã and ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã It is vulgarly call'd Heart-burning which is indeed a Distemper of the upper Mouth of the Stomach and should rather be call'd Stomach-burning which is when this part of the Body is pained and disordered by reason of some sharp and noxious Humour The Stomach and the Heart affecting one another by Consent the former hath been call'd by the Greek Word which is given to the latter Thus Galen testifies that the old Physicians used the Word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã in this Sense and accordingly the Cardiac Distemper was that of the Stomach The affinity of these Words might also be shew'd in the Latin Stomachus and the English Stomach which denote sometimes that Great Spirit and Stubborness which âave their Seat in the Heart But it most manifestly appears as I have shewâd in that Language wherein the New Testament is written and St. Luke who was a Greek Physician and well skill'd in the Terms of the Art did particularly refer to this and notably uses a Word that signisies both the Stomach and Heart properly so call'd because this fitly agrees to what our Saviour saith that they should not be overcharg'd with Surfeiting and Drunkenness wherein the Stomach is mainly concern'd nor with the Cares of this Life wherein the Heart and Affections are most interested Wherefore a Word that imports both is very elegant A parallel Place is that Acts 14. 17. filling our Hearts with Food and Gladness where 't is plain that ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is an equivocal Term and signifies something else besides Hearts for if there were not this Ambiguity in the Word filling their Hearts with Food would be a very odd and unaccountable Expression But the Translators could not use both Senses therefore they set down one and left the other to be understood But the Doubtful Word according to the Subject matter may be applied both ways that is their Stomachs were replenished with Food and their Hearts as that signifies the Soul and its Affections with Gladness And further to corroborate this Criticism and to shew the peculiar Excellency and Pregnancy of the Scripture-Stile the word ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã is appropriated to the Stomach in Iam. 5. 5. Ye have nourish'd your Hearts as in a Day of Slaughter for here by a Day of Slaughter as all Expositors of any Note grant is meant a Day of Feasting because on Great Festivals many Beasts were kill'd for Sacrifice and a great part of them were eaten by the Sacrificers and their Friends Prov. 7. 14. Isa. 22. 13. And consequently by Hearts we
Knowledg and Insight into these Divine Truths which are here contain'd is the Effect of observing and practising the Holy Precepts of this Book This then we ought to urge upon our selves to come to the reading of Scripture with defecate and purged Minds with Love to what it dictates and with Obedience to it This should be our principal Care to live well and to walk according to this Excellent Rule All our Religion and the whole Conduct of our Actions in this World depend upon the Scriptures therefore let us be directed and govern'd by the Infallible Maxims Precepts Promises and Threatnings of this Book We see Men live by Custom by the Dictates of Others or by their Own Opinions which oftentimes prove erroneous and lead them into unwarrantable Practices But they would not be thus misguided if they consulted These Lively Oracles of God this sure Word of Prophecy if they regulated their Actions by this Exact Canon And hereby we are certain to improve our Knowledg in this Holy Book for by living according to it we shall the better understand it by minding the Practical Contents of it we shall have a full Discovery of its Principles and Doctrines Lastly That we may attain to a right understanding of the Sense of Scripture that we may have a due Perception of the Meaning of what is deliver'd here let us most earnestly invoke the Divine Aid and Assistance He that reads this Book without Prayer can never expect to be bless'd with a compleat Knowledg of it For it is the sole Work of the Divine Spirit to illuminate our Minds effectually There is required the special Help of this Heavenly Instructor to direct us into Truth wherefore he is call'd the Spirit of Truth and the Vnction from the Holy One whereby we know all things The same Spirit that endited these Holy Writings must enlighten our Minds to understand them Which I find thus expressed in the Words of our Church The Revelation of the Holy Ghost inspireth the true meaning of the Scripture into us in truth we cannot without it attain true Saving-knowledg And a Learned and Pious Son of our Mother gives his Suffrage in these Words Wicked Men however learned do not know the Scriptures because they feel them not and because they are not understood but with the same Spirit that writ them Seeing then a Spiritual Illumination is requisite in order to the comprehending of Scripture-Truths we ought with great Fervour and Zeal to request it we ought with a singular Devotion to repair to this Infallible Teacher and with mighty Importunity beseech him to open our Eyes that we may behold wondrous things out of the Divine Law and to conduct our Reasons aright in our Enquiry into this Sacred Volume And He that commands us to implore his Help will certainly vouchsafe it to all sincere and devout Supplicants The Eyes of our Understanding shall be irradiated with a Celestial Beam and we shall feel an internal Operation of the Spirit on our Hearts communicating Light and Wisdom By the Assistance of this Blessed Guide we shall not miscarry in our Searches and Endeavours This Divine Book shall be laid open to us and we shall have its Mysteries and Depths disclosed to us so far as is convenient for us and no rational Man ought to desire any more Yea as it is with some of those that have studied for the Phâlosophick Elixar though they attain not to it yet in their impetuous Search after it they find out many Excellent Things admirably useful for Mankind which are a Recompence of their Labours so though we may fall short of some Grand Secrets which are treasured up in this Inspired Volume yet we shall not faâl of some Choice Discoveries that will make us amends for our most laborious Enquiries We shall mightily improve our Knowledg and we shall likewise be under the special Benediction of Heaven The Rabbins tell us that when R. Ionathan writ his Targum on the Bible if at any time the least Fly lit upon his Paper it was presently consumed with Fire from Heaven But though this be Romantick and after the rate of the Rabbins yet it is a sober Trutlâ that God will protect us in reading and studying the Holy Scriptures Whilest we are thus employed nothing shall disturb or hurt us the Divine Arm will defend and prosper us and we shall peruse this Book with that happy Success which we pray'd for In short by continual conversing with this Book which is the only one that hath no Errata's we shall know how to correct all the Failures of our Notions and of our Lives we shall enrich our Minds with a Stock of Excellent Principles and we shall be throughly furnish'd unto all good Works we shall be conducted to the highest Improvements of Knowledg and Sanctity in this Life and to the most Conââmmate Happiness in another FINIS Books written by the Reverend Mr. John Edwards AN Enquiry into several ãâã Texts of the Old and New Testament which contain some Difficulty in them with a Probable Resolution of them In two Volumes in 8â A Discourse concerning the Authority Stile and Perfection of the Books of the Old and New Testament Vol. I. with a Continued Illustration of several Difficult Texts throughout the whole Work A Discourse conâârning the Authority Stile and Perfection of the Books of the Old and New Testament Vol. II. wherein the Author 's former Undertaking is further prosecuted viz. An Enquiry into several Remarkable Texts which contain some Difficulty in them A Discoeurs concerning the Authority Stile and Perfection of the Books of the Old and New Testament Vol. III. treating of the Excellency and Perfection of the Holy Scriptures and illustrating several difficult Texts occurring in this Undertaking All sold by Ionathan Robinson Iohn Taylor and Iohn Wyat. * Plataic â Panegyr Plataic â¡ Plataic * Orat. 2. ad Nicocl â Panegyr Orat. â Orat. ad Philip. â¡ Panegyr ad Philip. Epist. ad Philip. Epist. ad Mitylen * Panegyr Orat. â Plataic Orat. 1. â Orat. ad Philip. * Panegyr Orat. Plataic Orat. bis â Olynth 1. â Philip. 1. * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Clem. Alex. in Protrept â Gen. 9. 27. * Deut. 28. 49 c. â 1 Kings 13. 2. * Antiqu. 1. 11. c. 1. â Dr. Jackson * Dan. 2. â Temporum conscius totius Mundi Polyhistor Epist. ad Paulin. * Ver. 2. â Ver. 20. â Ver. 5. * Ibid. * John 21. 18. â Ver. 22. * Earum rerum quae foââuitae putantur praedictio atque praesentio De Divinat l. 1. * Lib. 3. c. 8. * Colloqu Mensal * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Orig. cont Celâ l. 6. * Lib. 1. â ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Isid. Pelus Ep. l. 5. * ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Just. Mart. Dialog cum Tryph. â Arnob. lib. 1. â Sozom. l. 1. c. 11. ââ Gr. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã Mark 2.
Industry to preserve Scripture from Corruption We may gather from this Diversity of Readings that Men have been very inquisitive and careful in their comparing of Copies but we cannot thence argue that the Text is adulterated yea rather we may infer that it is not for from this comparing and vying of Copies we come to know and be ascertain'd which is the True and Authentick one And we may farther add with the same excellent Author That it is morally impossible since our Saviour's time and indeed for many hundred Years before that that the Scriptures particularly of the Old Testament should have been corrupted for the Multitude of Copies was then such hath been since much more such and so far dispersed that neither one Man nor one Body of Men could ever get them into their hands to corrupt them and if some few or mâââny Copies had been corrupted but not all thââ sincere Number would have detected the corrupt Again let it be consider'd that the antient Orthodox Writers of the Church do all ciââ these Scriptures as we now have them in everything material Yea that most Hereticks have pleaded these same Scriptures and denied them not to be genuine To establish us yet further we must remember that these Writings have been openly read to the People in all their solemn Assemblies in the several Ages since Christianity began and they being thus constantly used could not possibly be altered and corrupted Besides that all private Christians were exhorted to read and use them in their Families whereby they became so known and familiar that whenever any Alteration was made they could presently observe it Lastly notwithstanding the Author of a late Tractate hath brought divers Objections against the usual Tradition that such and such Books of the Bible were wrote by the Authors whose Names they bear and though Mr. Hobbs before him had done the same yet neither of them have effected it with any Success This is all they have done they have only shewed that they are not so civil to the holy Writings as they are to the profane ones for it is every whit as clear that the Books of the Holy Scripture were written by the Persons under whose Names they go as that any other Writings were put out by those whose Names they bear Nor can these Men vouchsafe to shew that Civility to these Sacred Books which even Iews and Gentiles have done for when both âhese opposed these Books you will not find that they ever questioned the Authors but the Doctrine only We are therefore to look upon these Men and such as take part with them as acting with higher Prejudice than either Jews or Heathens did and accordingly we are to slight what they say unless it be thus far that from their impotent and malicious Cavils we may be further confirmed in this Perswasion that these Books of the Old and New Testament were indeed written by those Authors under whose Names they are now received that these Scriptures which we now have are the same which the Primitive Church received from the Apostles that the Copies we have of the Bible are not corrupted that God hath preserved the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testament from all considerable Change and Depravation his Providence not suffering any such thing that the Canon of Scripture which is now received is the very same that it was at first and which is the Sum of all that the Truth and Authority of it are impregnable It may be expected I should speak of the Apoâryphal Books which I have not reckoned among the Inspired Writings For doing this I have good reason for I find them excluded from the Canon of Scripture by those that are the best Judges of it I mean the Iews who were the great Keepers of the Scripture They never took these into the number of the Books of Holy Writ and that for these two Reasons First because they were not writ by the Prophets The Jews believed that the Spirit of Prophecy ceased among them as soon as Malachi had done prophesying They owned no Divine Inspiration after his time and accordingly received not the Apocryphal Books into the Canon of Scripture i. e. Books Divinely inspired ãâã was written after Malachi's time who was ãâã last Prophet was not Canonical was not of ãâã Authority and therefore is not emphatical called Scripture For as St. Paul informs us ãâã Scripture is given by Inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3. ãâã That is the Mark and Criterion of Scripture ãâã is back'd by St. Peter 2 Pet. 1. 21. Holy Men ãâã God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost ãâã those Writings which were not by Inspiration ãâã God nor from the immediate Motion of the ãâã Ghost are not to be reckoned as Holy Scriptuââ and such are the Apocryphal Writings they werââ written after the cessation of Prophecy and Diviââ Inspiration and so they are not of Divine Authâârity and cannot be esteemed Canonical Scriptureââ Secondly the Jews received not the Apocrypha ãâã to their Canon because it was written in Greek not in Hebrew as all the Canonical Books are For God would not they say give them Scripturâ in an Unknown Tongue The Oracles of Goâ were to be committed to his People in the Authentick Language which is that of the Jews The Apocryphal Writings being not such are rejected by them and not taken into the Canon of Sacreâ Writ And as they were not received by the Jewiâ Church so not by the Christian one You cannot but observe that Christ and the Apostles who frequently quote the Canonical Books never quoââ any of the Apocryphal ones which gives us to understand that they were not reputed as Inspired Writings otherwise it is most reasonable to think that our Saviour or his Apostles and Evangelists would at one time or other have cited some one Passage at least out of these Books it being their great Work as you may see to prove the Truth of what they delivered from the holy Scriptures which were inspired by God in former Times They embraced all Occasions of establishing Christianity upon the Writings of the Inspired Prophets who went before therefore if the Apocryphal Writers had been of that number they would certainly have been quoted by them and because they are not it is an Argument that they are not Inspired Writers Again the Christian Church which immediately succeeded that which was in the Days of Christ and the Apostles received not these Writings as Divinely inspired and therefore excluded them from the Canon of Scripture Look into the Writings of the antient Fathers of the Church who without doubt made it their business to search into the Canon of Scripture and to be satisfied which were the Divinely inspired Books and there you will see that those of the Eastern Church received only the Jews Canon of Scripture as to the Old Testament Thus Origen recites the Canonical Books of it as they are now reckoned viz. two
Ornaments of the Soul Nay whatever Apparel is light and vain and any ways administers to Lust or Pride or Wantonness is wholly to be laid aside as sinful and unlawful In the same Chapter of the forenamed Epistle to Timothy you read that Adam was not deceived but the Woman ver 14. We know that Adam was deceived but yet in a Comparative way of speaking he was not that is his Deception was not so gross and inexcusable as that of the Woman It is said of the faithful Patriarchs that they received not the Promise Heb. 11. 39. i. e. in comparison of what we have since received They received it not in the full extent else you cannot make sense of the following words God âaving provided c. In the foresaid Chapter of St. Peter 't is said Baptism doth also now save us not the putting away the Filth of the Flesh but the answer of a good Conscience towards God ver 21. This not seems to be Exclusive and Negative and thence some have made use of this Text to null the sacred Ordinance of Baptism which in Contempt they call Water-Baptism But they err not knowing the Scriptures and particularly not attending to the sense of this place where not is no Absolute Negative but a Comparative Not the putting away the Filth of the Flesh i. e. not the Outward Baptism simply and only or not that in Comparison of the other viz. the Inward washing and purifying by the Spirit And many other places it is impossible to understand aright unless you make use of this Observation which I have here exemplified namely that a Comparison is commonly in Scripture express'd by an Antithesis or which is all one that a Negative is put for a Comparative In the next place I might observe to you that an Hendyadis is very usual in Scripture that is two things are put severally to signify but one as Let the Lights be in the Firmament for Signs and for Seasons Gen. 1. 14. i. e. as some Expositors think tho I am not satisfied about it Let them be for Signs of the Seasons And they who read Psal. 17. 13 14. thus Deliver my Soul from the Wicked by thy Sword from Men by thy Hand tell us here is ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã the Sword and the Hand for a Sword handled or drawn as if the Psalmist called upon God here to be his Champion and to deliver him by fighting for him That in Mat. 3. 11. is of the nature of an Hendyadis for âaptizing with the Holy Ghost and with Fire is the same with baptizing with the Holy Ghost who is as Fire and so here One thing is express'd as if it were Two Some think there is the same Figure in Iohn 3. 5. Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Water and the Spirit i. e. say they the Spirit that is like Water cleansing and purifying the Soul But I conceive it may be doubted whether this and the former way of speaking be the same for if Water in this place signifies Baptâsm as the Antients interpreted it then 't is not the same thing with the Spirit but distinct from it and consequently here are not two things put for one But doubtless there are in Mat. 24. 31. He shall send his Angels with a Trumpet and a great Sound i. e. with a Trumpet that hath a great Sound that makes a great Noise or as our Translators render it with a great Sound of a Trumpet To this way of speaking may be referr'd Iohn 11. 33. He groan'd in the Spirit and was troubled i. e. he groan'd in his troubled Spirit And of this kind is Acts 14. 13. The Priest of Jupiter brought Oxen and Garlands i. e. Oxen crown'd with Garlands as was usual when they sacrificed to Iupiter One thing is here intended tho 't is express'd by two To this Figure appertains Acts 15. 28. It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and to us that is to us directed moved and guided by the Holy Ghost I doubt not but an Hendyadis gives the best account of 1 Cor. 2. 4. My preaching was in Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power i. e. of the Spirit who was Powerful and enabled me in an extraordinary manner to demonstrate the Truth of the Gospel and to convince Gainsayers and who also enabled me to work Miracles for the confirming of what I preached This is the same with Rom. 15. 19. the Power of the Spirit of God by which as he there tells us mighty Signs and Wonders were effected The like mode of Speech is observable in the Apostle's words in 1 Thess. 1. 5. Our Gospel came unto you in Power and in the Holy Ghost i. e. the Holy Ghost shew'd himself Powerful in the Apostles Preaching and Miracles Lastly under this Head may be rank'd Col. 2. 8. Philosophy and vain Deceit that is Philosophy which is both vain and deceitful To proceed a Prolepsis is another usual Figure in Scripture especially in the Old Testament Such is that in Gen. 4. 16. Cain went and dwelt in the Land of Nod where it seems to be implied that Nod was the Name of that place which he went to and that it was named so before he went to it whereas it is most probable that that Place was not call'd by that Name at that time for it had its Name of Nod given to it from Cain's going thither who was a Vagabond So there is a plain Prolepsis or Anticipation in Gen. 14. 7. They smote all the Country of the Amalekites tho at that time there were no Amalekites and therefore the Country could not be named from them In 1 Sam. 4. 1. it is said Israel pitched beside Eben-ezer but there was no place of that Name then for you will find it given afterwards Those words in Gen. 29. 20. Iacob served seven Years for Rachel are spoken Proleptically not as if he did not marry Rachel before the seven Years were expired We read in Gen. 35. 19. and ch 48. v. 7. that Rachel was buried in Bethlchem but it is well known that that was not the Name of the Place till after Moses So Hebron and some other Names of Cities are mention'd in the Pentateuch and yet the Names were not given till after Moses's Death In Ios. 4. 19. the Israelites are said to encamp in Gilgal but that place is called so by Anticipation for it had that Name afterwards ch 5. v. 9. And other Instances there are of this nature in the Book of Ioshuah the Names of several places mentioned in it are of a later Date than Ioshuah's time The Jews conjecture is very probable that Ezra after the Captivity when he collected the several parts of the Bible and set them in order left out some of the antient Names of Places and inserted some modern ones that is he added the Names of Places which were unknown and not used in the days of
notice of the Seventy's Translation of the Words At other times in their Quotations they conâine themselves to neither but use a Latitude The Greek Version is to be read with Candour and Caution And must always give way to the Hebrew Original The chief Latin Translations of the Bible especially the Vulgar examined Modern Latin Translations and lastly our own English one consider'd AGain there are some that detract from ãâã Excellency and Perfection of the Holy Wââtings because they observe a great Difference between the Hebrew Text of the Old Testament and the several Versions of it And so as to the New Testament they see the Original Greek and some of the Translations disagree but more especially the Disagreement is seen betâeen the Hebrew of the Old Testament and the Greek Translation of it made by the Seventy Elders This is improved into a kind of Argument thus If those Versions of the Bible disagree with the Text then either the Text it self or the Versions are erroneous and fâulty But it is probable and it is asserted by some Learned Criticks that the Errors and Mistakes are in the former i. e. in plain Terms that we have not now the Original or True Copiâs of the Bible and consequently that the Bible it self is very Defective and Imperfect To take off this seeming Argument it is necessary that we enquire into and give some brief Account of the Tranââââtions of the Bible but especially that we fix where the Grand Objection lies viz. concerning the Discrâpancy between the Hebrew Text and that of the LXX which seems to give the greatest Shock of all to the Assertion which I have been maintaining Those Translations which are in the Eastern Languages are these that follow First the Perâick But the Antient Version is loât And as for what is now extant it is seldom made uâe of by the Learned The Coptick so call'd from Copt or Cophtus the Name of a great City in Egypt the Metropolis of Thebais the Language of that Place being the Antient Dialect of the Egyptiâns and the Ethiopick are of great Antiquity and were made and used by the Christians of Egypt and Ethiopia The former as those acquaint us who have insight into that Tongue hath a great Affinity with the Hebrew Text And the latter is wholly taken out of the former and is a meer Translation of it The Samaritan Pentateuâh was for the Use of the Samaritan Iews who used that Dialect and acknowledg'd only the Books of Moses It is antient and of good Account though not void of Errors and Corruptions as Archbishop Vsher and Hottinger have observed and particularly enumerated the Faults But yet if we will shew our selves Candid we cannot but grant that where it varies from the Hebrew it is generally by way of Illustration or Paraphrase The Syriaâ Version is of good Repute and very conformable to the Hâbrew in most Places notwithstanding what the Learned Vossius hath enviously suggested The Arabick follows the Seventy and its Faults and is not so antient as the Syriack nor so exact but is of good Use and may serve to corroborate the Authority of the Hebrew Text. Concerning all these Eastern Translations except the Syriack it may be observ'd that though they are generally taken out of the Greek Version of the Seventy for that only was the Authentick Scripture with the Churches of the East and though they were made and writ at several times yet they do very much agree with the Hebrew which we have at this Day And whenever in any Place they vary from it it is generally in some little things wherein there is no prejudice to Truth or the Variation is only as to the Paraphrastical Part where we cannot expect an exact Rendring of the Original and with any considerate and unbiassed Man this will not pass for any Proof of the Corruption of the Original But of all the Translations which are in the Oriental Tongues the Chaldee is of the greatest Esteem and Reputation among the Learned This is called the Targum from the root Targam interpretari so that the Targum is the Intârpreting or Translating the Bible into another Tongue and because there was among the Jews of old no Translation but the Chaldaick that was by way of eminency call'd Targum The Occasion of this Version was the Change of the Tongue among the Jews They in the Time of the Captivity in Babylon which lasted 70 Years corrupted the Hebrew Tongue that is they mixed Hebrew their own Tongue and Chaldee the Language of that Place where they were together Yea tho the Scribes and Learned Men had not forgot the Hebrew yet the common People had and being âsed wholly to the Speech of that Countrey they understood only Chaldee Wherefore that they might have the Bible in a Language which they understood several Chaldean Targums were made on the Books of the Bible indeed on all but Daniel and Ezra which were half Chaldee before and the Paralipomend which were explain'd in the Books of the Kings These Targuââim were made by different Authors and at diverse Times First there was that of R. Ionathan which was a Traâslation or Paraphrase rather on the Prophets and the Historical Books He is said to be R. Hillel's Disciple and to have lived a little before our Saviour's Nativity Secondly there was that of Onkelosâ which was only on the Pentateuch This Author lived soon after Christ's Time Though I know a very Confident Writer tells us that there is reason to doubt whether Onkelos and Ionathan were the Authors of those two Chaldee Paraphrases and he positively avoweth that the Time when they were made cannot be known Moreover it is asserted by another of as great Confidence and Learning that neither the Paraphrases of Onkelos nor Ionathan are a thousand Years old and particularly that that of Onkelos is not so much as mentioned by any Jew or Christian who was not after St. Ierom some Ages The same was said before by as Positive a Man but was never proved and therefore we have no reason to attend to it much less to believe it especially since we know the Design of the Man which was to beat down the Credit and Value of all Translations of the Bible but the Latin one It appears from sufficient Authors that these two Chaldee Paraphrases are some of the antientest of the Jewish Writings on the Bible and it appears from these Targums themselves that they agree with the Hebrew Text which is extant at this Day Thirdly there was the Ierusalem Targum call'd so either from the peculiar Dialect of it or from its being first published in that place This was upon the Pentateuch only and was written as is generally thought by R. Iochanan after the Destruction of Ierusalem To these 3 Chaldee Paraphrases which were of Greatest Authority among the Jews and were read in their Synagogues are wont to be added two others viz. the Targum of
Ionathan the Rabbi before mention'd on the Pentateuch and the Targum of Ioseph the Blind on the Psalms Iob Proverbs Esther Canticles And there were other Versions of some other Books of the Bible which were made for the sake of the dispersed Jews in Chaldea and were likewise call'd Targumim all which are unanimously acknowledg'd by the Learnedest of the Antients and Moderns to be faithful Translations of the Original and none but prepossessed Minds can find any disagreement between them as to the Main It is true these are Paraphrasts rather than Translators and therefore it can't be expected that these Targumists should render the Hebrew Word for Word It cannot rationally be thought that in this free way of giving the Sense of the Original they should be exact They intended a Comment only in some places and not an exact Version To pass then from the Translations which have been made in the Oriental Tongues to some Others I will in the next Place speak of the Greek Versions of the Bible and more especially of that of the Septuagint The Greek Translations of the Old Testament are either those that were made since our Saviour's Time or that Celebrated One made before it As for those that were made since Christ's Time the Author of the first of them was Aquila who lived under the Emperor Adrian and was converted from Gentilism to Christianity and then forsook Christianity and turned Jew and translated the Old Testament out of Hebrew into Greek He was a very Morose Interpreter even to Superstition adhering to the Hebrew Letter and altogether averse from the Seventy's Translation The next Greek Version was that of Theodotion in the Emperor Commodus's Time who was an Ebionite or Judaizing Christian. A third was put out in the Emperor Severus's Reign by Symmachus who was first a Jew of the Samaritan Sect and afterwards a Christian but an Eâionite or Judaizing Heretick wherefore he is call'd Semi-christianus by St. Ierom. These were the Authors of the three first Interpretations of the Old Testament that were composed after our Saviour's Days and you hear what kind of Persons they were One of these Translations was wholly Literal the other took a Liberty and followed the Sense and the third was of a middle Nature But none of them were ever publickly received and read by the Church Wherefore there is no reason to quarrel with the Hebrew Text and to accuse it of Corruption if we find that these vary from it Though to speak impartially the Translations of these foresaid Men notwithstanding that they bear the Chracter of Apostates and Hereticks dissent not from the Hebrew in any thing of considerable Moment There are two other Translations mentioned but we know not the Authors of them These five with the LXX's Version made up Origen's Hexapla As for the other Greek Interpretations of the Old Testament which were publish'd afterwards viz. that of Lucian the Martyr and the other of Hesychius they were not properly speaking New Versions but only New and Correct Editions of the Septuagint Translation which was purged from its Errors and Faults by these Worthy Undertakers So much concerning the Greek Translations since Christ. Our main Business is with that which was before our Saviour's Days that First Translation which was made of the Bible by the Jews that most Famous Work of the Seventy Elders about 250 others say about 260 Years before Christ's Birth It is true before the LXX set about the Version of the whole Bible some part of it was translated into Greek viz. Moses's Writings in the time of the Persian Monarchy if we may believe Megasthenes who is quoted by Eusebius And Clement of Alexandria attests that some part of the Old Testament was turn'd into Greek a little before Alexander the Great 's Time Which is not improbable if we consider that from about the time that Alexander the Great transferr'd the Persian Monarchy to the Greeks the Greek Tongue spread it self and became the Universal Language insomuch that the Iews in Asia Egypt and Greece forgot their Hebrew and understood the Greek only But this is not the Version which I am now to speak of which is the Celebrated Translation of the Seventy Iews who rendred the whole Book of the Old Testament into Greek And it seems according to what hath been said there was a kind of Necessity for it because in the East the Hebrew was grown to be an unknown Tongue and the very Iews generally understood nothing but Greek Some have observ'd a considerable Disagreement between the Hebrew Text and this Greek Version and hereupon they undertake to form an Argument against the Perfection of the Holy Scriptures for they argue thus There is great reason to assert the Authority of this Translation and to believe it is True and Genuine Which if it be granted makes the Hebrew Text to be suspected nay it will follow thence that it is faulty and defective because there is so vast a Difference between the one and the other If this of the Seventy be a True Version then the Hebrew of the Bible which we have is not the True Original but is corrupted and depraved and consequently there is a sufficient Prooof of the Scripture's Imperfection Now because this may seem to have something of Reason in it and because the greatest Controversy is about This Translation I will insist much larger on this than on any of the others and endeavour from the whole to evince the Truth of this Proposition that the Hebrew Text is not at all faulty but that it remains still in its Original Purity and Perfection Here first it will be necessary to enquire into the Occasion and into the Authors of this famous Greek Version and also into the Manner of their performing it and from these to gather of what Authority it is Ptolomee surnamed Philadelphus King of Egypt about the Year of the World 3730. erected a vast Library at Alexandria and furnish'd it with all the choicest Books he could procure But notwithstanding this he thought it imperfect till the Hebrew Bible was added to it Accordingly by the Direction of Demetrius Phalereus who was the Library-keeper he caused this Excellent Monument of Learning to be deposited in it But because he was ignorant of the Language in which it was written he by Letters importuned the High Priest and the Rulers at Ierusalem to send him some Persons to translate it out of the Hebrew into the Greek Whereupon they sent him Seventy or Seventy two Interpreters in imitation perhaps of that Number of Elders which Moses was commanded to take with him when he went up to the Mount to receive the Law And these Select Persons betook themselves to the Employment which the King set them about and first translated the Pentateuch and a while after the rest of the Old Testament into Greek This is generally allowed by the most Exact Searchers into History to be real Matter of Fact as being