of the most great and Noble Actions In which you have imployed much time which hath given me occasion now to write you things worthy and excellent and the best that I could chuse because that betwixt us I would kindle a kind Contention and Emulation of amiable Vertue for the desire to have an intelligence of things more worthy to be observed and which are the most excellent The end of ARISTEUS his History Proofs concerning this History NOW follow sundry Opinions of divers Authors Ancient and Modern concerning this Business and Translation of the Law of Moses And first an Extract from the fourth Chapter of the fifth part oâ— the several Collections of Pietrâ— Messie in which there fell saith he an admirable and miraculous hapâ— viz. How the 72 Interpreters being put severally into several Cells bâ— the Commission of the King without possible means to conferr thâ— one with the other and that afteâ— they had made so separated everâ— one his Traduction and being broughâ— all together before the King with all their Traductions nevertheleâ—â— were all found so conformable thaâ— there was not one syllable more in the one than in the other which could not be without the especial Grace and Operation of the Holy Ghost as saith Saint Augustine Ireneus and Tertullian who saith he had seen in his Time and in Alexâ—ndria the very Books written by â—he Hands of the seventy two Tranâ—lators which were in Hebrew and in Greek As much also saith Iustin the Philosopher in the Book of his Adâ—ertisements that he made to the Pagans and Gentiles where he saith that King Ptolomeus made to be built without the City of Alexandria seâ—enty two Halls to lodg severally the seventy two Traductors and there â—rovided very honourably for them â—ll of all that to them was necessaâ—â— In the which place the said â—ranslators remained without one â—eing the other untill that such â—â—eir Translations were perfectly â—â—nished And he affirmeth also â—o have seen then the Ruins and old Walls of these Buildings which were kept as Reliques and things Sacred And although Saint Hierom and Ruffinus agree not in the number oâ— the said Chambers the matter is noâ— great Seeing that according to Sainâ— Augustin and many other Authorâ— every Translator made his Translaâ—tion apart without conference witâ— the other yet all the Traductionâ— were found conform And truly however when it iâ— duely considered it appears a greaâ— Mystery and may be held for a greaâ— Miracle of this Conformity of Stylâ— and of Order to Translate a thing so long and so diverse although alâ— the Translators had been togetheâ— and that they had begun this Worâ—â— at this time For we see that it is enough for twâ— men to accord in one only poinâ— when they are to mix something toâ—gether After the Translation was finisâ—â—ed the Iews that remained in Egypâ— and which had been versed in their Law recommended to the King this Holy Writing wherewith the King was right well content And for certain according to Iosephus and Eusebius King Ptolomy was astonished at the Holy Scriptures and ravishingly taken with their Mysteries That he demanded of Demetrius Phalerius who had the charge of his Library saying How comes it â—hat Lycurgus Solon and other Law-â—ivers are so silent of the Law of â—he Iews To whom Demetrius answered â—aying Sir This Law as you may â—ufficiently see comes from God so â—hat no Law-giver durst be so harâ—y to touch it or take from it any â—ract For even Theopompus was â—rucken by the Divine Hand with â—erturbation of his Sense and with â— Cardiack Passion for having a will â—o mix the Holy History of the Heâ—rews by his Inriching it with eloâ—uent Words and rhetorical Colours But after returning to God anâ— commending himself to his Mercy 〈◊〉 was revealed to him in a Dream thâ— his Disaster came upon him for so aâ—tempting to embellish and as 〈◊〉 thought to enrich the Sincerity 〈◊〉 the Holy Scriptures with drest Worâ— and trim'd Phrases and to commâ—â—nicate it so to the Pagans and Iâ—â—dels It comes also into my thought how Theodorus a Tragick Poet suâ—denly lost his sight for having takâ— one only passage of Holy Writâ— Argument of his Tragedy but â—â—â—penting him of the same and doiâ—â— Penance for his Forfeit he reâ—â—â—vered his sight as before HItherto are the Words of Pâ—â—tro Messie by the which 〈◊〉 may see the Diversity of Opinioâ— that is amongst Authors concerniâ—â— this Translation of the Law of â—â—â—ses For my self it seemeth to 〈◊〉 that Aristeus which was always pâ—â—â—sent and that had conduced to the affair in part meriteth that one do him the Honour to give belief to his History although some Doctors â—herein vary A short Discourse of the Antiquity and Dignity of the Sacred Books and Excellency of their inspired Writer the Prophet Moses By the English Translator AS the true God is the ancient of Dayes and Times so it pleased him that his perpetual History contained 〈◊〉 Holy Scriptures should excell in Antiâ—uity of Time all other Histories and â—ritings of the World that can be â—â—und the Writings of the Pagans and â—ations being all under these and long â—â—ter and that only of Moses the Subâ—â—ct of this former History contains the â—ccount of years justly from the Creation and beginning of the World even unto the coming of the promised Redeemer A reckoning I say so just and certain that there is no such to be found For to come to the Time wherein the Prophet of God Moses the first Writer of Holy Writ began to write manifestly under the Lord of Heaven and Earth we may gather and without prejudice of all that then could be done as by a Passage amongst many other places we read of in the seventeenth Chapter of the Book of Exodus where it is said God Commanded him to write and that in the same year the People of Israel issued ouâ— of Egypt which was from the Creation of the World 2513. Upon which wâ— may advertise our selves that the yearâ— are calculated according to Verity of the said Scriptures by the faithful Servantâ— of God which have happily travelled therein And therefore we need not rest upoâ— the Calculation of Histories Annals and humane Chronicles or other Writerâ— that have not intirely followed Holy Scriptures who are discordant amongsâ— themselves and many times directly opposite to one anothers times Therefore if we diligently search all Antiquities and Writings of men of all Nations that have any appearance of certain time wherein those Writings were made and after confer those times with the things recited and inregistred by the Holy Prophet Moses and the time wherein he writ them we shall see manifestly â—he Excellency and Antiquity that he is herein above all men For the Fables and Disguisements of prophane Poets Greeks and Latines which all came a long time after Moses Amongst them I say we shall see no other but maniâ—est Dreams Lyes and amongst other things notable some Corruptions of
second of that Name Surnamed Philadelphus King of Aegypt of Phaenicia and of Cypres Son of the first Ptolomeus Son of Lagus began his Reign in the 271 year before the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. This Ptolomeus Philadelphus was endoctrined in the Science of good Letters by Strabo the Peripatetick in which he became so excellent that he was esteemed one of the most accomplish'd Princes of his Time but that which was in him the most admirable was the Bounty Debonarity Sweetness and Gentleness of his Spirit accommodated with the Manners and Complexions of all worthy and deserving Persons By this means he entred so far and before in the Grace of all the World that every one in his thought wish'd he were King And his Father knowing his right of Succession was to be so and rejoycing in his hopes of him made him to be crowned King and devested himself of all Authority without reserving any Power Right or Preheminence to himself only a Superintendency over the Guard of the King his Son glorifying to be Father of such a King For the admiration he had of his high Vertues kindled and gave occasion between them both of a most kind contention in mutual Offices the Son yielding to the Father and the Father to the Son in all and by all through instinct of Devotion and Piety so they gave lively touches one to the other in all reduceable fitting Offices which was cause that the People conceived a great Fidelity and Amity towards them so as it seemed even the Divine Providence prepared this Noble Spirit to introduce that great good amongst Humanes as to make them participants of the Laws and Divine Illuminations wherewith God had favoured the People of the Iews above all the Nations of the World And it seemeth that even then his Almightiness made a preparative for the Vocation of the Ethnicks and Gentiles by Communication so of his holy Law whereof Ptolomy was the ordained Minister to call the Seventy Interpreters into Aegypt to translate into the Greek Language which then was the most used and vulgar through the whole Universe So as I am amazed at some fanatical Spirits that hinder us from the Knowledge of God in not giving his Word in the Language of the People wheresoever as is appertaining to every one in Regard of Salvation I would ask those men what Language spake those Dames of Rome Paula Eustochina Melania Susanna Fabiola Demetria Furia Flavia Blesilla and others For the institution of whom Saint Hierom translated many Books of Holy Scriptures out of strange Tongues into Latin which was the natural Language of the said Ladies I would also know who was more Wise or better inspired then St. Hierom Further it seems they either are or would seem to be ignorant of the Institution of the Emperour Iustinian who ordained that those who sung in the Temples that they should sing high and so intelligible that all the People might understand them But to return to Ptolomy He undertook to erect a Library in the Capital City of his Realm Alexandria the Charge whereof he gave to Demetrius Phalerius a Prince and an Athenian Philosopher who erected it so sumptuously that there was not the like in all the World and it lasted until the first War of the Romans against the Alexandrians This King had to Wife Arsinoe to whom he caused a Statue to be raised in height four Cubits of one entire Stone call'd a Topaz the which had been given to Bernice the Mother of Ptolomy by a Prince named Philemon 2. Of Aristeus the Author of this History ARISTEVS the near Kinsman and Friend of King Ptolomeus Philadelphus is named by St. Hierom Ptolomei Hyperaspistes the Shield of the King or he that defends the King with his Shield or Bearer of the Shield Royal which seems to me that he held some such place about the King his Master as we call at this Day the Great Esquire of the Kings Body he was the Principal Sollicitor for the Liberty of the Iews that then were held Slaves throughout all the Dominions of Ptolomy for he made the first request for them and obtained it And for this cause he was sent Ambassadour with Andrea Prince of the Guards belonging to the King unto Hierusalem to deal with the High-Priest Eleazar who sent to the King Ptolomeus six Doctors of every Tribe to go on with the Translation and Version of the Holy Books of Moses He writ diligently his Voyage where he shews openly how and by what course those seventy two Interpreters behaved themselves in the said Books Some have been of Opinion that they Translated all the Bible but it is more likely to many that they Translated but the five Books that is Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers and Deuteronomy which they call the Pentateuck which is the Law of Moses for Aristeus speaks but of the Law of Moses and it is not likely that they touched the Books Historical nor the Prophets for if it had been so Aristeus would not have been silent thereof Moreover that which they Translated was finished in the space of seventy two dayes which is about two Months and a half and that 's a Time too small and therefore impossible to Translate all the Old Testament Nevertheless I am not ignorant that there was a turning of other Books of the Bible that go by the name of the seventy two Interpreters But I am perswaded that they were not then done in Egypt unless that after they were returned to Hierusalem they Translated the rest of the Holy Books although both in that and other Opinions I submit me to the deliberation of the Church from which I will not stray But however this Translation was manifestly Miraculous which is sufficiently shewed by that our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles in Allegations of the Law use the Version of these seventy two Interpreters I have spoken these few Words of Aristeus to the end the Reader shall not think that this is that Aristeus Proconensis that could be invisible when he listed making folks believe that he could dye and rise again when he would of whom speaks Suidas Herodotus Pliny and Plutarch in the Life of Romulus 3. Of Eleazer the High-Priest of the Jews ELeazar of whom Aristeus makes mention was brother of Simon surnamed the Just He after the decease of his Brother Simon in the year of the reign of Ptolomy first of that Name 35. was made chief of the Synagogue of the Iews by reason that Onias Son of Simon his Brother was uncapable of succeeding in his Father's Place as being under age This Eleazar therefore received the Honour that in his Time the Holy Translation of the Law was made by the seventy two Doctors that he seâ—t to Ptolomeus second of that Name King of Egypt as Aristeus hath left by Writing 4. Of Demetrius Phalerius DEmetrius Phalerius was an Athenian Orator and Philosopher as Cicero notes in the
the Sacred Scriptures long before Writâ—en of which they having heard some â—â—ckling and received it as from hand to hand or drawn it from his Writings â—or heard it recounted by the Father to the Son and they from theiâ— Aâ—cestors which were the Children aâ—d Successors of the three Sons of Noah who was the second Father of humaâ—â— kind and restorer of the Nations of all the World all issuing from his Posterity after the universal Flood His three Sons as Holy Scripture hath acquainted us with where Shem Ham and Iaphet of whom are descended all the Earth And this before spoken is easily and sufficiently discovered in the Writings of the said Pagans by the proper Names of the said Children of Noah and of their Successors which of long time before these Writings and prophane Histories had been named by Moses For the Pagans testifie that the People had made of these Ancient Fathersâ— Idols and Gods As of Iaphet Iapetus they drew Iavan Ianus and Ion and because they were Names held in the Hebrew Letters or value of them they accommodated them to their Tongues and Letters and to make them more easie and glib in their accustomed Pronunciation came near but with alâ—eration And if we will go more high and weigh the old Times of the first Age which preceeded the Flood as we have it from that only History of Moses in the Holy Bible We shall easily perceive that the Pagan Poets and Writers have received even the Ancient Names and mingled them amongst their Fables and Dreams and drawn them from the Holy Scriptures And so it shall appear plainly that their false God Vulcan is not very hard to unmask that he was a mortal Man and one of the Sons of the other Lamech the prime Bigamist and corrupter of Marriage who descended of that accursed Race of Cain And this appears by the faculty of this Vulcan which was a Smith or forger of Armour And Moses declares him so and by his Name too for he is by him called Thu-vulcain and every one any thing skill'd in the Hebrew knows that if they leave the first Letter which is servile and put to form the Name according to the manner of the Hebrews it will appear mere Vulcain for their Letter Beth B. having not a prick in him is pronounced as our v Consonant And for the name of Vulcain's Wife by Moses call'd Nehama which signifieth Fair in their Language or as speak the Latines Venusta It is a plain course to discover vain Beauty or their so much celebrated unchast and wanton Venus A goodly Race and fair Family of that accursed murtherer Cain And here may we see some of the proper Gods and Idols of the poor Pagans amongst that Anthill of such and other ill stoln Names unhandsomely fetch'd from the Holy Scriptures with and by the subtilty of the Devil to the end that a wicked Troop of execrable Gyants violent oppressors of men Thieves and Adulterous desperates shaken off and damned by the Word of God of whom the first Apostate and Lyer Sathan made his counterfeit Gods and Idols the old Serpent expert and knowing in all malice that there was no better way for him to muffle and blind humane Judgement from the knowledge of the true God at first ingraven in the Souls of men but by this counterfeit device with Posterity But to pass farther in our begun purpose touching the fabulous Writings of the Pagan Poets we shall find that their Discourse in the best we can of it is but Corruptions of the Truth in the Holy Scriptures of God or things therein revealed turn'd by them into Dreams and prophane Narrations As we may see in that they writ of the Creation of the World and Government of the same of the Divine vertue that sustains and interiourly nourisheth all things of the Consumption of Heaven and Earth with Fire at the last Day and also of the Restoration of the World and of all things in such good order for all so many Confusions proceeding from Sin All which things they might obtain and by some dark means draw from the Books of Holy Scripture and Sacred Prophets translated out of Hebrew into other Languages or understand something by means of the dispersion of the People of Israel spread through all the Provinces of the Roman Empire and through all the Quarters of the World For the Iews had for the most part leave in all Places to hold their Synagogues and to have publick Lectures of their Law and Prophets When these Poets flatterers of men turn'd all that spoken of the Person of Christ the promised Redeemer and that then was expected falsely to apply them by flattery to their Princes false Gods and Idols But let us leave all those Juglers and Lyers that durst be so prophanely bold to corrupt the pure Verity of God's Word and speak we of the Gentiles Writings how long they came after Moses and Writ since he and that even they have given Testimony to him and his Divine Writings which may at least suffice to convince all Contradictors that Moses was in Nature and before them all We understand that his reckoning is a perpetual following all the years since the Creation of the World even unto his time as it is easie to gather by his Books and his account of the Years and Lives of the first Fathers from Adam unto the Patriarch Abraham and after from his Successors as from Father to Son to wit Isaac Iacob Levi Caath Amram and then Aaron and Moses himself Children of the said Amram And that he had express charge to Write to the very last the year since the Creation of the World 2513. and of his Life the 80. Year and hath continued his Holy Stories even to the year of his Death and of the World 2553. Now since that timeâ— God hath always so provided for the advancement of his Glory and the edification of his Church that the perpetual History of her and the certain account of the years of the World hath been continued and still put in Writing by his Prophets As it is to be seen in the Holy Books that treat of and contain the Government of Ioshua and the Iudges then to Samuel and the Kings of the People unto the Transmigration into Babylon and of other Governours which have succeeded them after their return from thence And finally the Prophet Daniel hath declared the rest of the time that is The 490 years since the said Deliverance of the Jews and return from Babylon by the means of Cyrus King of Persia even to the Death and Resurrection of Christ the Redeemer promised to the Holy Fathers which is our Lord Iesus the eternal Son of God true God and true Man who appeared living after his Death and Resurrection to more than five hundred faithful Witnesses at one time besides his other manifestations and mounted visibly into Heaven in the year of the World 3961.