Eyes of All but by degrees they first dispute old Men's Authority with Young the Dead with the Living the Authority of Many and Few Priests and People But this Book being providentially Alledged to favour each side and being counted in that dark time so Sacred it must not be touched Necessity that made David and the Young Men eat Shew-bread makes People venture to open the Sacred Book but still with Prayers to God to forgive until they find therein a Command to Search But the Priests have still the better for on some they impose the Legends viz. the more Ignorant as I have seen and have yet Living Witnesses to prove it that were with me in Spain on all a Translation of their own making or Correction that is discovered and the Dispute now Terminates on the Original and on the Exercise of Criticism about the Sense Now I say abstracting from Divine Authority and Antiquity Is not in such a Juncture the Critical Art of so great Masters worth the greatest Pains and Diligence of him that values this Book either as the Food of his Soul or Furniture of his Brain in this Affair So I do not impose Church Authority but Art's Authority we must believe every one in their own Art until we be Masters and Judges of it which I find Capell frequently renouncing when Buxtorf Challenges him for wrong Translating Zohar and Maimonides But as to this part of it which I propose neither he nor Buxtorf ever saw It seems he has looked on Ledebh but he that reads what he says and what follows in this Book will easily be Convinced he knew not Ledebh's Intent for he looks on it as Madness as a Plow-man would on Algebra The First Branch I think fit to Insist upon here is the Use of the Old Testament in the Christian Religion for if that be not very necessary it is certain its Points are not Neither Antiquity nor the Late Days of our Reformation have wanted Men who Contemned the Old Testament though they delighted in the Name of Christian Of this kind were the Followers of Simon Magus the Saturnians Marcionites and Manichees The most Famous of this Latter Age were the Munster-Men and Libertines and Mennonites called in Holland and Germany by the Name of Anabaptists though in this Point they both Hope and Believe most opposite to them that go under that Name in England There is another pair of this kind still and that is Men that are highly Enthusiastick and Men that pretend to no Rule but Reason Smalcius the Socinian will allow the Old Testament for Illustration and Commendation but not for Proof he will not admit it as a Principle of the Christian Religion and rather give it a Practical Slight than any Verbal Disgrace In Answer to all which It is very certain they give little Credit to the New Testament that do not think the Old its fellow or rather Father or Foundation For CHRIST and his Apostles borrowed all their Arguments for the Truth of that Doctrine which is now called Christian out of the Old Testament and that with such a Charge that he rejects all from being his Disciples who did not embrace it John 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them you think ye have Eternal Life and they are they which testifie of me If you believe not his Writings How shall ye believe my Words Luk. 24 25. O fools and slow of heart to believe all the Prophets have spoken and beginning at Moses and all the Prophets He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself Vide Ver. 32. 45 46. The Old Testament was not only the Book out of which Christ Taught and made all his Disciples but the Book out of which the Apostles Taught Christianity For the first Hundred Years after Christ it remained a Canon to all the Churches the Mean of Conversion the Common Place of Arguments and Text to all the Apostles Acts 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth on Him shall receive Remission of Sins This was the Sum of Peter's Sermon through the Ministery whereof the Holy Ghost fell on all the Hearers So that the Ordinances that were the Ministration of the Spirit were all bottom'd on this Scripture 2 Cor. 3. Acts 17.2 And Paul as his manner was went in unto them and three Sabbath Days Reasoned with them out of the Scriptures So that all his Disputations were founded on the Scripture that the Synagogue owned And as Paul's Logick was Built on that Foundation So was Apollo's Oratory Acts 18.24 He was an Eloquent Man and mighty in the Scriptures He mightily Convinced the Jews showing by the Scriptures That Jesus was the Christ Paul Retracted nothing of this in his latter Days for 24.14 So Worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets Therein do I exercise my self Though he advised a Young Timothy to do so he did not think it fit for an Old Paul to leave that Exercise of Acts 26.22 I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great saying none other things than those which Moses and the Prophets did say should come This he particularizes 1 Cor. 15 3. Christ dyed for our Sins according to the Scriptures He was buried and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures There was no Article of Faith but what was reduced to this Canon Luke 22.29 Ye do err not knowing the Scriptures nor the Power of God It was this Scripture this Old Testament the Apostle Peter in his old Age recommended to all Believers as the most sure Word 2 Pet. 1.19 As unto a Light that shineth in a dark place Because at first it came not by the Will of Man but by the Holy Ghost Neither do the dying Apostles recommend any other Scriptures to their Successors For Paul 2 Tim. 3.15 he advises his to continue in what things he had learned For from a Child he had learned the Holy Scriptures which was able to make him wise unto Salvation Neither do we find any other Book mentioned under the Name of Scripture in all the New Testament I do not say all this to diminish the Apostolick Doctrine from being a Foundation but that its a Foundation Built on the Prophetical that the New Testament is a History of the Fulfilment of some of the old Prophecies and a Prophetical Enlargement of what is not Fulfilled It is the Faith of the Old suited to the Circumstances of the New after the Exhibition of the Messias The Old Testament is the Book and the New is the Comment The Old Testament is the Text the New is the Sermon and it were a most unreasonable thing to prefer the Last to the Former And though the Churches of the New Testament are the Pillars of the Truth there is no History gives us account of that Accuracy Diligence and Pains or Assistance of the Holy Ghost in
informed me the Rhetorical Use is entirely unknown to those Parts But it is fit to see first what Acceptance these Rudiments find But Reader having now made Apology for my Stile or defect of one and set before thee in clear Light comparing it with the Book that it is to deny Demonstration nay Matter of Fact to deny that these Points were Contriv'd intentionally in the Harmonious Constitution they stand in every Word bearing its Point whose Figure Indicates the relation it has to the next Word only if a Minister or little Lord to it and more if a greater Lord c. to assist the Reader to know the Sense of every Verse by Indicating the relation of all the Words and Propositions And to deny that these Tables and Rules do Indicate these Relations that the Reader may be secure of the Author's Intention may as well deny the Grammatical Harmony of Classical Authors or the Rules of Grammar to Indicate them The next thing is to Enquire who is the Author of this Art or these Points that contain it This indeed has been contended among great Names but never since or where the Sense of the Bible was own'd to be the end of the Art It was no wonder a wise Man should deny that to be the Fruit of Divine Wisdom that thirty several Figures should be invented to inform us if the Accent was on the last Syllable or that before it when the Position of one was sufficient but so high an end as the Author's Intention through so harmonious a Chain of Means might have charm'd them into a Belief of it For who can know the Mind of the Lord but his Spirit And who can set Rules to know what he understands not Secondly The Dispute has been about the Vowels these great Names when press'd with Arguments have own'd that the Accentual were before Thirdly Suppose that was their Opinion That the Tyberian Masorites were Authors of all the Points there is reason since thou imbrace it on their Authority thou should take all their Authority together and then thou will believe them the best Artists of the World nay Divinely Inspired says Levita thou may expect a great Exposition but yesterdays Authority is too mean and if thou go beyond them thou wilt I doubt find as little of their Greatness as of the wise Men of Gotam's Fourthly To come to earnest Two things I think may demonstrate the Tyberians not to be Authors These Tyberian Schools continued until Ann. 1000. and yet we have no Footsteps of its Skill and Practice among them an entire Silence still as the Night for that five hundred Years and ever since except what they bring by Quotation from more Ancient Authors but the Authors before the Tyberians do I shall conclude this with a Providential Story known to my Friends I once Preaching on Gen. 2.4 Translated it thus These are the Generations of the Heaven and the Earth when God had created them These are the Generations of the Heaven and the Earth in the Day when God had perfected re-made or established them From which I inferr'd a two-fold Re-capitulation to be contain'd in the Verse one perform'd within the time of first Creation the Six Days the other perform'd in one Day the one was a pure Creative Work the other a more Common Adorning Perfecting or doing further Moses had more signaliz'd that one Day and Work in it in the Context and from Chap. 3.8 to the end whereby it appeared evident That the work of Redemption by our Lord Jesus Christ was the Foundation of the Seventh-Day-Sabbath An Ancient Vnderstanding Christian hearing me ask'd if I had read Dr. Walker a Divine in Queen Mary's Days who has Printed That Adam fell on Friday the same Day our Lord Jesus Christ suffer'd That He endur'd the Curse of the Law that Night that Gen. 2.8 in the Morning of Saturday God appear'd in Humane Form and gave that New Gospel Constitution So that all the New Testament is but a Comment on the Seventh Day 's Work from Gen. 2.8 to the end of that Chapter Having obtain'd this Old and Rare Book and after that Jacob Alting on the same Subject I found an Entire Agreement as to the Doctrine but not as to the Original my Points had forced me into it but the Old Cabbalistical Jews had enticed them into it The Inferencce I draw is That the Evangelical Doctrines contain'd in these Old Jewish Kabbala's were Doctrines retain'd since the Points were lost but known from and by them and I think it is the most Rational Account of that Phaenomena I am sure it is more becoming than to call all the Laborious Pains of our Christian Fathers in these Rabbies Forgeries Lies and Cheats before we try too by our Pains if so or no. Secondly This is not only true but there is much Vse made of these Points before the Masorites of five or six Hundred and no use made by them but their Work shows them really Ignorant of their Vse as may be seen in the Book But Thirdly the Tyberians were poor blinded Jews and their Creed the same with our Jews and their own Fathers directly Opposite to the Christian Faith but the Authors of the Points as may be seen by the Doctrinal and Prophetick Places of the Old Testament Expounded by the Points were truly and thorowly Christian so that to say they invented this is to deny them to be Jews which no Man ever yet did And I take this for Demonstration That they would never deliver the Sense of their Bibles to be contradictory or destructive to themselves Therefore at least the Sense of the Scripture given by these Points is of Prophetick Authority a Comment by Ezra Haggai Zechariah and Malachi with others of that day Some may think this was over-order'd by Divine Providence as their preserving the rest of the Parts of the Old Testament entire without Corruption though against them R. That is what I yield a Providence in their Preservation that supposes their Pre-existence but to suppose any Jews since Christ invented these Points and affixed them as giving the Sense of the Bible is not only a Miracle but a Contradiction for it is their Reason and not their Reason that their Judgment was both pro and con at the same time For Instance it was and is Paul Attests it their most Radicated Judgment that they expected to be Sav'd by the Works their Law Commanded but if they affix'd these Points to that place in Hab. with a design to give its Sense in their Judgment They tell you that their Judgment is That he who is Just or Righteous by Faith shall live he shall never taste of the Curse of Death but ever drink the Waters of Life None of them ever pretended an Opinion opposite to what they believed was the Bible's Sense yet whenever they give their Opinion in other Writings it is opposite So if Authors of this Art in place of an over-ruling Providence we
profitable is it to tread on the Threshold of our Masters to learn from Artists and know the plenty of ambiguity in their Words Ergo not from Origen 4. Ibidem p. 209 c. My Interpretation is called says he a reprehension of the Lxx. Resp What then there are Three of them says he Hesychius's for Egypt Lucian's for Constantinople and Antioch Origen's for Palestine 2. There are three more beside them says he Aquila's Symmachus's and Theodotion's Now says he He that hath them all and wants the Hebrew is the more in the Wood and at the more cost for it for these were Judaizing Hereticks He adds That the Apostles Evangelists Christ himself when they quote the Old Testament they use the Hebrew ex gr John 7. He that believes in me as the Scripture hath said Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living Water And Mat. 27. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me These are not so in the Lxx. Now this cannot be Origen's for 1. Would Rufinus have blamed him for following his Patron Origen Or 2. In his endeavouring to reproach him for Origenisme would he not have used that Argument But 3dly It is the same Hebrew Truth he follows that Christ and his Disciples followed not Origen's 5. Tomb. p. 208. I have found the place he builds on If we err in an accent or the length of a vowel or in the aspiration of Letters The Jews mock our Ignorance thence we have taken care to mend all the Books of the Old Testament which that Learned Origen digested into Examples wherein the Hebrew Words are described in their own proper Characters and again expressed in Greek Letters in the next Column Also Aquila and Symmachus the Lxx and Theodosius possess their Ranks these described out of the Cesarian Library we have mended from the Authentick Originals These that Immortal Wit has given to us Through his Labour it is that we need not fear the Jews superciliousness in their loose Lips their distorted Tongue their hissing Spittle and their rough Throats wherein they glory because we cannot imitate them They have 3 S's we but one They have 4 H's we but one therefore it is no wonder that so different Languages do not entirely harmonize in Pronunciation I do observe here a very considerable Proof both from Origen and Jerome that the Vowels and Accents were not only existent in the Hebrew Tongue before the Fifth or Fourth Century either but were imitated in other Tongues 2. That Hierom expresses more difficulty in conforming the Consonants to one another than the Vowels It 's true he says elsewhere That the Hebrew hath no vowels viz. Tom Quarto but he gives the reason because they express their Vowels and Points as the Ethiopians do Virgulis Literis affixis I find yet nothing to prove that Hierom made use of that in his Translations or Comments But on the contrary That he made use of the Hebrew For he expresses himself thus in Words Why may not I make the Hebrew speak Latine as well as the Lxx and Origen made it speak Greek He only uses Origen's in answering the Jews Mockery he appeals to themselves if he had not as truly expressed their Words in another Tongue as they themselves could But this fact of Origen's being so evident is to me a most powerful Proof that the Points were known in the Second Century in that he could so exactly turn them into Greek as to stand the Challenge of the Jews And that this Fact is true Capellus confesses Hierom testifies so Epiphan p. 534. he composed the Hebrew Scripture in Hebrew Characters in one Column but in Greek Elements in the other for the sake of them who know not the Hebrew Elements So in these Octupla's there are Two Hebrew Columns and 6 Greek which Wetstene in his Notes on Origen ad Africanum orders thus 1 Hebrea Hebreis 2. Hebraea Graecis 3. Aquilae 4. Symmachi 5. Lxxij 6. Theodotion 7. Quinta 8. Sexta Weems Vsher Huetius Valesius have all wrote on this Subject The Sixth Argument is from the Absurdity that would follow this Opinion For if either the Hebrew Words wanted Vowels or the Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accents the Old Testament would be a Book full of Aequivocations and Uncertainties like unto the Diabolical Predictions Aio te Aeucidi Romanos vincere posse Ibid. Ibis redibis nunquam per bella peribis It were to think of God most unbecoming his Goodness to discover his Mind or pretend to do it in a concern of the whole Earth's Government Souls Eternal Welfare our Devotion to God our Duty to Man in Oracles of Uncertainty And that this would be the consequence I shall first shew in Words These Three Consonants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are liable at least to Eight several Significations according as you Point them 1. A Word ″ a Saying ″ Say thou ″ ′ Saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He said ∴ To say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Say thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies the Moon a Brick or Pavement Incence the Poplar Tree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Days or Years Mules Seas c. 2. In Sentences or Verses Psal 110. He shall drink of the Brook in the way Most of the Translations leave it undetermined whether Brook be joined with way or drinking as the Vulgar Latin Munst Vatab. Castal Pagn Trem. and Junius French and English Commentators are exercised in finding out what Brook this was in Christ's way if Kidron or if spiritually his sufferings or his consolations But the Points determine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the Brook in the way he shall drink So that it connotes not the place of the Brook but the time of his drinking when in via ad Regnum the time of his Humiliation v. 3. Thy People shall be willing in the day of thy Power in the beauties of Holiness from the Womb of the Morning thou hast the dew of thy youth Margin More than the Womb of the Morning thou shalt have the dew of thy Youth I might reckon up Twelve Translations divided as the Text and Margin are some neglecting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon power others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon Morning and all distracted about what sense to make of the Verse for there are Three Propositions thus Thy People shall be willing in the day of thy power Thy People shall be in the beauty of Holiness from the Womb of the Morning i. e. early in the Temple thou shalt have the Dew of thy Youth Psal 49.15 Like Sheep are they laid in the Grave Death shall feed on them and the Vpright shall have Dominion over them in the Morning viz. of the Resurrection Then shall their Rock come to destroy Death He shall come from his Habitation viz. the Heavens The Reason Varenius in his Triumph Dav. differs thus from all other Versions is because they neglect the Accents which
Member for God doth more where he is Lord of Hosts and manages the War and also infuses Ability and Will for the Battle than where he is only Generalissimo But the Emphasis being on the Second signifies the Heat of the Battle to lie on Him and that God had more to do in and through Christ in destroying the Work of Satan than in Man though a new Creation be necessary in him The whole Work of God then in Conquering Satan through Christ is in the Second Proposition The Third Proposition contains all the Activity of Christ as King or Mediator in that Affair And the Fourth all his Sufferings The Scope of the Verse is pointed at in the Word Enmity for 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by it 2. It is a Threatning 3. All is exerted through it Satan's Malice the Regenerate Man's Grace the Mediator's Office and the God of Hosts as Glorifying his Holiness in all Every little Lord has some considerable Subject 1. Heel Christ's Humanity 2. Head Satan's Power and Dominion it s now over Death Darkness this World but the World to come shall not be Subject to him he fell much at Christ's Ascension before that we find him appearing in Heaven among the Angels but Rev. 12.6 He was then cast down to the Earth when Christ ascended on High and led them that use to take Captive Captives but he will meet with a more severe Day c. A Fifth Vse is To Reconcile the Citations in the New Testament with the Original Text in the Old which if they effectually do I think it is no small Argument of their Authentickness But it must not be here forgotten that they are Ministers of Sense not Sound or Letters and therefore I cannot undertake more by them than to reconcile the Sense the Words may differ without Repugnancy to this Another Caution I must add That this is not the only Mean of Reconciling Difficulties of that kind though its a great one But Instances must best Illustrate the Case and make these Points speak for themselves Pulchrum est Digito de monstrari dicier hic est The first I shall mention is scarcely observed to be or have a Reference viz. Mat. 1.1 The Book of the Generation of Jesus Christ. But I have often observed That the New Testament is only a Comment on the Old Testament They are the Texts from which Christ and the Apostles Discoursed and on which they Wrote being the whole Bible in their Day I find Forty of them before I read to the 13th Chapter of this first Book of which St. Matthew the Author calls the Origen of Christianity or a Book of the Original or Beginnings of that Great Jesus Christ. And I find above Forty Psalms quoted in the New Testament some of them twice some three some four five six seven times quoted that the New Testament is a very little Book without the Old What Matthew does in acto signato in Name or Title Luke Cap. 3. doth in Fact Who was the son of Adam who was the son of God Spanhemius with others refers this to Gen. 5.1 where the like Phrase is This is the book of the generation of Adam But Adam's Original and Christ's are very different Mat. 1.18 Christ's Original was Supernatural from the Holy Ghost that from Adam was Natural The goings forth of Christ Mic. 5.2 have been from everlasting Therefore I refer to Gen. 2.4 and shall Illustrate the Agreement from the Points The Words should be Translated thus These are the originals of the Heavens and of the Earth in the days when they were created and these are the Originals in the day of the Lord God's restoring the Earth and the Heavens viz. The Seventh Days Work wherein God gave the Messias to the World Gen. 3.8.15 as the Origen and Foundation of Settling and Establishing all things See more of this in the System We see as Moses began the History of the Church in the Old Testament so Matthew doth in the New The Second Quotation is from Mat. 1.23 from Isa 7.14 There is no difference nor difficulty except with the Jews who plead that called Immanuel cannot signifie his Nature or Natural Name but his imposed individual Name against both Scripture and Rabbinical Authority But by the Points I shall give thee a Paraphrase on that difficult Context In the Days of Ahaz a most degenerate Son and Grand-Son God afflicted Judah both by Syria and Ephraim separately These two now Confederate and intend to overthrow Judah's Kingdom and the Davidical Succession and to set up a Vice-Roy the Son of Tabeal a Famous Warrior who should pay Tribute to them two according to Agreement The News of this most grievously Afflicts Ahaz and all Jerusalem in which condition God sends Isaiah and Son of Hope Shear Jashub to Comfort him and inform That the Fire he feared to be consumed in could not last long for these two Kings were but first Firebrands secondly Tal's thirdly Smoaking only and more plainly that the Lease of their Lives and Kingdoms was but short viz. 65 Years from Amos's Prophecy 1.3 4.23 5.27 whereof now there remained not 20 to both Kingdoms He continues to press the Belief of this and desires him to ask any Sign for Confirmation But that Blasphemous Mouth breaks Silence with a Profession of utter and entire Rejection of Jehovah I neither will ask nor put it to any Tryal or Experiment what Jehovah can do for me 2 Kings 7. The Assyrian is my Pillar I depend on and ma Gods I have chosen Jehova I will not meddle with He shall have no place among my Gods In opposition to it Isaiah blames him for wearying his God My God ver 13. and further Informs him how God would dispose of the Davidical Family First That a Virgin of that Family should conceive and bear the Promised Seed Gen. 3.15 Secondly That that Seed should be Called on Believed in and Profess'd to be God with us Isa 62.4 Jer. 3.17 Ezek. 48.35 Isa 61.3 9.6 54.5 So far Matthew cites For what follows belong'd not to his Birth but Life ver 16. viz. all Riches Honour and Glory would perish from that Family for that great King should not live like Solomon but on Natural Country wild Food Inter caseatos nutritus montes sylvasque melleas Heirom Butter and Honey But beside that he should experience Affliction very much yet always his choice should be Holy But says he ver 16 18. Though on this account God will perfect this Royal Line he will not suffer your Iniquity to pass unpunished And though as I have said thy two Enemies shall quickly be ruined and not thou by them whom thou fearest but the King of Assyria whom thou trusts in shall destroy thee A Second more to my purpose is Mat. 2.5 from Mic. 5.2 Herod enquires about the place of Christ's Birth The Priests and Scribes answer from a Famous Prophecy that gives account of a triple
be read thus Above the Earth towards the open firmament of Heaven Or That Firmamental Heaven signifies all between the Earth and the proper Heavens mentioned v. 1. or at least to the Waters under them Thus we see passing by the necessity of the accents that is requisite to explain each of these Verses I have but pointed at one that is like a Candle giving light to the whole Context the whole Chapter and yet this is but a little one in his Office and Dignity as well as Bulk but his use is there to limit the subject of the Discourse to a particular part of what he had spoken of before Argument 7. For the sacredness of the Number I will conclude with this but it shall be a sacred Argument on a better Account i. e. for the Mediums sake viz. The sense of that Promise of Christ Mat. 5.18 Till Heaven or Earth pass one Iota or one Tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law And here I will freely acknowledge that man consonants or vowels or words might perish with out the impeaching of Christ's Fidelity The expression seems to be Proverbial and the Sence the preservation of Divine Oracles as to their Matter or Sence and therefore if these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Jews call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. be understood in the Letter the accents seem to be Christ's intent being preservers of the Sence of the Law There are Horns for flourish or superstition set upon the Consonants by the Jews if so old as Christ's time is very doubtful but that Christ should mean them is incredible Thus stand these Horns And therefore I think the care of preserving the Scripture entire has been a special Favour of Divine Providence But that care 1. Has not been exerted without Humane Means 2. Not Superstitiously as the Jews do who are so zealous for a Letter where Sense is not concerned As to the first Men were the Penmen and it was wrote in a Method customary to Men Isa 8.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 written it with a Man's Pen that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gimel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zajin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Caph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hajin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tzadi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Schin is say the Jews according to the Custom and Manner of Writing among Men as legible as intelligible as what is suited to their common converse But still the Spirit of God took the over-ruling Conduct of these Men admitted to be Amanuenses For Holy Men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost And all Scripture the Chetubim as well as the Law and Prophets was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. As to the preserving of the Scripture it is enjoyned to Man committed to the Priests and Levites Deut. 31.2.4 When Moses had made an end of Writing the Words of this Law in a Book until they were finished Where on the by it s to be observed That the Pentateuch or whole Book of the Law from beginning to end excepting the last Chapter was writ by Moses himself For it is twice in this Verse Emphatically Asserted First in the same Phrase that God Asserts the Finishing of the Creation viz. Chekaloth And Secondly in a more Emphatick Ghalsepher Ghadtomim until the compleat Perfection of the Book Ver. 25. Moses commanded the Levites which bare the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord saying Take this Book of the Law and put it in the side of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God c. As Moses was the Writer of the Law and wrote all the Words of it and consequently left none to Tradition So the Custody of the Law is committed to the Levites as the Persons immediately concerned And this Office continued with them while they were a Church Rom. 3.2 Vnto them were committed the Oracles of God Now indeed the Keepers are changed the Christian Church the House of the Living God is the Pillar and Ground of the Truth and especially the Levites as in the Old Timothy keep that which is committed to thy Trust Malachi 2.7 The Lips of the Priests are to be the keepers of Knowledge The People must ask the Law at their Months as Angels of the Lord of Hosts The Ark in the Tabernacle and Temple was the Repository but the Bearers of the Ark were the Persons intrusted Ver. 9. Moses wrote this Law and delivered it to the Priests the Sons of Levi which bare the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord. And to show their Fidelity once in Seven Years viz. On the Feast of Tabernacles they were to read that individual Law before all Israel Some think no Levites but they that were Priests were entrusted with this The Second Thing to be spoken to is the place where it was kept Moses expresseth it thus B. Azad Aaron in the side of the Ark but × signifies rather from or by the difficulty is whether it was in the Ark or in some Box besides the Ark. My Opinion is with the latter For First Sam. 6.8 The same Expression is used of the Philistines Presents Secondly 1 Kings 8.9 2. Chron. 5.10 There is nothing found to be in the Ark but the Two Tables of Stone Thirdly Both Jonathan the Paraphrast and the Talmud mention a little Chest at the side of the Ark wherein Moses put the Book of the Law Fourthly The Manna and Aaron's Rod was only put by the Ark. Fifthly The Ark was now covered with the Propitiatory Sixthly None but the High Priest once a Year durst go in where the Ark was but the Holy of Holies was a place sure enough and Sacred enough for this end Books that were not put in here were called Apocryphal that is not put into the hidden or secret place as Epiphan in the Book De Ponderibus saith of the Book of Wisdom and Son of Syrach they were profitable Books but not Canonical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were not put that is saith Scaliger on Euseb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Ark of the Testament Afterwards when Prophetical Books were Wrote they were likewise laid up here 1 Sam. 10.25 When Samuel had told the People the manner of the Kingdom he wrote it in a Book and laid it up before the Lord. And the same is the Sense of Josh 24.26 Jonathan the Paraphrast being Interpreter There is a Noble Testimony to Divine Providence preventing Humane Miscarriages or repairing them A failure on the one side we find in 2 Chron. 34.14 Hilkiah the Priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord wrote by the Hand of Moses And a special care on the other Isa 34.16 Seek you out of the Book of the Law of the Lord and read one of these viz. Prophesies shall not fail neither one or other shall be wanting for my Mouth it self has commanded it may be Christ and his Spirit hath gathered them