was the Son of GOD And some French Editions do speak so in the text it self But we ought to know that Adam neither in this nor any other place of the Scripture was ever called Son of GOD much less the Son of GOD That Name doth onely appertain to the second Adam So the last French translation doth not say that Adam was the Son of GOD but that he was created by GOD In the Originall the word Son iâ— found but once and it is onely spokeâ— of Jesus Christ Observe hovv Sainâ—Luke speaks it That Jesus was the Son as it was esteemed of Joseph of Heli of Matthat c. of Zorababel c. of David c. of Abraham c. of Enos of Seth of Adam of GOD The sense is that according to the opinion of men Jesus was the Son of Joseph and that in effect he is of Heli of Matthat c. of David of Abraham c. of Seth of Adam of God And thus as many learned men have a long time observed it it â—s Jesus Christ and not Adam who is called the Son of God These words so often repeated who was the Son who was the Son which are added to every one of the persons who are named in this Genealogy in ascending from Heli to Adam These words I say which are not in the Originall have caused divers to believe that Adam is called the Son of GOD But in all the Catalogue this word the Son ought to be referred to Jesus Christ alone which vvithout the addition of these words vvould be more easy to be understood As there is no need of that which in the French Bible is inserted touching Adam to wit that he was created Of the twelfth Stone which was on the Brest of the High Priest which the French Bible doth call a Beryll and the English a Jasper Exod. 28. 20. WE know that the Hebrew Nomenclation of precious Stones as of many other things is at this day very obscure and the interpretations are very different Nevertheless I will speak one word on this place Two Reasons do induce me to believe that it was rather a Jasper that any other Stone First Because it is the very same word in the Originalâ— text for the Hebrew vvord of thaâ— Stone which is twelfth and the laâ—â— upon the Pectorall is a Jasper which vvord hath been retained in the Greeâ— tongue the most antient of thosâ— sincâ— Babel and hath passed into the Latin tongue and divers other vulgar languages signifying alwaies that which we do call a Jâ—sper To this the Translation of Jâ—â—ius doth accord who puâ—teth the Jasper the last of all in the like manner as doth the English Bible Moreover This Interpretation is more apparent by a light which results from that place Revel. 21. 19. The Heavenly Jerusalem hath also twelve precious stones on which it is founded and who do reflect upon those of the Pectorall but they are not ranked in the same order for in that Jerusalem the Jasper is the first stone which is the last in the Pectorall and this is not without a mystery that the same stone which is the last in the old Testament is the first in the new as joyning the two Testaments together and making the end of the one to be the beginning of the other so admirable a Concurrence ought not to be taken away from a passage where it is accompanied with other apparences Of certain Books written on the Revelation and beleived to be propheticall THe Interpretations of Napeir on this last Book of the Bible have been a long time admired but they have now lost their reputation for the term which they gave to divers events that are yet to come is already expired These mistakes ought to serve to disabuse the vulgar who oftentimes imagine that the conceptions of Expositors are infallible predictions So divers men do to this day extoll Brightman who hath also commented upon the Revelations as if that man had the Spirit of Prophecy Nevertheless if we shall observe the applications which he maketh especially at the beginning we shall find that he stragleth very much if we will not take fancies for Oracles Of a prejudication common to a great sort of them who do read or inteâ—pret the prophecies especially the Revelation IT is ordinary to imagine that the Prophecies speak not but of our selves onely or of our Countrey If there be any prediction not yet accomplished it seems to us that that star is directly over our heads and the influence of it onely for our Climat although it may be it concerns us not at all Such a Prophecy it may be is not to be accomplished but in Asia or America and yet we expect to see it fulfilled in our Northern Climate From hence oftentimes it comes to pass that our Interpretations hit not aright I do confess that a great part of the Revelations doth concern our Western Countries but all the prophecies of that Book ought not to be restrained or applyed to this little corner of the World As if the Holy Ghost had thought on none but on us onely Or As if God had no others that are elected in other Countries of the world Of some Interpreters who censure Saint Paul for wishing to be accursed or separated from Christ for the love to his Brethren the Israelites THe learned Marlorat in his common places and the Divines who have folowed and enlarged them writing on the word peccatum and marking forth those sins into which divers holy personages were fallen they do in that number comprehend thiâ— wish of Saint Paul and without haesitation do pronounce that in that he was not without blemish But first of all It is very dangerouâ— to condemn every action or every word which is above the common Rule for it may be authorized yea and imposed by him who is above the Law as was the Will which Abraham had to sacrifice his own Son Such Acts which otherwise would be irregular are heroicall and transcendent Secondly If we would fathom the depth hereof we would say as it is most true that the Glory of GOD ought to be more precious to us than our own salvation And from hence proceeded this wish of Saint Paul Thirdly The words which immediatly go before do sufficiently demonstrate that the Apostle spake this by the Spirit of GOD which could not erre I speak the truth in Christ I lye not my conscience bearing me witness with the Spirit That I have great sorrovv c. For I would be accursed c. Shall we say that calling the Holy Ghost for witness he immediatly afterwards did pronounce those words which are contrary to the motions and the Rules of the Holy Ghost Fourthly If in this wish Saint Paul speaks like a man that was besides himself If his words are to be reproved Is not this to derogate from the whole Epistle and to render it suspected as if it proceeded onely from man and not from
Crowns or Garlands But it dot not say that the Bulls were crowned with them It is true enough that the Pagans were accustomed so to adorn those Creatures which were the Victims in their sacrifices by putting chapleâ—s of flowers on their heads or round about their horns But that could not be practised in every season of the year And as for the Garlands which are mentioned in this place the History expresseth not that the Priest in that nature did make use of them It may be that he would have crowned with them Paul and Barâ—abas as the Pagans so did honour their false Gods in their Images And although that these Garlands were brought to crown the Bulls yet the Greek Text saith not that they were already crowned but onely that the Priest brought with him Crowns and Garlands So speaks the Syriack translation and so the Interpreter of the Syriack Tremellius and so also doth the English Bible The French have followed the Latine translation of Beza who in this particular hath not word for word expressed the Originall This Note will not appear frâ—volous but to those onely who not that there is not one joâ—e in the Scripture which is not considerable Of one word which the French adde to the end of the Lords Prayer WE say thine is the Kingdom c. In ages of ages so we speak in pronouncing that Prayer So we read in our Books wherein it is written and even in the French Catechism it self But the Originall Text Mat. 6. 13. where the terms are expressed which conclude that admirable Prayer hath not twice this word Ages It is so word for word Thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory in ages Amen This word Ages is there expressed but once instead whereof we redouble it nay with the addition of a particle which represents a change of the Case in the Grammars of the Greeks and Latins This Amplification brought into common use proceeds from this that there being other places of the new Testament in which these words we read To him be glory in ages of ages they have been taken as if they were the very same which are in the end of the Lords Prayer which notwithstanding hath not this doubling of the word ages This Phrase in ages of ages is of the stile of the Hebrews representing a Superlative who would be called Eternity it self the longest Duration which can be imagined This expression is not found but in the Revelat. Chap. 1. ver. 6. and Chap. 5. ver. 13. 14. If any shall reply as it is true enough that these words in ages in the Lords Prayer do signifie as much as in ages of ages I answer wherefore then in reciting the Lords Prayer do we not content our selves with the terms which are there The excuse is not sufficient that we adde nothing to the sense For when we make profession to transcribe or to translate we ought to retain the words of the Originall as far as our vulgar tongues are able to represent them without thrusting in any amplificatioâ— at all I forbear to speak that there is a secret reason for which this phrase in ages of ages hath been reserved for the last Book of the Scripture How the word ages which is in the Originall of the Lords Prayer is translated in the French and English Bibles BEhold here clean contrary to that which I have touched on in the precedent observation for in neither of the one or the other of these two Bibles hath this Prayer so much as once this word ages but in the steed thereof they both say For ever or alwaies Now although the terms are equivalent if it be said in ages or if it be said For ever nevertheless the word ages in the stile of the Scripture do include distinctions of great importance which this Periphrasis doth not contain and which I have not the leisure to illustrate in this place The English Translation is excusable in this because the language hath not a word which properly doth express that which we call ages But since this word is become French and doth better answer to that which is in the Originall Greek it ought to be retained in the French Translation of the Lords Prayer as well as we have retained it in the other places in which it is employed in the same sense and in the same matter Revel. 1. 6. and 5. 13. Of the sacrifice of Isaac ill represented in many pictures and particularly in the front of the English Bible ISaac is here painted on his knees before an Altar and Abraham behind him holding a knife in his hand which is lifted up to give the blow But this picture is false and doth bely the holy History For before that Abraham did advance his arm nay before he had the knife in his hand to strike Isaac Isaac was not before the Altar but on the Altar it self The particulars of the action are recited to us in this order That Abraham did build an Altar and ranged wood upon it that he bound Isaac and put him on the wood and afterwards that he took the knife into his hand to cut his throat Gen. 22. 9. 10. Isaac was then on the Altar not at the foot of the Altar when Abraham did lift up his hand with the knife to strike him It is a great mistake to frame a portraict which contradicts the History Howsoever I shall note this by the way This posture in which Isaac is represented having Abraham behind him and holding a sword in his hand doth cause many to beleive that it was to cut off his head and it is also the common opinion that in this sacrifice Abraham would have taken away the life of his Son by taking off his head But this prejudging although antient and very generall is not soassured as it is imagined to be and at least it ought not to be held for a certain truth The Text saith that Abraham took the knife to cut the throat of his Son now this word is not restrained to that which we call beheading And moreover we ought to consider that Abraham had order to offer his Son as a Holocaust In which kind of sacrifice the victim was not beheaded untill after it were dead For first of all the bloud was let forth either at the throat or at the breast untill the sacrifice was dead after that it was cut in pieces the head was severed from the Body and the other parts the one from the other This was the method of the Holocaust confirmed in Leviticus 1 11. 12. Of the Catachism of the French Churches THis Catechism is no more perfâ—ct than any other of the writings of Men I am not the first that hath so judged It is defective in many points It is prolix and exuberant in questions in certain matters where it ought to be more succinct On the contrary it is too brief there where it ought more to enlarge it self It sometimes dispatcheth
who in the Name of the Romans as they alledge was Commander above one hundred years before The consequences are far greater then they seem to be at the first appearance of which I will not speak at this present So great lyars are these malicious people proved to be by their own Historian who in express tearms affirmeth that Jesus of whom the Christians took their Name was crucified by Pilate Of the name Jehovah which the French Bible marketh not in the twelfth Chapter of Job ver. 9. IN all the pleadings of the friends of Job we never read of the Name of Jehovah Job himself did never but once pronounce it in this place above named so that from the beginning of the 3. Chapter of this Book to the end of the the 37. the Name Jehovah is found but once although divers other Names of God as the strong the Almighty are there very frequent I have not now to speak wherefore the Name of Jehovah the importance whereof is represented Exod. 6. 31. is not at all in the mouth of the friends of Job nor but once in the mouth of Job many remarkeable considerations may hereupon be produced I shall onely say that as we at least ought to mark and distinguish this place which is onely to be found where Job expresseth this great name of Jehovah And because this name cannot be translated into any other language the new Testament represents it by the word Signior And in the imitation of it is the English translation of the old Testament The French doth note it by another word which is the Eternall We dispute not which of these names doth approach most neer to that of Jehovah But since the French Bible doth represent it under the name of Eternall This name Eternall ought to be in this place of Job where the name of Jehovah is found For it saith thaâ— it is the hand of Jehovah which hath made all things Of Jehovah that iâ— to say of the Eternall as the French translation doth usually interpret in And nevertheless the same translatioâ— forgetting it self in this place instead of saying the hand of the Eternal doth say the hand of God A mistake by so much the more remarkable that in this place eclipsing the name of the Eternall which representeth that of Jehovah it will follow that Job never pronounced this name of Jehovah And having but once pronounced it so much the more illustrious is this place and so much the more important is it to retain here this word which doth distinguish it self from all the other words of Job and from those of his friends by a mark so much the more considerable that it is not obvious to the vulgar The word Heaven in the singular number is not found in any place of the old Testament A difference in that respect between the Originall and many translations especially the English IT is known that neither the Hebrew nor Caldean which are the originall tongues of the old Testament have this word Heaven but alwaies say Heavens in the Plurall or the Duall numbers From hence it comes that in all the old Testament this word is never read in the singular number and nevertheless the greatest part of the Latine and vulgar translations have introduced it in divers places especially the English which doth serve it self more often with the Singular then the Plurall which is very strange In the beginning of this treatise I prevented some objections that might be made hereon and I will not now 〈…〉 〈…〉 rily abused when we speak of afflictions page 47 Of â—rying sins which we discern not from others page 50 Of the faults committed in citing the Histories of the Antients page 52 The first words of the ten Commandements which the Ignorance of some have razed from the walls in their Churches page 56 Of some pictures which are in certain Bibles page 59 Of the Name of the Son of GOD which some of our Bibles give unto Adam Luke 3 ver. last page 62 Of the twelfth stone which was on the Breast of the High Priest which the French Bible calleth a Berill and the English a Jasper Exod. 28. 20. page 64 Of certain Books written on the Revelations and steemed as propheticall page 66 Of a prejudging common to many of thâ—se who read or interpret the prophecies especially the Revelations page 67 Of some Interpreters who censure St. Paul for wishing to be Anathema or separated from Christ for the love of the Israelites Rom. 9. 3. page 68 Of the vulgar Book intituled The Practise of Piâ—ty page 71 〈◊〉 the word Amen which the people ought to pronounce at the end of publick prayers and benedictions page 79 Of the buildings of Ierusalem represented in a picture on the beginning of many English Bibles page 82 Of the tree of life which was thought to be but one onely plant page 84 Of the Nature of the Viper in some Editions marked in the Index at the end of the new Testament in French page 88 Of those who beleive that in the unfolding of a Text they must alwaies divide it into parts page 90 Of the divers sense given to the 2th Chapter of Revel. ver. 1. page 92 Of the Brazen Serpent which was thought to be a figure of Christ page 98 Of the Jews If it were convenient to grant them a residence in England page 100 Of Presagers who boast they have a prophetick Spirit and of the Follies and Blasphemies they produce page 104 Of some false Miracles which have been held for true page 109 Of the curing of the Evill attributed to the Kings of England page 113 Of an advertisement in the Margent of some places in the Bible page 115 Of the Dragon which was thought to be a flying Serpent page 117 Of the Serpent which tempted Eve which many think had the face of a woman page 119 Of a discord in modern Musick and paâ—ticularly in that of the Psalms page 123 Of thâ—se who in the first day of the year do make a scruple to wish a good year to any And of a passage which is in the French Bible page 127 Of the salutation given to those who sâ—eeze page 130 Of those who without any Distinction do pronounce that Divines ought not to meddle with the affairs of State page 135 Of the Angell of Satan who buffetted Saint Paul 2 Cor. 12. 7. A new Interpretation on that place page 137 A greâ—t number of places which mention the cure of Demoniacks in which our Translations dâ— chaâ—ge the word which is in the originall Text page 140 Of the Bulls crowned with garlands which are read in the French Bible Acts 14. 13. page 143 Of one word which the French adde at the close of the Lords Prayer page 145 How the word ages which in the originall is in the Lords Prayer is translated in the French and English Bibles page 147 Of the sacrifice of Isaac ill represented in maâ—y pictures and particularly at the beginning 〈…〉
Father which art in the Heavens But not that he ever said The Father which art in Heaven Wherefore then Do we make him to change his stile in the Prayer which he hath prescribed to us But the English Translation doth change also all the other places in which Jesus Christ doth express the Heavens in the Plurall Number when he speaketh of the Father To the same purpose our Lord did never say the Kingdom of Heaven but alwaies the Kingdom of the Heavens One onely of the Evangelists hath this terme of the Kingdom of the Heavens no less then six and thirty times but the Kingdom of Heaven not once which plainly doth demonstrate seeing the multitude of passages in which the Plurall number is alwaies imployed and never the Singular that there is a mystery or an Emphasis in the one which is not in the other But the English Translation to the contrary doth never say the Kingdom of the Heavens but alwaies the Kingdom of Heaven Amongst all the places of the New Testament where the Original nameth the Heavens there are very few where the English do express the Plurall It is in their translation of the 2 Cor. 5. 1. and Heb. 1. 10. Why ought it not to be or could it not be as well in all the other places which the holy Ghost hath dictated And in Ephes. 1. 10. where the Originall mentioneth the Heavens in the Plurall the English Translation doth onely put it in the Margent and placeth the Singular in the text it self Of Lucifer who is mentioned in the English Translation Esay 14. ver. 12. THe School-Boys know that Lucifer is a Latin word and it is the name of the Star which sheweth its self before the rising of the Sun The Hebrew which signifies this Star is indeed expressed it self by the word Lucifer but it is when we speak in Latine not when it is translated into English To what purpose then is this Lucifer in the English translation The translators in the Margent have inserted the true word of the English tongue which is the Day-Star but in the body of the text they had rather imploy the Name of Lucifer as if it were better English or as if there were some great cause which did oblige them to it It is indeed no other thing but the tracing of an antient Allegory which applyeth to the Devill that which is spoken to the King of Babylon and of the Name of a Star hath made it to be the proper Name of the Prince of evill Spirits and give it him in Latin that is to say Lucifer And because proper Names do retain themselves in whatsoever language they are spoken it was beleived that this ought not to be changed for any other But wherefore do we yet retain the relicks of such notorious folly censured a long time since and disavowed by our selves who is he amongst the vulgar that finding in his Bible this word Lucifer doth not immediatly believe that it is the Name of a great Devill whom common ignorance so calleth It is true that the Divines who have published the last annotations on the English Bible have also condemned those who do so understand the name of Lucifer But so long as that word shall remain in the text the error will continue What need is there to retain a word which is not of the English tongue since the English can express the Hebrew without this Latin word which onely serveth to nourish an antient folly The common people of England have a long time thought that the evill Rich man Luke 16. verse 19 c. was called Dives according to his proper Name And for the greatest part they do to this day believe it for they ordinarily say that Dives is in Hell that Dives spoke with Abraham c. As if Dives had been his Christen-name or at least his Sirname Now this ridiculous opinion was conceived and born at that time when the people had not the Bible but in Latin For because that Dives doth signify a rich man in the Latin tongue when mention was made of Dives the ignorant did imagin that it was the name of a man An interpretation as vain as that which is recited in a modern Satyre of one who maintained that the name of Tobyes Dog was Canis because it is said that Canis followed his Master But it is to be admired how this ignorance hath been fomented even by the Orthodox themselves since the Reformation when they published the Scriptures in the English tongue for in the Contents of the Chapter which they have prefixed to the 16. of Luke we do yet read as if that Chapter did speak of Dives and Lazarus The last translation hath not this word Dives No more ought Lucifer to be any more especially in the text it self Of Mary Magdalen who falsly is said to be a Woman of a bad life The injuries which Divines for the most part aâ— her in their Sermons and their Books And especially the English Bible in the Argument of the seventh Chapter of St. Luke THe injury which the Roman Church doth to another Mary who was the Sister of Lazarus hath been sufficiently confuted by the Orthodox Ignorance hath caused to believe that this Mary and another who was of Magdala and the Sinner mentioned in the 7th of Saint Luke were but one and the same person confounding these three in one now we have truly and already vindicated one of the three who is Mary of Bethany who was the Sister of Lazarus but we do still defame her of Magdala as if this Magdalen were the Sinner of whom Saint Luke speaketh There is nothing more common in the mouth of the vulgar then the wicked life of Magdalen The Preachers willing to comfort Souls afflicted with the horror of their sins do represent unto them this Woman as one of the most unchast and most dissolute that ever was to whom nevertheless GOD hath been mercifull On the same prejudice which is but imaginary the reason is builded wherefore the Son of God being raised from the dead did appear first to Mary Magdalen before he appeared to any other for it is alleged it was because she had more need of comfort having been a greater finner than others The common places the Indexes even that of Marlâ—rat himself and other Books which serve for an Address to Students do give them betimes this impression which alwaies afterwards they retain He who hath wrote the Practise of Piety of whom I shall speak more hereafter doth rank this Magdalen with the most enormous sinners yea with Manasse himself one of the most wicked that ever was And yet more to atuhorize this error it is inserted into the Bible it self For the Contents of the 7th Chapter of Saint Luke in the English translation doth tell us that the Woman whose sins were in a greater number then the sins of others the Woman who untill then had led a wicked life and full
was the Prince of the Devils or that such was the Name of the chief of evill Spirits We ought to know that the Scripture gives no proper or peculiar name to any of the evill Angels Some of the good Angels and onely one or two of them have a particular name as Gabriel and Michael But the evill Spirits have but one common name as Satan The Adversary The Devill The Slanderer And although there is a chief of the evill Angels yet he hath not a particular name See Mat. 25. 41. We ought not then to imagin with the vulgar that Beelzebub is the proper name of the Prince of the Devilâ— It were the Pharises and not Christ that said so Of Easter Day improperly so called or ill assigned I Dispute not the antient custom to solemnize one Day every year in the memory of the Resurrection of our Saviour although that every Sunday is observed for that end But as for that Day which every year is celebrated there is no reason to call it the Day of the Passeover But rather clean contrary we ought to give that name to that Day in which Christ our Paschall Lamb vvas Sacrificed to that Day in vvhich he dyed and not unto that Day in which he did rise from the Dead For the word of the Passeover being applyed to Christ hath reference to his Death and not at all to his Resurrection so the Day which is called the Passeover is not the true Day of it but rather the contrary It will be alledged that every one doth so understand it and that the words are indifferent if they give an agreeable sense unto them But whereâ—ore do we give unto words a sense which they have not nay a sense which is contrary to that which they have or wherefore do we speak otherwise than we do understand Of the word the CROSSE which is ordinarily abused when mention is made of afflictions THere is nothing more common in the mouths of afflicted Persons or of those who would comfort them then to say that they do bear their Cross and that their â—ross is heavy and man is subject â—o many crosses But according to the language of GOD there are no afflictions which can be called crosses those afflictions being excepted which men make us to suffer for the cause of our crucified Saviour and for the cause of his Gospel To such sufferings GOD hath reserved and appropriated this honourable title of the Cross In the like manner the persecutions which are raised against us for the cause of Christ the punishments the proscriptions the losses the reproaches and whatsoever a Christian endureth for that quarrell are honoured with this Name of the Cross by reason of the Communion which they have with the sufferings of Christ and more particularly of his Death The afflictions which do proceed from other causes have no part in so glorious an Epithete Nevertheless a man who is chastised or even punished for his sins or by his Improvidence or Intemperance hath plucked an affliction on himself will say that it is a Cross which GOD hath sent him This is to abuse the word Such afflictions and those which proceed from hidden causes as that of the man who vvas born blind John 9. 2 3. cannot be called Crosses And yet this Impropriety is not onely in the language of the common people but also of many Divines nay and in their Books also For they do vvrite in their Books that a wicked man hath his Cross also A great mistake For the afflictions of a wicked man are not worthy of that Name If he himself be an enemy to the Cross and is punished shall vve say that his punishment is a Cross can that be spoken of a Malefactor vvho suffereth for his crimes All the afflictions even of a good Christian are not to be called Crosses Of crying sins which men do not discern from others THere are some sins to which the Divines have given the name of crying sins And this Epithet is taken from the Scripture By this name the effusion of Innocent bloud is called because the bloud of Abel did cry unto GOD So also is the abhominable sin of Sodom Gen. 18. 20 21. and 19. 13. So also is the detaining of the hire of the labourer James 4. 5. So also a House builded by rapine is called a crying sin because it is said that the stones of the wall do cry out against it Habakuk 2. 11. And so generally all violence and oppression is called a crying sin Exod. 3. 17. and 22. 23 27. Now there are reasons wherefore these sins more than others are called crying But without entring into the search thereof we are not to think that this name ought to be given to all those sins which are more enormous and exorbitant than others for neither Idolatry nor Blasphemy no nor the worshipping of Devil are called crying sins And in generall I do observe that of all the sins which do violate the first table of the Law there is not one which is called a crying sin All those sins also which are committed against the second table have not that name in the Scripture but those onely which I have specifyed This distinction although it oftentimes be too much neglected even by men of knowledge themselves yet we ought nevertheless to observe it if we will follow the language of the Spirit and not that of the common people for there is nothing more triviall than these words you may here see what it is that cryeth for vengeance It is a crying sin And nevertheless the common speak thus of such a sin which the Scripture doth not put in the number of crying sins By this confusion there will be no sin which we may not call a crying sin if we will be governed by passion by zeal without knowledge Of faults committed in citing the Histories of the Antients I Will produce but two examples A very famous Scholar in his Book of the truth of Christian Religion doth alledge an Author who doth recite a very strange story concerning Jesus Christ which is that the Jews did choose him to be one of those who offered sacrifice and that they received him into their order qualifying thus the Son of GOD and of the Virgin Mary This story if there were no other thing to object against it doth directly oppose that which the Apostle speaks in the Hebrews that our Saviour came from the tribe of Juda a tribe none whereof did assist at the Altar a tribe of which Moses spake nothing at all concerning the Leviticall Priesthood that if Christ again were upon the earth he would not be a Priest c. These fabulous stories which are used to maintain Christianism doe onely serve but to render it suspected nay ridiculous to the Jews and other Miscreants The other example is not of so great importance nevertheless it will serve to shew how the most learned do mistake themselves men in matters purely Historicall