was before the Captivity and so corrupted the Quadrate was since and so corrected by Prophets Ergo The Samaritan is to be preferred being the primitive Yet I shall propose these Testimonies for the latter Rabbi Asarias in Meorenajim says thus In the time of the Second Temple there were two Copies of the Jewish Law both writ The one did consist in Assyrian Writing and Sacred Tongue as the Books which are true and right which we now possess the other here and there varying which was common among the People wrote in Hebrew that is the Characters used beyond the River which are left to the Idiots that is Cutheans or Samaritans To the same purpose saith the Authors of Ben Israel R. Gedaliah says The Law was given in that kind of Writing which we now call Assyrian this Figure was always kept among the Princes of Israel for the Vulgar used the Samaritan Hebrew but when Ezra came he let the People use the Figure wherein the Law was given It 's called Assyrian because the Nobles of Israel brought it from thence with them for they kept it there secret because it was the Holy Scripture Abarbynell says It is the Eighth Article of the Jewish Creed to believe the Law that now is in our hands is the same that was given in Mount Sinai without any Change Ritbam says The meaning of this Sentence in the Talm. viz. The Law was given in the days of Ezra in the Assyrian Scripture is That an Edict went forth from Ezra That all and every man should write the Book of the Law in the Assyrian Figure and no other That for the future they might use that kind of Writing wherein the Tables of the Law and Book of the Law which was in the Ark was writ And when it is said in the Talmud That in the beginning the Law was given to Israel in the Hebrew Writing that 's only meant of Books wrote for private use For the God of Mercy save us from thinking the Law that was in the Ark to be of that Character Now it seems a very probable thing That these quiescent Letters were the Vowels to the one and the Points the Vowels to the other which a further search may bring more light into At present I shall conclude with this That on a double account the Accentual Points have a priority to these Vowels 1. There are some parts of the Bible yet without Vowel-Points but no part without accentual 2. That the Accentual make a Change on the vowels but the vowels none on them 3. The accentual goes along with both Characters but the Vowels only with the Quadrate Figure 4. That the Anomala's and Irregularities are fewer in the Accents than either in Vowels or Consonants And the Reason may be good because there was a change in the one but none in the other CHAP. III. Of the Vsefulness and Necessity of this ART abstracting from the Opinion controverted about their Antiquity and Authority IT is confessed by Bishop Walton in his Prolog tho he disputes for the Tiberians being the Inventors of the Figures of these Points Yet not of their Use and Value that was before from Ezra's time and before that too and so Capellus and they think that either in Writing or by faithful Tradition it was preserved in that Integrity That they deny any more to be humane but the Figure of these Points in that Syllogisme against them What the Masorites are Authors of is humane but the Masorites are Authors of the sense of the Old Testament Prob. Minor The form of Words are their Sense but they are Authors of the form viz. the Points They distinguish and say They are Authors of the Figure not Sound nor Use in Signification The English Translators are as much Authors of the Bible Sense by their Invention of English Signs to Communicate the former Divine Sense before kept in Hebrew Signs to English People So the Tiberians Invented only these more fit Signs for preventing Mistakes and Errors creeping into that Sense which the Vocal and Traditional Signs were liable to let in And when they are urged with the Improbability of keeping entire such a Multitude of various Sounds Senses and Uses for a thousand Years They Answer may be though they were not Inserted in the Bible yet they were in a Book by themselves and then the Masorites work is only Application the Authority of the Points is Prophetical But to pass this by too and not to urge Concessions at a strait too much though Elias Levita the only Jew and the first Author of Tiberian Masorits always Asserted their Divinity Let us suppose their most Genuine Sense that the Masorits were excellent Criticks and Grammarians there were no Men such Masters of that Language and by these Points they have conveyed to us the true Sense of the Old Testament in their Day which before was kept by Tradition And though they did not believe nor understand the Evangelical Doctrines or Mysteries wrapt up in the Grammatical Sense of the Words yet the Grammatical or Oratorical Part of it they did well understand As a Latinist can Construe or Pierce Euclid and when he has done cannot find the Sense nor make out the Demonstration But an English Mathematician sitting by him and hearing the Latinist can easily but without his help knew not a Syllable of it The Tiberian Masorite in this case is the Latinist and the Christian the English Mathematician But now supposing the Matters of the greatest Moment and Concern that this Christian has it kept and lock'd up in this Book and that there is not a Book in the World beside that discovers and reveals this Matter there are indeed many Translations but through Time they are either altered and corrupted or the Translators were unskilful and were more guided by these Old Translations that very much contradicted one another than by an exact Knowledge in the Original Now it this case we will suppose some Men not Infallible But the greatest Masters of the Language in the World when the Language began to be Corrupted they put Marks of Sound and Sense Marks to guide in the Distinction of Equivocal Words and Marks to guide in Syntax upon this Book But the Natives being satisfied with this Book as they used it before made no great Matter of it and when they taught the Christians they taught that part of it they used and the other part they knew not so much of it is lost But a thousand Years after this the World turns Inquisitive for during that time the whole Book much more its Critical Art was sunk in Oblivion and Religion by Church Authority comes in Fashion until the Priests not only Imposed on their Consciences and carved an Hell or Heaven for them as they thought fit but on their Reason and Senses they would have the Laicks live on Hay and give to them the Meat and the Bread This awakened the Indignation of some the Pity of others and
THE Taghmical Art OR THE ART of Expounding SCRIPTURE By the POINTS Usually Called Accents But are really Tactical A Grammatical Logical and Rhetorical Instrument of Interpretation In Two PARTS I. Containing the Proof that they are so II. The Method how they Perform that Office By WALTER CROSS M. A. LONDON Printed by S. Bridge for the Author and are to be Sold by A. and I. Churchill at the Black Swan in Pater-Noster-Row 1698. TO THE READER Reader I Know many will expect a very great Name * The A. B. of Cant. should Front this very little Piece But is not Disproportion a very unbecoming thing a Penny Book Dedicated to a Prince His Right is Prior either as to Pains or Expences If thou art a Gainer by it the Praise is his due though the Deed is a Mite among the Numerous and Eminent Acts of that Person Let Protestants never forget his Prudence and Courage in Confronting the Jesuites in King James's Reign They who know him know how insipid Flatteries and Complements are to him even when his Charity is convinc'd they come from the Heart But for drawing his Picture to the World my Pensil is very unfit and my Colours at present too Lifeless Two Things I would further Inculcate though in the Book Insisted on The Solidity and Gain of this Art As to the First I have no Reason to distrust the Faculties God has given me and therefore will never reject my own Opinion for anothers without Conviction On the other hand I know I am not Infallible and therefore rejoyce that at last I have gotten this Piece this Art set upon the Stage of our English World where as it will meet with Fond Embracers and Foolish Rejecters so will it with Sagacious Unprejudic'd Impartial and Skilful Judges as any in the World For this End have I been at this unseasonable Pains For this End have my Noble Benefactors been at the Charges that if it be an Impostor it may die as a Criminal and the World be undeceived But if it be a Light from Heaven we may not be Fighters against God and rejecters of our own Mercy He that would either Attack it as an Enemy or endeavour Satisfaction about it as a Disciple must first and principally enquire If this be a real Art or a Fiction If the ends pretended by these Rules be as really gain'd as the making Verse by Prosodia Latine by the Syntax and Analysis by Rules of Logick Now all that I require of thee is That thou be a good Proficient a Master of the Art not a Scholar in it before thou undertake to Judge A Boy cannot pierce Corderius by his Grammar but the defect is in the Boy not in the Grammar I had still some Difficulties about this Point until I found out the Rhetorical Use I mean that use of knowing the Author's Intentions which bears an Emphasis and so I call it the Rhetorical Use I found so many Exceptions but now I know not if there are any Are ever Words separated in Sense where a Minister joyns Are ever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be found in the Logical Vse where Propositions are not distinguished Is ever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be found in a Verse of one Proposition But when it s made two by repeating the Verb the very Harmony of Truth with fulness and sweetness Charms the Reader into an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As far as my Eyes can yet see the Reader must embrace this for an Art a Grammar about thirty Points as the Latine Hebrew Greek Grammar about Twenty Two or Twenty Four several Letters but with a Fulness and Exactness beyond them so that it seems to comprehend Logick and Rhetorick also But though Grammar Rhetorick and Logick are of Affinity yet distinct Arts so this is distinct from all the Three in its Matter Points its End the Sense and Intention of the Author its Means or Rules it supposes thy Skill in Grammatical Syntax and begins with that Now I am glad it comes on the Stage with perfection of Parts by which it is so easily able to dispell all Mists of Obscurity and Answer all Objections against it One may more reasonably deny all Arts than own them and deny this to be one But some Ignoramus may say Did not Capellus Elias Levita B. Walton Vossius Magna Nomina deny them to be an Art for this end R. I wish thou knew what these Men said that thou may not be guilty of the Absurdity I have found in them whom themselves and this City count great I thank you Mr. C. says one for your Pains against Capellus he deserves more Satyr But within a few Days says the same the Hebrew Bibles differs so much from one another that no Rules can agree to them Capellus would have spit in the Man's face that durst affront our Sacred Originals at any such rate I am glad says a Second you bring down Vossius a little he is a proud saucy Author on which I sent one to see if he would Incourage by Subscription No says he the Seventy is my Original I pray what would Vossius say to this Man I never denied says he That the best of the Seventy's had 20000 Errors in him Where is now the Perfection of our Rule of Faith Where is now Scrupulous Nonconformity with these Men if this be their Opinion of their Bibles that they neither are Perfect nor do agree in Faith Worship Life or Government for the Hebrew does not with the one and the Greek does not as all consent with the other R. 2. These great Names never denied that these Points contain'd an Art R. 3. They never denied that they contain'd this Art in them for they dreamt not of it it was not started to them or by them It s like this Prospect had allur'd these Magna Nomina to be Patrons However Enemies in this Point they never were Thou must begin or some body else for none yet have to Oppose it But though this Edition of this Art appears with greater Maturity and Adultness than others it is far from a Perfection of Beauty Never did Book more want Apology never was more Apology to be made It is so far from Embellishment with the Trappings and Phalera's of Rhetorick and Eloquence that it comes forth with a Stile Difficile Laconick Curt and Abrupt it wears a Rent instead of a Girdle and Baldness for Beauty Reader Though the Art has cost me many Years Studies and Collections the time of Composing it as now Publish'd has been a time of severe Sickness all the Time I have kept my Chamber and most of it my Bed Soul and Body bear a powerful Sympathy so it is a sickly Stile Secondly If it please God to restore Health I shall endeavour to mend it I daily expect Improvements from Rostoch Wasmuth Junior of Lipsic and Mr. Gordon Professor or to be of this Art in Aberdeen But he
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