Slur upon the Word of God and question'd its Divine Authority But Dr. L. further adds pag. 542. That it was one Fundamental of the Sadducees Faith That no Article in Religion ought to be admitted which cannot be made out plainly from the Five Books of Moses From hence it appears that they did not believe the other Books of Scripture to be of equal Authority with the Pentateuch nor sufficient of themselves to establish any Doctrine of Faith Now whereas the Doctor argues and proves out of his Rabbins that the Sadducees and Samaritans us'd and read and believ'd all the other Books as well as the Pentateuch and that they were not ignorant of 'em nor accounted 'em Tales and of no value and again that those Books were known to 'em and of Authority among ' em All this I readily grant for they doubtless highly esteem'd the rest of the Scripture and â—inâ—d it in confirmation of any Doctrine reveal'd by Moses as we Christians do the Primitive Fathers tho' uninspir'd I have been longer on this trivial Subject than I intended Only let the Reader mark how the two Ministers are here Advocating for the Samaritans and Sadducees as they before undertook the Protection of the other Jews In good time the Dissenters will comprehend these also Some of the Quakers and Anabaptists the Modern Sadducees and Mahometans I mean the Socinians and almost all the Nation of Schismaticks and Hereticks are in their Interests already The Samaritans and Jews are happily coming into the Confederacy 7. The Rector laid down this Observation also We diminish from the Word when we lay it aside as not necessary or not the Supreme Rule of Faith Hereunto Mr. O. answers This implys as if there were some other at least subordinate Rules of Faith We know no other Rule of Divine Faith but the Holy Scripture The Man thinks verily he has caught me now But I am not afraid to say there are many subordinate Rules of Faith and do pretend here to teach him them because he seems to be ignorant of them I reckon then that whatsoever confirms or illustrates any Doctrine is a Subordinate Rule of Faith for whatsoever doth make manifest is Light Eph. 5. 13. Such are the ancient Creeds Catechisms Decrees of Councils Testimony of Fathers Consent of Adversaries the Instructions of Parents the Dictates of Wise and Good Men the Voice of Conscience the Light of Natural Reason the Preaching of the Word the Intimations of Providence and lastly Universal Tradition every one of which when it administers Light to the Divine Truths contain'd in the Word of God are Subordinate Rules of Faith But of all these Universal Tradition may on very good Grounds be accounted a Rule For I ask Mr. Owen why he believes the Scripture to be Divinely inspir'd but because 't is transmitted unto us as such by Universal Tradition The Excellency of its Moral Precepts the high Strains and noble Flights of Piety which we meet with there renders it worthy every good Man's Acceptation true but they prove not that 't was written by Inspiration For then Plato and Seneca St. Ignatius and St. Clemens Romanus the Seven Wise Men of Greece and Mr. O. may reckon himself the eighth if he please and a thousand other celebrated Authors might lay claim to Inspiration The Miracles reported in Scripture to have been wrought by the Authors or Divine Writers of the Books do not evince 'em to have been written by Inspiration until it be first made out that those Writers did work those Miracles and this cannot be proved at this time of day but by Tradition So then it is the Universal Testimony of the Church in conjunction with that vein of intrinsick Goodness and Piety running through all the Holy Scriptures which convinces us that they were deliver'd by Persons inspir'd and authoriz'd thereto by God Tradition therefore is at least a Subordinate Rule of Faith and confirms the Divine Authority of the Books of Scripture Another perhaps would affirm it the first and leading Rule But I give Mr. O. liberty to assign it which place he pleases Only I ask whether this Minister of the Gospel who pretends to be a Teacher of others and a Guide of the Blind was ever yet able to give a solid Reason of his own Faith and of the Hope that is in him He can never do it without the help of Tradition The Rector added under this Head some things concerning the Sufficiency Perspicuity and Supreme Authority of the Scripture which this Critick being it seems in a better humour than ordinarily that Generation of Men are is pleas'd out of his great Condescension to declare Are well Asserted But I must confess I like not the Rector one jot the better for this Commendation and yet wish I could in any measure return his Complement and let him know that he has said any one thing well and wisely in his Remarks Master said those vile and Hypocritical Pharisees and Herodians we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God in Truth c. when at the same time they had a design upon Jesus Christ to puzzle and insnare him with a cramp Question So my Adversary here notwithstanding his Commendations has something against the Rector Some Men can never be pleas'd and the Remarker is one of that number I perceive Tell me says he is it lawful to Impose indifferent things His words are Were this Principle practically acknowledg'd it would soon heal our breaches c. As who should say did we once lay aside Vnscriptural Terms of Communion and thereby Practically acknowledg the Sufficiency Perspicuity and Supreme Authority of the Scriptures all would be well in a trice an end then would be put to our Divisions Verily if this would do the feat I would embrace it with both arms I 'd do any thing for the purchase of so valuable a Blessing But how comes this wise Seer to look so far before him as to assure us of this good issue the experiment has been once made already but without success Time was when Episcopacy was exploded and the Unscriptural Terms of Communion here complain'd of laid aside but were our breaches soon healed It was so far from that that they were not healed at all nor ever will be upon the Presbyterian and Congregational Principles Our Division were increas'd and multiply'd Schisms and Heresies grew to be as numerous as the Heads of Hydra In short I know no way of healing our Breaches but that every Man should obey them that have the Rule over 'em in all lawful things q.d. which are not forbidden by God For why should any one presume to scruple or call that unclean which the Lord has not made so They are much more superstitious who abhor a Surplice than they who wear it I lastly observ'd that We diminish from the Word when we add any thing to it I mention'd the Apocrypha which the Romanists insert
Sophister represents the Case but for the Peoples appointing their own Ministers of Tables Therefore he read the Place Ye the People 5. That 't is no unusual thing for the Error of one Man or a few to be imputed to the rest of that Party Thus to make use of his own instance Haman's Offence was reveng'd upon many Thousands of the Persons and Saul's upon Seven of his Children And thus the Note-maker fell foul upon the whole Body of the Episcopal Church for a supposed fault of my L. Bishop of Salisbury Ay but the Cameronian was an Ignorant Man happily I had thought there were no Ignoramus's among the Presbyterians If a Man will believe 'em hereabouts all their Geese are Swans Every little Mushroom as soon as he first prickt up his Ears in the Pulpit is immediately cry'd up as an Angel sent from Heaven tho' he sprung out of the Earth as it were but a few days before CHAP. V. Being a Reply to Mr. Owen's Third Chapter THE Minister goes on and objects That no Protestant Dissenters have ever urg'd the corrupt Reading in favour of a Popular Government of the Church in their Writings 'T is a bold Touch this to be so positive in a Negative Has he read all their Writings I 'll give him an Example of one who tho' he urg'd it not in Writing or in Print yet alledg'd it in a Disputation One Mr. Jolly some while ago since dead at Duckenfeild Hall produc'd that Text in the 6th Act as alter'd into Ye against the Reverend Mr. Ellison Rector of Ashton-under line I have Permission from the said Mr. Ellison to assure the World of this under his Name and Testimony and which he will be ready to verifie any other way that shall be reasonably requir'd of him Take another of the like kind There is a Gentleman now living at Bolton ready upon demand to attest the Truth of what I here relate who heard some Dissenters in a Dispute about Religion cite Acts 6. as the Cameronian did But being told 't was false Printed they reply'd that they Reading it so in several and especially the Scotch Bibles knew not but it was as true as the other These Dissenters were not 't is confest Ministers but doubtless had been furnish'd with this Argument grounded on this false Reading by some of their Leaders who ought to have dealt with 'em more sincerely 'T is remarkable here how they more especially appeal'd to the Scotch Bibles I believe Mr. Owen will be wiser than to give us another Catalogue of the corrupted Editions in Scotland tho' he has in part promis'd it I shall be beholden to him if he 'l be pleas'd to answer my Expectation herein since I have not my self interest enough among 'em to procure an Accompt I hope by this time Mr. O. is in some reasonable Measure satisfy'd The Remarker further argues that Had the Corruption been design'd in favour of the Dissenters it would have been promoted when they were uppermost To fortifie this Objection he has taken pains to examin the Editions of most years from 1640 to 1696 and observes that most of the faulty Editions happen'd in the Reign of King Charles the Second when the Bishops had the Management of the Press that the faulty Editions amount to Thirty-eight according to his Collection almost equal in number to the other which were not corrupted Let us now see what is to be said unto all this 1. I cannot tell whether the Dissenters would have promoted the Corruption when they were uppermost I am sure there was no need of doing it after they had gain'd their Point by another Method that of the Sword By the way we never heard of altering Religion in England by Dragoons till the Presbyterians first oblig'd this Kingdom with that new Invention in the late Civil War 2. Tho' far the greater number of faulty Editions were set forth in King Charles the Second's days when the Dissenters were undermost yet they may be suppos'd to have promoted the Corruption even then I never yet could learn but they found Means at all times to influence the Press in spight of Authority 3. The Bishops had not in King Charles the Second's Reign the Management of the Press That had been a long while in the hands of Men having receiv'd it by Patent to them and to their Assigns who claim it as their Freehold and Inheritance nor can they easily be controul'd in their Business The Lawyers in Westminster Hall will tell you as much The Bishops have nothing to do no Authority to Print License Order Over-look or to Correct the Impressions of the Bible but the King's Printers have the sole Power lodg'd in them and for the Errors committed in Printing are answerable to the King or to the Law only 'T was needful to set the ordinary Reader streight in this matter because the Remarker has so often harpt upon it and entertain'd us with a great deal of stuff which having no Foundation of Truth betrays his Ignorance or Malice against his Superiors unto whom he owes more Deference 4. 'T is acknowledg'd by Mr. Owen that there have been â—8 Editions faulty in this Place besides those in Scotland and at Oxford of late and besides Mr. Clark's and Mr. Baxter's false Prints and the same repeated in their Form of Church Government Who can believe an Erratum to have been thus often repeated by Chance Let the Minister give us an instance of any other mistake in Printing whereupon depends any Controversie in Religion so frequently committed in different Volumes in so many Presses by so many Printers and in so many distant Places at Cambridge Oxford London and Edinburgh and it shall suffice Till then I desire to be excus'd if I continue to believe and assert the Text to have suffer'd by design Here I must acknowledge my self beholden to the Remarker who by the great Pains he has taken in hunting after the corrupted Editions has strengthen'd my Argument and left no Place for his defence of the Dissenters To justifie my self yet further against the Censures of some Men who have believ'd that the Charge which I exhibited against the Dissenters in my Sermon was not sufficiently made out by such Proof or Circumstances as might have been expected in a thing of this nature I shall here present the Reader with a Parallel Case which I find in A B. Laud's Speech in the Star Chamber It begins p. 64. The Puritans had in a Label accus'd the Prelates That to justifie their Proceedings they the Bishops had forg'd a new Article of Religion brought from Rome giving them full Power to alter the Doctrine and Discipline of our Church at a Blow and had foisted it into the Beginning of the 20th Article Anno 1628. The Clause complain'd of is The Church the Libeller expounded it the Bishops has Power to decree Rites and Ceremonies and Authority in Controversies the Libeller said in Matters of Faith This
Clause is a Forgery said the Libeller not to be sound in the English or Latin Articles of Edward the Sixth or Q. Elizabeth Ratify'd by Parliament The Archbishops Answer unto this heavy Charge is That the aforesaid Clause was by these Men or at least by some of their Faction razed out of the Article to weaken the just Power of the Church to serve their Turns that the said Clause was in the English Articles Printed 1612 1605 1593 and in the Latin 1563 which was the first or one of the first Copies Printed but some few Months after the Articles were agreed on The A. B. further confirm'd this from the Publick Records in his own Office under the Hand of a Publick Notary viz. that the said Clause was in the 20th Article What then and where lies the Mystery of Iniquity why he tells us that in the year 1571 there were some who refus'd to subscribe that in the same Year 1571 the Articles were Printed both in Latin and in English and that this Clause was left out of both and that this could not be done but by the malicious Cunning of that opposite Faction and for some reasons there given it was no hard Matter to have the Articles Printed and this Clause left out The Archbishop adds out of the Records that all the lower House of Convocation subscrib'd the Articles that very Year 1571 with the said Clause in them and then concludes I do here openly charge upon that pure Sect this foul Corruption of falsifying the Articles of the Church of England Let them take it off as they can Let then the Ingenuous Reader determin whether I had not as good yea the same Reasons to impeach the Dissenters for this Corruption of Acts 6. at least for propagating it and whether the Archbishop's Charge laid against the Puritans is not lyable to the same or greater Objections than mine against the Dissenters But that 's admitted as Reason in one Man's Mouth which will not pass from anothers But to come nearer to my present Argument Besides the conjecture of Col. F. and the Suspicion of the German Gent. before spoken of which 't is natural for any Man in such Cases to discover I further add the Right Reverend Edward Lord Bishop of Cork and Ross in his Treatise Entitul'd Scripture Authentick and Faith certain p. 18. took Notice of this Corruption of Act 6. 3. and further says p. 19 'T is not improbable it might be done at first with design and particularly of those who would establish the Peoples Power not only in Electing but even in Ordaining their own Ministers I must now take notice of some things wherewith the Remarker has imbellish'd this Chapter of his to give it a more agreeable Relish unto the Reader 's Palate No Dissenters says he have ever urg'd this corrupt Reading against the Bishops and Ceremonies How came Ceremonies here to be brought in by the head and shoulders and who ever thought that Ye had any thing to do with the Ceremonies tho' we have These Mens Brains are so full of Ceremonies that they fancy they see 'em in every Book and in every Controversie So the Knight imagin'd he saw a Giant and prepar'd himself for the Combate but it prov'd a Wind-mill so fearful and superstitious Men see Spirits or Hobgoblins where ever they go Mr. Owen informs his Readers the greatest part of whom will doubtless take it for Truth that I confidently affirm without the least proof that the Scotch Bibles are generally faulty in this Passage Ser. p. 28. My Words there are Having now just Reason to suspect the Scotch Bibles generally faulty in this Passage Mr. O. changes 'em into Confidently affirms without proof Whether I have just reason or not to suspect it is submitted to the Judgment of the Impartial Reader why else did the Cameronian send a great Congregation to their Bibles where they might find it so but for Mr. Owen to make the World believe that I confidently affirm'd it without proof is an impudent Slander not to be parallel'd I think except in the Plea for Scripture Ordination and the five Disputations of Church Government and Worship of both which more anon That Mr. Owen a Minister of the Gospel as himself says modest Mr. Owen who has an Affection for Truth and Charity for his Neighbours should in the face of the World scandalize his Brother and not blush nor repent of it nor in a private way recal and correct it he knows my Meaning is extraordinary Tell it not in Gath publish it not in Ashkelon I beg pardon for gathering a Flower in the Ministers Garden I am not wont to make so bold with him But 't is a choice one I perceive I found it in his Plea p. 71. in his Defence p. 72. and we shall presently meet with it again in these Remarks p. 18. I was therefore ambitious to have it for once in my Posie 'T is no wonder to me that the Minister is so terribly frighted at the motion of a fire especially at his own door Tua Res agitur Paries cum proximus ardet Vcaligon I can't blame him then for being concern'd If Forgeries once begin to be sacrificed unto the Flames the Plea may happily take fire and receive its just Reward But it may be 't is the Light of the Fire which offends him more than the heat 'T is natural for such as the Minister whose Talent it is to corrupt Authors to love darkness rather than light Every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light least his deeds should be discovered Joh 3. 19 20. But why should the Note maker be so startled at my Proposal Time was when he had not such an aversion unto the burning of Books This calls to my mind how Lewis the 14th after he had burnt many Goodly Cities with his Bombs and forc'd the Confederates unto the same method of annoying their Enemies made hideous complaints of that Barbarous way of fighting which he would never be sensible of till it came to his own turn Well! but why burn the Holy Bible for one single Corruption Why because an Error which appears in Masquerade and under the disguise of Scripture being discovered deserves no pity being of so much the more dangerous Consequence A Spy when he is taken is always put to death but an open Enemy is only made a Prisoner of War The Concern which my Adversaries here shew least this Corruption should be publickly executed and their willingness to have it live still under the Protection of the Holy Bible render it impossible for 'em to dissemble its Parentage any longer If we will be govern'd by the Judgment of Solomon the Bantling must belong unto them at whose doors it has been laid Whose else should it be but theirs who palpably discover an Affection and Tenderness towards it and burn their own fingers rather than the Impostor
and Pompey as Solyman and Lewis XIV Some doubtless will look upon this as hard measure and severe especially when the Great Man spoken of is gone to his Everlasting Rest And I readily grant it is severe enough But why then did Mr. Baxter take the liberty to rip up the Faults of the Ancient Fathers to fling all the dirt on them which Malice and Rage and intemperate Zeal and a curious but ill-natur'd search into their failings and miscarriages could furnish him with In short my Apology for this is Dehinc ut quiescant porro monâ—o desinanâ— Maledicere malefacta ne noscant sua 2. Whereas the Remarker and his Reviser take the liberty to reflect upon me about my use of Spectacles I am not asham'd to own that Age and Distempers have at length driven me unto this very ordinary shift I believe they themselves have a tenderness for Life and would be glad to number the days of their Pilgrimage as far as I have and be content at last to betake ' emselves to their Spectacles But there is no discretion much less Humanity least of all Piety to reproach any Man for his Natural Infirmities how bold soever they make with his Morals They might have remembred the Story of the Prophet Elisha 2 King 2. 23. And tho' there is no great fear of Bears tearing these Scoffers at Divine Providence yet God has other Means in his Power to chastise this insolent way of Remarking upon his just and wise Administrations But of all Men living the Reviser at Manchester ought to have expung'd this Witticism God has not been so liberal to him in the Perfection of these parts but the Rector is still able to vye with him and can perhaps see as far into a Mill-stone as he can In retort then I 'le only present him with a Passage out of Horace Heus tu Janoras re Cùm tua pervideâ—… oculis mala lippus inunctis Cur in amicorum vitiis tam cernis acutum at tibi contra Evenit inquirant vitia ut tua rursus illi If it be reply'd they mean't not to meddle with my Natural Infirmities but glanc'd only at my reading my Sermons Be it so Even this is to despise me for my weaknesses What if I have not a good Memory or not a voluble Tongue or not a sudden Invention such as may enable me to discharge the Office of Preaching off hand in so agreeable a manner as some few can and as if at all it ought to be done Or what if all this be an effect of the want of Self-sufficiency and too great distrust of my self I had rather be thought deficient in some of these Qualities than be admired for those Boon-graces of Confidence and Impudence I chuse rather by the help of my Eyes with the advantage of my Spectacles to deliver my Sermons in a set form of words readily and roundly pronounc'd as I wish more would do than utter Ex tempore a great deal of rambling incoherent stuff with hums and ha's and vain repetitions which tho' they are pretended for the benefit of the Audience yet are indeed design'd for the Preachers own ease and to get time to pump for some new matter and what to say next In short I rather bestow my pains in composing my own Sermons as well as I can that they may smell of the Oyl and of the Lamp according to the poor ability which God has given me than serve God and my Congregation with that which cost me nought that 's to say than Preach other Men's Works by heart as Mr. O. knows who did The CLOSE IT was once in my thoughts to have sum'd up the whole that has been said and to set it in a plain and shorter view before the Reader but there is no room left for such a repetition I only desire it may be remembred that Mr. Owen and his Brethren having undertaken the Defence of the Dissenters charged with countenancing and propagating the Corruption of the Word of God have at the same time as far as in them lay corrupted it They have endeavour'd to cast out of the Greek Bible a considerable Section together with the Rector's Text and thrown it over-board Mr. Owen has falsified Rom. 15. 19. meerly to serve a turn They have unfairly misrepresented the Rector every where but they have openly with a bare-fac'd and unparallel'd confidence downright bely'd him in that Passage of the Epistle Dedic and that other of the Serm. pag. 28. Whether these Men ought to be believ'd in any thing they say or write is left to the Judgment of the Candid and Impartial Reader what is to be thought of the Party when the Advocates themselves are thus plainly detected in so many Forgeries is not hard to determine whether my Adversaries will have the Grace to ask God the Church and the Rector pardon for these Scandals is to be question'd They are too far gone and hardned in their Impiety I am afraid Being plung'd over head and ears in Debt they 'l despair of making any satisfaction Their Predecessors as in the Case of the Articles of the Church of England before spoken of in Archbishops Laud's Speech began this Trade long ago and it has been their continual practice ever since as we see at this day How many slanderous Reports of the Rector have within a few Months been rais'd by that Party is well known and more still 't is to be suppos'd are upon the Anvil The Sin seems like Gehazis Leprosy hereditary and threatens to cleave to them and to their Seed after 'em for ever But the comfort is that as Hypocrisie so Lying when discovered tends to the Authors greater shame and disadvantage As for the Principal Matters debated in these Papers viz. the Corruption of Act. 6. 't is refer'd to the Judicious Reader whether I had not Reason on my side when I tax'd the Dissenter with the Design at least of continuing it It favour'd the Schism which was then hatching and it began in a Juncture when all hands were at work and no stone was left unturn'd to overthrow the purest and most flourishing Church in the World It has increased and multipli'd since in so many Impressions of the Bible that 't were sensless to believe it a casual Error It has been publickly cited in the Pulpit for Authentick and in private Disputes urg'd and desended as the true Reading What would any Man have more to make good the Charge laid against them and what better Evidence can be given except one had been sometime engag'd in their Interests and in their Counsels which I thank God I never was and by his Grace never will be I have not made it my business to provoke my Adversaries with all the keen and tart Reflections which offer'd themselves Many and especially such as seem'd most exasperating I rejected upon second Thoughts tho' his paultry Treatment of me deserv'd it not at my hands But I remembred that other saying of the Wiseman Prov. 26. 4. my Purpose then hereafter is intirely to lay aside this way of controverting and to leave Mr. O. Scolding by himself For I perceive by that little I have read of his Tutamen Evang. or Defence c. which I intend in due time to reply unto and to the Remainder of his Plea c. that he has there likewise pursu'd me as far as his Malice and Rancor for which I never gave Occasion enabled him tho' very silily Godwoâ— and very flatly in Comparison with the Remarks the Reason whereof I have hinted before Let him then go on and prosper I 'll give him no further diversion or trouble of this kind When the raging fit is over and Mr. O. is come to himself he will perhaps see that his Tutamen is but like a Taylor 's Bill that after his impertinent Excursions his froward Reflections on the person of his Adversary the fulsom Commendations of himself and the nauseous Repetition of the same things over and over again are struck off there will little remain but what may be without the Expence of much Labour easily answer'd FINIS Ezek. 3. 3. Notes p. 1. 1 Cor. 14. 35. Notes P. 4 8 9. Remarks Epist Dedic Prov. 26. 5. Eccles 3. 1 7 8. Serm. p. 3. Pref. of Remarks p. 1. Annals Cyprian Argum. ad Psal 90. Pref. p. 2. Serm. p. 5. c. Pref. p. 2. Serm. p. 7. See 2 Cor. 6. 16 17 18. compared with Isa 52. 11. Jer. 31. 1 9. Pref. Rem p. 2. Pref. ad lib. 16. in Is Tom. 2. 395. Tom. 1. pa. 1343. Par Edit Serm. p. 8. Pref. p. 2. Pref. p. 2. Pref. p. 2. In the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pref. p. 3. Serm. p. 9. Pref. p. 2. Pref. p. 3. Serm. pag. 12 13. Serm. p. 13 Pref. p. 3. Serm. pag. 13 14. Rem p. 3. See Just pag. 297 298 332 348. alibi Edit Paris Gen. 10. 24. See Alex. Copy 1 Chron. 1. c. Serm. p. 14. Pref. p. 4. Antiq. l. 18 c. 2. Isidor L. 8. Ch. 4. Mat. 22. 32. Serm. p. 14. Pref. p. 4. Mat. 22. 16. Pref. p. 4. Serm. p. 20. Pref. p. 4. Rem ch 4 pag. 20. The Scripture Authentick p. 68. Rem ch 1. p. 1. Serm. p. 23. Râ—m p. 7. Râ—m p. 7. Serm. p. 27. Serm. p. 23. Rem p. 7. O. H 's Family-Altar * See Mr. Leyb Cursus Math. p. 286. Rem p. 10. In the last Printed Tables they amounted to 2500 and upwards taking in the Colledge-Officers and Servants Rem p. 9. Rem ibid. Serm. p. 27. De Arte Poeticâ Ser. p. 24. Rem p. 11. Ser. p. 14. Rem p. 11. Rem p. 13. Rem p. 14. Rem p 14. A. B. L's Sp. p. 67. Pag. 68. Pag. 69. Pag. 70. Pag. 71. Pag. 72. Rem p. 14. Rem p. 16. Notes on Bishop S. 4. Disc p. 2. Luc. Epig. 1. Rem p. 18. Serm. Ep. Ded. Rem p. 19. Five Disp p. 218. Pag. 19. Def. p. 147 Def. p. 148 * As for this broad Expression 't is none of mine I declare it Letter to Dr. Hill in Hyp. Vnvail'd p. 11. Ecclesiast History Rem p. 21. Horat. l. 1. â— 3.
veteri Romano sequitur à ligno eoquo modo affertur à Sancto Cyprian Just Mart. Tertulliano Sancto Leone Papa in hymno Ecclesiastico Regnavit à ligno Deus Besides this most ancient Father and Martyr and the most Learned too of all others in and before his time has produced a great many Examples of the like kind and not a few whole Periods or smaller Sections intirely expung'd which the Jews then living and disputing with him were not able to deny or any ways palliate So that all the pretended Care of the Jews notwithstanding the Hebrew Copy had been corrupted early in the Second Century and according to Vossius soon after the Destruction of Jerusalem by Vespasian and remains so unto this present time I must not pass over Vossius's main Argument but will represent it in very few words He shews that the Ancient Jews believed their Messiah would come about the 6000 Year from the Creation and that they expected him about the time when Jesus was born those two Periods being coincident It follows hence 1. That they believ'd the World 6000 years old at the Birth of Jesus 2. That the Ancient Hebrew Copies reckon'd 6000 years from Adam to Jesus else the Jews could not have been in expectation of the Messiah when Jesus was born if their Chronology had then been the same as it is this day 3. From the whole it must be confest that the Modern Hebrew Copies are corrupted the World according to them being at the Birth of Jesus but about 4000 years old The 2000 years wanting in the present Hebrew are supply'd in a great measure by the Seventy's Copy in the Chronology of the Patriarchs the Remainder are made good out of the Intervals of the Judges of Israel and the Reigns of the Persian Kings which the Jews have shorten'd and drawn the Christians into their Error Hereunto may be added another Observation near of kind unto the former St. Luke Chap. 4. 35 36 v. affirms Sala was the Son of Cainan Cainan the Son of Arpbaxad But Gen. 11. 12 v. Sala is reckon'd the immediate Son of Arphaxad and Cainan quite left out in the Hebrew Copy whereas the Vatican Seventy agrees with St. Luke which is a Demonstration that the Jews have corrupted the Hebrew By this one Artifice of theirs are lost 130 years I expect here the Remarker or the Note-maker will for the sake of the Hebrew give the Holy Evangelist such another Character as upon the like occasion their Friend Jerom did That Corruption of Psal 22. 16. v. is known and acknowledg'd by all The Jews read it thus As a Lion instead of They pierced my hands and my feet So the Evangelist Mark 15. 24. and the Seventy more truly have it the difference is but the half of a very small Letter sc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is less than that between Y and W and the Epenthesis of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is common among 'em in other Cases But after all this it was nothing to me or to my Argument in the Sermon whether the Jews corrupted the Seventy only or the Hebrew also or both I 'll suppose it was the Seventy only which is all Mr. O. contends for yet still my Bill of Indictment laid against the Jews must be found For the Scripture is the Word of God in whatever Language 't is written They who would excuse the Jews for Corrupting the Seventy only and not the Hebrew in good time will defend the Corrupting the English Version only and not the Original Greek But if the latter Defence will not bring off the false Cameronian neither will the former justifie the faithless Jews I wish then the Jews the Scotch Presbyterians and Mr. O. in the name of his Brethren in England to concert these Matters among ' emselves for the Good of Christendom The Rector briefly noted that the Samaritans and Sadducees rejected all but the Five Books of Moses and the Minister calls this a Vulgar Error let us see on what Grounds Mr. Owen pleads that whereas Josephus affirms The Sadducees to have receiv'd the Law only the Historian in another place explains himself as if he meant The written Law in Opposition to the Oral In proof whereof he sends me back unto the 13th b. and 18 Chap. I am there and read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But now I will shew that the Pharisees having receiv'd from the Fathers many things as legal which were not written in the Law of Moses deliver'd them unto the People And for this cause the Sadducees rejected them alledging that those things only were to be accounted Legal which were written sc in the Laws of Moses but that they ought not to observe the Traditions of the Fathers I will not insist upon this that some Learned Men have thought the Prophetical Books of Scripture were by the Sadducees reckon'd among the Oral Traditions of the Fathers nor will I deny tho' there be reason to doubt that Josephus's Passage in his Eighteenth Book is to be understood in the same Sense as that in the Thirteenth Book and that they explain one another However this be he speaks only of the Traditions added unto the Laws of Moses which the Sadducees rejected but not a Syllable concerning the Prophetical Writings which whether the Sadducees rejected or not remains still to be examin'd Mr. O. assures us 't is a Vulgar Error But Mr. Pool in his Synopsis informs me 't was the constant Opinion of the Fathers and never contradicted til Scaliger and Drusius of late advanc'd the contrary Opinion I hope the Minister will not thrust down the Fathers into the Vulgar Forme The Sadducees in all Probability would never have deny'd the Resurrection if they had entertain'd a just esteem of the Prophetical Books Hence our Lord overlooking all the other more plain and convincing Testimonies in the Prophetical Writings singl'd out that of Moses Exod. 3. 6. I am the God of thy Father the God of Abraham c. as the most proper and effectual Argument ad Hominem in proof of the Resurrection which the Sadducees on their own Principles cou'd not deny tho' they might have avoided the other But the Remarker sends me to the Learn'd Dr. Lightfoot for further satisfaction herein Vol. 2. pag. 541 542. I am content to stand to this Gentleman's Judgment Dr. Lightfoot then pag. 541. grants that the Samaritans might so reject all the Books of the Old Testament except the Pentateuch as to forbid their being read in the Synagogues Even this Concession alone were I should think sufficient to my purpose The Sadducees and Samaritans forbad the rest of the Scripture to be read in the Publick Congregations If the Hagiographa and Prophets were now by a Positive Order forbid to be read in our Churches we should have Mr. O I question not soon about our Ears as Men that put a