Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	scripture_n	word_n	write_v	7,633	5	6.1357	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97086	The considerator considered: or, A brief view of certain considerations upon the Biblia polyglotta, the prolegomena and appendix thereof. Wherein, amongst other things, the certainty, integrity, and divine authority of the original texts, is defended, against the consequences of athiests, papists, antiscripturists, &c. inferred from the various readings, and novelty of the Hebrew points, by the author of the said Considerations. The Biblia polyglotta, and translations therein exhibited, with various readings, prolegomena and appendix, vindicated from his aspersions and calumnies. And the questions about the punctation of the Hebrew text, the various readings, and the ancient Hebrew character briefly handled. / By Br. Walton. D.D.	Walton, Brian, 1600-1661.	1659 (1659)	Wing W657; Thomason E1860_1; ESTC R204072	144,833	308

Apollodorus the Athenian of Chrysippus his writings That if one should take away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All that was either none of his own or nothing to the purpose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they would be empty of all matter for there is scarce any thing true or usefull concerning the subjects here disputed which was not formerly said in those Prolegomena nor any thing concerning the same which is added by the Adversary as his own which is not sufficiently confuted in the same Proleg Not to mention the incoherence of the things here handled the whole being rudis indigestaque moles a confused heap of Independencies VII In these Considerations we are told of a new Plot or Design amongst Protestants after they are come out of Rome a Design which they dare not publikely own Pag. 329. The leprosie of Papists crying down the Originall Texts is broken forth among Protestan●s with what design to what end or purpose he knows not God knows and the day will manifest Epist pag. 14. That this design is owned in the Prolegomena to the Bible and in the Appendix That they print the Originall and defame it gathering up translations of all sorts and setting them up in competition with it Epist p. 9. That they take away all certainty in and about all sacred truth Epist p. 25. That there is nothing left unto men but to chuse whether they will turn Papists or Atheists Epist p. 9. That there are grosse corruptions befallen the Originalls which by the help of old Translations and by conjectures may be found out and corrected pag. 205. as pernitious a Principle as ever was fixed upon since the foundation of the Church of Christ Epist p. 21. That it is the foundation of Mahumetanisme the chiefest and principall prop of Popery the onely pretense of phanaticall Antiscripturists and the root of much hidden Atheisme in the World p. 147. That he fears the pretended infallible Judge or the depth of Atheisme lies at the door of these Considerations p. 161. That they are enough to frighten unstable souls into the arms of an infallible Guide p. 196. That these various Translations as upon triall they will be found to be are such as many will be ready to question the foundation of all p. 207. and therefore he had rather all translations should be consumed out of the earth p. 318. then such a figment should be admitted That setting aside two Theses there is no Opinion ventilated among Christians tending to the depression of the worth and impairing the esteem of the Heb. Copies which is not directly or by just consequence owned in these Prolegomena p. 205. Hence are these tragicall exclamations of dreadfull distemper which may well prove mortall to the truth of the Scripture pag. 314. Of horrible and outragious violence offered to the sacred verity p. 315. That men take upon them to correct the Scripture pag. 344. to correct the Word of God p. 180. These are some of the expressions used by the Author of the Considerations who yet writes with all Christian candor and moderation of spirit p. 151. Candidly for the sake and pursuit of truth with a mind freed from all prejudice and disquieting affections p. 155. Now those dangerous Principles about which all this stir is made are chiefly reduced to two though many be pretended 1. That the Hebrew points that is the modern forms now used not the vowels accents themselves which are acknowledged to be coeve with the other Letters that the reading of the Text was never arbitrary but the same before and after the punctation were devised and fixed by the Masorites about five hundred years after Christ 2. That there are various readings in the Old and New Testament both in the Hebrew and Greek by the casuall mistake of transcribers yet in matters of no moment which by comparing ancient Cop●es may be found out and in some cases out of ancient translations and when they are discovered the true reading may be restored Hence is inferred the uncertainty of all Divine truth that the Scriptures are corrupt c. And hence are those fears and jealousies Epist pag. 19. which how justly deducible from these or any other principles in the Prolegomena or Appendix shal hereafter appear In the mean time our Author practises what Quintilian said of some Romane Orators who did causarum vacua convitis implere and instead of Arguments loads his adversary with reproaches like that Souldier in Darius his Army mentioned by Plutarch who instead of fighting with his hands imployed his tongue in railing upon Alexander whereupon the Generall struck him with his Lance and told him he hired him to fight and not to rail Who those Protestants are that concur with the Prolegomena in those Principles the adversary is ashamed to mention though he knew they were at large cited in the Prolegomena because their very names would have spoiled his whole project and make his charge appear a meere calumny They are no other concerning the novelty of the Hebrew punctation than Luther Zuinglius Brentius Pellican Oecolampadius Calvine Beza Musculus Paulus Fagius Mercer Cameron Chamier Piscator Scaliger Casaubon De Dieu Grotius Capellus Erpenius Sixtinus Amama Salmasius Schickard Martinius also Rivet Spanhemius Fest Hommius as appears by their Epistles to Capel in his Defensio Criticae c. and amongst our selves Archbishop Vsher Bishop Prideaux Mr. Selden Mr. Mead Mr. Eyres and many others not to name those now living the most eminent Divines that have appeared in the Protestant cause and most zealous defenders of the purity and authority of the Original Texts or the chiefest ●inguists that this age hath produced and best skilled in the Hebrew and other Orientall learning And for that other point of various lections not onely the same men but all others generally which will believe their eies two or three excepted grant the same which the author of the Prolegomena doth and that without any prejudice to the certainty or divine authority of Scripture as is shewed at large in the Prolegomena and shall hereafter be made manifest yea our adversary himself frequently confesses the same and saith that ocular inspection makes it manifest that there are various readings both in the old Testament and the new and it s confest there have been failings in the transcribers who have often mistaken and that its impossible it should be otherwise c p. 165 191. 178. 296. whereby he makes himself evidently guilty of the crimes which he unjustly charges upon others and of those consequences which he infers on the behalf of Papists Atheists Antiscripturists c. and so overthrows that which he would seem to contend for viz. the certainty and supreme authority of Scripture and therefore I may say unto him ex ore tuo out of thy own mouth shalt thou be judged and use the words of the Apostle Rom. 2. 1. Wherefore thou art unexcusable O man that condemnest another for hereby thou condemnest

by an Asterisk which being left out what remained was the meer and true Translation of the Septuagint as Hierome himselfe sometimes acknowledged Epist 11. ad Augustin The same Hierome was payd in the like coyne by others who rejected his Latine Translation the first in Latine that was made out of the Hebrew Text as appears by Ruffine S. Augustine and other learned men of those times who interpreted this attempt of his though in it selfe very laudable as done in contumeliam versionis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to disgrace that of the Septuagint as some now interpret all that is said of the use of ancient Translations as tending to the depressing of the Hebrew● whereupon he was often put to apologize for himselfe III. To come nearer to our owne times that Magnificent worke of the King of Spaines Bible by some styled Orbis miraculum was approved by the Pope himselfe to whom it was presented as by his Breves prefixed appeares yet all could not protect the Publisher thereof Arias Montanus a learned and moderate Romanist though he did nothing without the advice of the University of Lovaine and of sundry particular learned men from the jealousies and calumnies of malignant spirits of his owne Brethren against whom he was faine to write Apologies and hardly escaped the Inquisition Erasmus his extraordinary paines in publishing the Greek Testament by comparing ancient copies and Translations was sufficiently railed at by some Friers and ignorant Zelots as if he took upon him to correct the Word of God as appears in his Preface to his Annotations of 1535 whose very words are used as we shall see hereafter against the Biblia Polyglotta And that late splendid worke of the Parisian Bible published at the charges of Michael de Jay in seven languages which farr exceeds the Biblia Regia by addition of that ancient Syriack Translation of the Old Testament the Arabick of the Old and New and the Samaritane Pentateuch c. though it be not without its defects which ingenuous and moderate men would rather have excused then aggravated yet hath not wanted its detractors who envying that others should have the glory of that which themselves were unable to performe have defamed it what they could witnesse those bitter and virulent expressions of Simeon de Muis Regius Professor of the Hebrew at Paris in his Epistles publisht against it And to come yet nearer home The last English Translation made by diverse learned men at the command of King James though it may justly contend with any now extant in any other Language in Europe was yet carped and cavild at by diverse among our selves especially by one who being passed by not imployed in the Work as one though skild in the Hebrew yet of little or no judgement in that or any other kinde of Learning was so highly offended that he would needs undertake to shew how many thousand places they had falsly rendred when as he could hardly make good his undertaking in any one IV. Thus we see That for every good work is a man envyed of his Neighbour as the Wise man observed Eccles 4. 4. Our Saviour for the good works he had done had like to have been stoned by the people and the Scribes and Elders out of envie delivered him to be put to death Licet invenire regionem ubi venena non sunt quemadmodum affirmant de Cr●ta at non licet invenire Rempublicam quae non alat invidiam as Plut. in Moral Some Countries there be where no venom●us creature lives as they say of Candy but none where the poyson of envie is not found yea so monstrous is this sin that the envious man makes anothers vertue his vice and anothers happinesse his torment Invidia Siculi non invenere tyranni Majus tormentum Whereas he that rejoyceth at the good of another is thereby made partaker of it For Tolle invidiam tuum est quod hab●o Tolle invidiam meum est quod habes as Chrysost in Joh. V. It cannot seem strange then That this late Work of the Bible though generally approved by Learned men both in the first undertaking when the particulars whereof it was to consist with a specimen thereof were published to the World and since it was finished when not only all was performed which was undertaken but also more then could justly be expected should notwithstanding meet with some disaffect●● persons who seek to defame and blast it There have ever been some that would make themselves seem fairer by throwing dirt in the faces of others and acount themselves the better by how much they speak the worse of others For Gloriae comes invidia and it never was the hap of any Book yet to meet with no opposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Clemens Alex. observed long since Deus omnibus placere non potest tu placere credis said Jul. Scal. God himself cannot please all men and how can any of us then hope for it Erasmus his complaint was just against his censurers Superbum est de libro sententiam ferre quem non intelligis superbius de eo quem ne legeris quidem Praef. eadem Yet we finde usually that this envious humor is attended with ignorance Vituperant quae ignorant said Tertul. Ignorance is the greatest enemy to any kinde of knowledge and Jos Scaliger met with such of whom he writes Quicquid eorum captum superat erratum vocant quod non intelligunt pro i●fcitia sua damnant how this may be applied I leave to the Judgement of others This I finde too true That though there never was so much done in any Edition of the Bible in any age absit invidia verbo as to exhibit the originall Text of the Scripture at one view attended with so many ancient Translations approved by the Church in her purest times and that according to the best Co●ies and Editions which bear witnesse to the ●●thority and Integrity of the Originalls and serve as so many gl●sses to represent the true sence and meaning of them to succeeding ages and to preserve the sacred truth to posterity as far as humane industrie can reach against the corruptions and false glosses wherewith Sectaries and Heretikes who in no age so abounded as in this would adulterate and imbase it yet this could not free the Work from the opposition of malicious tongues and pens of such whom the envious man hath stirred up to hinder the benefit which the Church of God might reap by it witnesse a late Pamphlet pretending to the integrity and purity of the Hebrew and Greek Text to which are added certain Considerations on the Prolegomena and Appendix to the late Biblia Polyglotta VI. In which I was sory to finde so much clean paper fouled with so many palpable untruths wilfull and studied calumnies such contradictions tautologies and impertinencies as appear in those Con●iderations that if they should be culled out of the Book we might say of it as

or to prove the uncertainty of the Scripture or that the Text is corrupt I see not any colour of such a Consequence nor doth our adversary bring any reason to prove it It is true Arnol. Bootius in his furious invective against Capellus takes hold of his words and would prove this to be false but infers no such thing as this Author doth as if hereby the Heb. Text were endangered which if he could with any color have made good I am sure he would not have omitted V. We come now to the last of these things which tend to the depression of the esteem of the Hebrew Text which among others is reckoned by our Adversary in the first place Pag. 205. viz. That the present Hebrew Character is not that used by God himself and in the Old Church before the Captivity of Babylon but it is the Chaldean the other being left to the Samaritanes The same is also mentioned Epist p. 7. This question is handled at large Proleg 3. Sect. 29. 38. I might forbear to speak any thing more thereof because it makes nothing at all against the Hebrew Text though we make the present Character to have been the Assyrian and that the old Hebrew Character was left to the Samaritanes for seeing that we make Esdras and his associates the Authors of this change when they restored and settled the Canon of the Old Testament and it is confessed by all that what they did was by Divine Authority hence it is evident that the Authority of the Hebrew Text suffers nothing by this change of the Character but that it is in this respect the same it was before no more nor so much as the change of the Greek Character and of the manner of writing in capitall letters without accents spirits or distinctions of words or sentences as the first Copies of the New Testament were written as we have elswhere shewed Prolegom 3. Sect. 45. and Chap. 11. of this Treatise into that form which is now in use derogates from the Greek Text of the New Testament because this change was not made by any Prophets or men inspired as the other was and therefore our Author had no colour of reckoning this amongst those things which derogate from the Hebrew Text but that he was willing to catch at any thing which might seem to impair the Esteem of the Biblia Polyglotta amongst his English Readers for whose mis-information these Considerations were contrived unlesse he thinks with some superstitious Jews that there is some peculiar sanctity in the form or fashion of the Character Neverthelesse because he hath thought fit to say something of this Argument though he touch not the tenth part of what is said in the Prolegomena because he would fain seduce the ignorant Reader into an opinion as if great wrong were hereby offered to the Hebrew Text I shall therefore briefly adde something by way of answer VI. This Question hath been so clearly and fully handled by Scaliger Drusius Vossius Capellus and others that I believe there are few that have read and weighed the arguments of both sides who think the present Character to be the old Hebrew letter It is true Buxtorf jun. wrot a Tract upon this Subject wherein he doth not absolutely defend as a certain truth that the present Character is that which was used at first though he brings all the Arguments he could to this purpose but only to shew as he saith Sect. 4. that this opinion is not so absurd or apparantly false as Scaliger Drusius and other great Hebricians would have it but that it may be probably defended To this Dissertation of his Capellus wrote an answer 1645. which I conceive began the quarrell between these two learned men which hath been since continued with two much eagernesse about other matters wherein all his Arguments are answered and the contrary reasons urged and defended with that evidence and cleernesse that Buxtorf hath not made any reply since that time that I have seen though he hath since written against Capellus upon other subjects being it may be convinced of the Error of that opinion which he thought formerly not improbable which if it be so as his ingenuity is to be commended so the confidence of our Adversary is to be condemned who is peremptory in a question which as it plainly appears he never seriously considered not sticking after his usuall manner to call this opinion a Fiction and a meer Fable though it be in a manner demonstrated and hath as clear and evident Arguments for it as any thing of this nature is capable of viz. Testimonies both of ancient Jews and Christians both the Talmuds and the ocular demonstration of old Jewish coins daily digged up out of the ruines of Hierusalem and other places stamped by the Kings of Israel before the Captivity besides reasons and the Authority of most if not of all the best skilled in Jewish Antiquities and Hebrew Learning of later times as is shewed at large in the same Prolegomena and appears by the Figures of the Coyns themselves which are engraven and printed in the Apparatus to the Biblia Polyglotta in a Tract of the ancient Hebrew coyns VII Buxtorf confesseth Sect. 2. That though both Opinions have their Patrons yet the businesse is brought to that passe that the Opinion of the novelty of the present Character hath gotten far more to assert it and those of chiefest note for their Learning in this kinde who are some of them so peremptory in the cause that they think those that dissent Nec ferendos nec audiendos esse and that the great fame and esteem of their exquisite Hebrew Learning hath drawn the most unto that Opinion He adds withall Sect. 4. Equidem cum nemine super hac re acrius contendere aut disceptare mihi est propositum And Sect. 5. confesseth ingenuously that he dares not hope se hoc assequuturum ut omnibus satisfaciat ultimamque literarum Hebraicarum antiquitatem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 probet ac persuadeat c. onely he hoped to shew that the other Opinion was not so absurd as that the defenders of it ought to be accounted half Divines or half Men or Scepticks that doubt of all things or plain Asses as Scaliger and Drusius had stiled them yet here we have one who is so confident and peremptory that he dares stile that Opinion which is generally held by most Learned Antiquaries a meer Fable and a Fiction hereby verifying that saying Qui pauca videt cito judicat and that men who are rash and heady in their decisions are seldom free from great Errors VIII The Arguments of both sides are propounded Prolegom 3. which I shall not need to repeat but shall refer the Reader thither for fuller satisfaction and the rather because the Adversary brings nothing to the contrary but his own conjectures or bare affirmations without proofs what he saith of the Samaritanes is already answered in its proper place I

he was mistaken in some other things that therefore he was mistaken in this is the way to decry all humane testimony at once all Histories and Records are by this means made uselesse for if they mistake in some things they must be believed in nothing and so our Author because in his Treatife he mistakes in many things as I believe he will not I am sure he cannot justly deny therefore he must not be believed in any thing I confesse he that willingly affirms untruth in some things deserves not to believed in any thing but that he who mistakes in some things through inadvertency or involuntary error must be believed in nothing is to take away the credit of all histories in matters past and the ground of all civil society and commerce among men for present and future times The Talmuds are of highest authority with those against whom we chiefly argue viz. the modern Jews and therefore cannot be denied either by them or by any that imbrace their opinion nor was their authority ever denied in this point by any that I have read either Jews or Christians till now but some kinde of answer though absurd and foolish hath been found out rather then they would wholly deny their authority and though the Talmuds be full of fables yet by his own rule if that which they affirm be attested by other good evidence as here it is in this case their testimony ought to be of weight But the same answer serves for all Eusebius Hierome the Talmuds the Rabbins are all deceived their reports fabulous and the Shekels are forged and feigned Here is a ready way to answer all arguments of this kind to deny all authority and to say that all is false and fabulous But this is a sign of a desperate cause to deny all without shew of reason to the contrary which is to cut the knot when it cannot be loosed There are many counterfeit coins I grant I have seen some Jewish coins which might easily be discovered to be forged of which I have spoken in the place above mentioned but to infer thence that all are forged and that there is no way to distinguish between those that are true and those that are counterfeit is as if one should say that all the old Romane coins which are daily found and digged up among us are counterfeit because some such have been counterfeited see Proleg 3. Sect. 35. XIV But that he may not seem to deny all without some shew of reason he brings in a conjecture to answer as he calls it a conjecture But 1. the proof from the coins is not a bare conjecture but as clear a demonstration as in things of this nature can be had 2. His Conjecture is a groundlesse fancy which none could ever have hit on besides himself he tells us the letters of the Sicles are preternaturall which what it means I believe himself can hardly explain I never heard before of this distinction of letters into naturall and preternaturall Are there some letters naturall I thought that all Characters had been the arbitrary invention of men not any from the dictate of nature else there had not been such variety of them in the world It seems then there is an universall Character by nature and so they might have spared their pains that have studied so much for the inverting of an universall Character for the use of all Nations Preternaturall Characters then must be such as proceed from some error in nature as monsters are said to be praeter intentioonem naturae productions wherein nature fails and comes short of her end The Samaritane Character then it seems is some monstrous Character framed besides natures intention and if so why may there not be also some Characters supernatural used by angels and spirits notwithstanding what Duretus writes against them De linguis totius universi and Bangus de literarum Angelicarum vanitate such it may as Liber Enochi in Dr. Dee written by direction of his spirits Here is new Doctrine of letters not heard of before These Samaritane letters then upon coins are monstrous letters but if they be such how come they to be a studied invention and found out to adorn and embosse vessels and coins I had thought that preternaturall issues had been most deformed and ugly but here it seems they adorn pots and coins But what great ornament is there in these letters upon coins for I never saw any upon vessels nor himself I think more then in other letters or what studied invention is there in them they seem to me the plainest and rudest letters of any an argument of their antiquity far from any curiosity or studied artifice many other Characters are far more curious intricate and difficult as those may see that shall look over the severall Alphabets Printed Pr●leg 2. and that make as fair a shew I have seen Coyns both with these letters before the Captivity and others stampt with the modern letter since the Captivity and in my poore judgement there is no more adorning in the one then in the other This preternatural Character I doubt will prove nothing else but the preternaturall issue of a misguided fancy or of one willing to frame and coin any thing rather then to submit to clear truth XV. But yet there might be some other Character besides this with which the Bible might be written Here he brings in that figment of R. Azarias of a twofold Character one sacred with which the Bible was written and one common for other uses and in which the Samaritanes writ their Pentateuch which he would confirm by the practise of the Aegyptians that had diverse sorts of Characters Of the Aegyptian Characters I have spoken at large Proleg 2. and that devise of Azarias taken up by some others the better to uphold their opinion of the modern letters is proved to be a groundlesse conceit Proleg 3. That among the Heathens they used some secret Character which was counted sacred thereby to hide their propha●e mysteries from vulgar knowledge is shewed in the same place lest if the people should know all they should contemn and deride them but that there were any such among the Jews or people of God is a thing meerly devised to avoid the force of this Argument without any ground either in Scripture or any ancient Writer nay against both and against clear reason as is there shewed to which place I refer the Reader where the vanity of this twofold Character is sufficienly proved XVI But here comes in another Argument against this change of Esdras That the ground upon which this supposed change was made shews the thing to be a meer fancie viz. that the Jews had forgot their old Character during the seventy years captivity and had learned the Chaldean when as the same men were alive at the burning of the first and the building of the second Temple and that the men of the same Generation should forget the use