open their eyes in a very few words For not to take Notice of that absurd saying Original Copies which he would or should have said Copies of the Original what are we to think of the Greek That certainly is to be accounted One of the Originals if there be more than One as himself seems to intimate And there I read just as I read in the Liturgy Translation and as I read in St. Paul Again I might say with the learned Vossius that the Greek Copy for ought I know is of as good Authority as the Hebrew at this day is and for my Reasons I send you to his History of the 70 Translation Only take this along with you that as has been already noted St. Paul which also the other holy Writers of the New Testament generally do in other places follows the Greek and not the Hebrew Copy in citing this 14th Psalm which is no contemptible Argument for the Authority of the 70. Translation Briefly we have this further Advantage on our side that 't is more Probable the three controverted Verses might be left out of the Hebrew Copies by the carelesness of the Transcribers than thrust into the Greek by the Translators 'T is easier supposing 'em both honest and sincere for Transcribers to omit than Translators to add so much together of their own head 5. 'T is not adding to nor diminishing from nor corrupting the Word when we Translate it into Vulgar Tongues All Christians have done so Yea the Romanists ' emselves in former Ages did so tho' of late they have been contrary minded for fear forsooth of mistaking the Word or corrupting it O Fools and slow of heart One of the Ancients has affirm'd that the version of the Scriptures into many Languages is the best way to preserve 'em uncorrupt Besides why do they suffer the Word to be Transcribed or Printed at all or in any Language Doubtless the Word of God may be corrupted by Transcribing or Printing it as well as by Translating it Transcribing we know was Printing now a days is the Work often of ignorant mechanical Men who are more liable to mistakes but Translating is the business of the Learned Ay but St. Jerom confest himself subject to mistakes in Translating the Scripture Very good and yet he Translated it for the use of the Latine Christians and his Translation is for the most part read unto this day Why then may not a Learned Priest or Bishop now a days render it into the Italian as well as Jerom formerly did into the Latine and Dalmatick As St. Chrysostom into the Armenian As Ulphilas into the Gothick Or as the Ancients did every one into his own Tongue For it was anciently done into many different Tongues says Hesychius of Jerusalem Into 72. says Anastasius of Antioch Into innumerable Tongues says St. Chrysostom Into the Languages of all Nations of the Earth that had receiv'd the Faith says Theodoret Yea into every Tongue under the Sun says Eusebius In short even at this day we have a Noble Monument of the Judgment and Practice of Antiquity I mean the Polyglot Bibles So that the Catholick Church in the Primitive Times might have said as the Jews did 2d Acts That they heard and read every one in his own Tongue the wonderful Works and WORDS of God But setting aside this that it should be lawful and safe to have the Scripture Translated into Latin only is to me a strange Paradox For what Priviledge has God bestow'd on the Latin more than on other Tongues All certainly one as well as the other are capable of Mistakes and Corruptions The Hebrew indeed had once the Honour of being the Holy Language and as I may say the immediate Vehicle of the Divine Will The Greek succeeded next into it's Room The reason of both is obvious The Word of God was first directly intended for the Israelites only therefore first wrote in their Tongue Afterwards for the whole World therefore wrote in the most Vulgar and Common Language the Greek Yet so as that by degrees it was Translated into every Language to the end that the Knowledge of the Lord might cover the Earth as the Waters cover the Sea The Inscription on the Cross was wrote in Latin True But 't was by the command of Pontius Pilate that accursed Crucifier of our Lord in honour of his own Language and for the better information of the Romans Yet who can say that the Evangelists in their Greek and inspired Histories continu'd it afterwards in the same Latine Tongue I never yet somuch as heard of any M. S. or Printed Greek Testament with the Latin Inscription retain'd in it Moreover we know that as no Hebrew nor Greek so no Latin Bible is an Original nor indeed is there any such thing as an Original at this day All our Bibles in whatever Language are either Translations or Transcripts which is the same thing to our present purpose both as I said being liable to mistakes Finally then the Word of God is his Word be it in what Language it will and as much the Word of God in one as in another there being as I have said no Original at this day Briefly one may add or diminish in Transcribing and Printing as well as in Translating Therefore either both or neither are to be laid aside 6. It is not adding to the Word when a new Prophet arising delivers some further Messages to the Churches which are affixt to the Canon of Scripture For the Rule in the Text runs thus Thou shalt not add speaking unto us Men. Nevertheless God may add to it when ever he pleases and whatever he thinks fit So that all the following Books of Scripture were notwithstanding my Text added to the Canon unto the end of the Revelations where for ought we yet know the Book is shut up in these Words For I certifie unto every Man that heareth the Words of the Prophesie of this Book if any Man shall add unto these things God shall add unto him the Plagues that are written in this Book And if any Man shall take away from the Words of the Book of this Prophesie God shall take away his Part out of the Book of Life and out of the Holy City and from the things which are written in this Book Which brings me to the 2. Head sc To shew positively when we add or diminish ought from the Word of God And first of Diminishing 1. Then we diminish from the Word when we cast away any never so little Part of it Wonderful was the Care of the Jews herein and Religious they were to Superstition as may be thought counting the very Letters of the Bible to preserve it intire Hereunto our Lord alludes Till Heaven and Earth pass away not one jott or tittle shall pass from the Law Where tho' he is not speaking of the outward Letter as I now am but of the Intrinsick and Mystical Truths
That no Prophesy of Scripture is of any private Interpretation That we have a more sure Word of Prophesy whereunto we do well to take heed Tho' he had the Spirit and Light within tho' he had the Honour and Advantage of seeing Christ Transfigur'd and hearing the Voice from Heaven saying This is my beloved Son Yet for the proof of that very Proposition himself relies and exhorts the Faithful to rely rather on the Word of Prophesy the Scripture as a more sure Testimony Surer than what Why surer than any private Spirit or private Interpretation tho' of the Infallible Peter himself Surer than seeing Christ's Transfiguration Surer than hearing the Voice from Heaven Surer than the Light within So that the Light within and all other Lights without were Darkness unless they took heed to that more sure Word the Light of Gods Word And yet the private Spirit and Light within forsooth or that Planetary and false Light of Peters Successors without must in these unhappy days of ours give check to the plain Testimony of Scripture and be preferr'd before it As in the use of the Lords Supper one Part whereof those of the Roman Communion are depriv'd of The Quakers reject both Sacraments And the Lords Prayer many Dissenters despise and other things might be instanced in In short what amounts all these spiritual Whymseys to But the setting up either that more dimn Light at Rome or the private Light of every Man 's own Breast at home above that more sure Word of Scripture whereunto we should do well to take heed This is just such another piece of folly as if a Man should take his Journey in the night time by the dimnLight of the Moon or by his own dark-Lanthorne in his hand refusing the Light of the Sun by Day which notwithstanding affords a much clearer Light and safer Conduct to the Traveller Lastly 4. We diminish from the Word even when we presume to add any thing to it For this is as it were to tax it with some suppos'd Defects and Imperfections which we forsooth would supply Now then as for adding to the Word in the first place 1. We add to it when any thing is tackt unto the Word not belonging to it Thus we reckon the Papists to have made bold with the Scripture thrusting the Apochryphal Books into the Canon of the Old Testament But I hasten 2. We both add to the Word and diminish from it when we alter it especially so as that it carries quite another Sense than what was intended by the Spirit of God And now I am at length come to the Point I chiefly aim'd to insist on It is to be bewail'd that so many various Readings have already been thrust into the Sacred Text no body knows certainly when nor where nor by whom nor on what Occasion nor upon what Motive and Design But I will not trouble you nor my self about this which is not now to be remedy'd I will rather advertise you of one of a fresher Date which yet indeed has not ought not to have the honour of pretending to a various Lection The case in short is this The Apostles ' emselves had from the beginning exercis'd the Offices of Preaching the Word of Administring the Sacraments and of Dispensing the Alms gather'd at the Lords Supper But the Church multiplying and business increasing upon their hands there happen'd some Occasion of Complaint about the unequal distribution of the said Publick Alms. Whereupon the Apostles order'd the multitude To seek out Seven Men of Honest report and full of the Holy Ghost and Wisdome whom We as some of our English Bibles have it or whom Ye as others may appoint over this business And hence a Question may be started whether the People or the Apostles did appoint those Seven unto the Offices aforesaid and by consequence whether the People or the Bishops have Authority to appoint the Parochial Ministers My business here is not to Argue that Point but to Examin into this various Reading which I shall do in resolving three Enquiries 1. Which of the two Readings is the true one The Resolution whereof is very easy The Place ought to run thus Whom We may appoint over the business In proof of this if any should doubt it I appeal to all the MSS and Printed Copies of the Greek Testament I appeal to all the Collections of various Readings I appeal to the Bibles into whatever Language Translated I appeal to all the English Versions and Impressions till of late and I appeal to the History of the whole Fact here laid down which supposes it of necessity The Apostles had had that Business of Distributing the publick Alms in their own hands from the beginning therefore they not the People delegated the Seven to it Therefore it 's not to be read Ye but We. But then the next Enquiry is 2. When did this Corruption steal first into the Text Answer I will not be peremptory in this But so far as my Diligence and Observation which has not been a little and mannaged with all Care Faithfulness is able to carry me I must say that it crept in first in the Year 1638. In that very Year there was a Fair Bible in Folio Printed at Cambridge with this Erralum and this is the first time I have yet been able to discover the Corruption By the way here I must beg your favourable Construction of this Remark It is with the greatest Aversion and infinite Regret that I am forced upon this occasion to bewray my own Nest and to speak out this great Truth to at least the seeming Dishonour of my own Mother University from whose Breasts I suckt in all that little Knowledge I pretend unto And this too in the Presence and the Hearing of some of the most Ingenious and Learned Children of her Rival Sister who has for ought I can learn been somewhat happier in this kind But however as to the Fact so it came to pass that while the chief Stewards of the Family were otherwise imploy'd and the inferiour Servants I think sleeping the Enemy sow'd these Tares which have been growing ever since until now This may suffice to point at the time when this Error first entr'd into our English Bibles sc in the Year 38. But Who then brought in this false Reading or what Party among us at least encourag'd and promoted it since It is an Enquiry worthy to be made and a clear and full discovery would deserve an Hecatomb And tho' I will not promise so much yet something I have to offer towards it which tho' it amounts not to a direct Proof against any Persons yet I think may pass for a good Circumstantial One. To my purpose then I will not be so Positive as to Averr that it was at first industriously done yet I must call into Question the Dissenters as Persons suspected to have secretly contributed to the Corruption of this Place
A SERMON AGAINST CORRUPTING THE WORD of GOD Preacht at CHRIST CHVRCH IN MANCHESTER Upon a Publick Occasion on the 11th Day of July 1696. By Thomas Gipps Rector of BVRY Cur non ad Graecam Originem revertentes ea quae à vitiosis Interpretibus male reddita vel à presumtoribus imperitis emendata perversiùs vel à librariis dormitantibus aut addita sunt aut mutata corrigimus S. Hieronymus Praefatione in 4. Evangelia ad Damasum LONDON Printed for Ephraim Johnston Bookseller in Manchester 1697. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM Earl of Derby Lord of Man and the Isles c. My Lord I Have been Perswaded by some Private Friends that the Publication of the following Discourse is not at this time of day to be declin'd Some People will doubtless be angry that their foul Play is brought upon the Stage and thus openly taxt For this reason I am bold to engage Your Lordship in my Interests and to shelter my self under Your Great and Honourable Name Your Honour will I hope the more easily pardon me herein since Your own Interest also is not a little concern'd It is not my Disposition to expose any Mans Mistake whilst it keeps in doors and contains its self within any bounds of Modesty and Privacy In this case certainly 't is better to mourn for it in secret at most to rebuke it in a Corner But when 't is made Notorious when it boldly stares us in the Face and is avow'd for Truth when an Error which one would have hop'd was an unwilling One is Supported by another which must be Confest and Believ'd a wilful One That is when the Presbyterian Government or Congregational I can't tell which is publickly maintain'd by a Text of Scripture manifestly Corrupted surely 't is high time then to make the World Sensible of the Artifice I had some Years before Discover'd the False Reading here spoken of but held my peace At length wben I found that the Corruption like a Gangren had spread its self into several Editions of the Bible here in England and God knows how many in Scotland and there vouch't for Good I could not prevail with my self to be silent any longer and I hope the same Good Zeal will Inspire Your Honour with a Resolution to Discountenance such Injuries Offer'd unto the Holy Word of God Nor is this the only Instance of the kind In the Dissenters Petition for Peace above years since Acts 15. 18. v. is thus cited To lay upon you no greater burden than necessary things that small word these being cunningly left out meerly to support their Proposition Mr. B who drew up the Petition and since has been publickly charg'd for thus abusing the Scripture tho' he forgot not to Acquaint us with the most trivial yea ridiculous Passages of his Life yet had not the Ingenuity to confess his Errror nor yet the Courage to Paliate it with any Excuse My Lord I have now done after I shall have made a publick Acknowledgment as I now do of the many great singular Favours receiv'd from Your Honour thro' the Course of allmost thirty years Service and have also farther assur'd You that I am as in Duty bound Right Honourable Your Lordships Most Humble and Most Obedient Servant and Chaplain THO. GIPPS Prov. xxx 6. v. Add not thou unto his Word lest he reprove thee and thou be found a Liar THE Argument I am about to treat of is weighty and not easily compriz'd in one single Discourse It will therefore concern me to husband my time as thriftily as may be and chiefly to lay aside all thoughts of further Preface The Text is a Negative Precept forbidding all manner of Corrupting the Holy Scriptures and that under a double Caution 1. Lest God reprove thee for it a terrible Intimation 2. Lest thou be found a Liar One of the most detestable Sins in the sight both of God and Man That by His Word is meant the Word of God is manifest from the Verse foregoing Every Word of God is pure Then it follows Add not thou unto his Word i. e. to the Word of God That we at this day are to understand hereby the written Word or Scriptures is not to be question'd there being now no other Word of God but that which is written for our Instruction upon whom the ends of the world are come When the Prophet Agur says Add not He must be supply'd thus neither diminish from the Word For so the Parallel places in the Margent do warrant Ye shall not add unto the Word neither shall ye diminish ought from it Thou shalt not add thereunto neither diminish from it said Moses to the Israelites For the Holy Spirit does not always express things to the full but leaves 'em oft times to be made up out of some other places hinting here but briefly what elsewhere he more fully sets forth For which reason therefore I would read the Text thus Add not thou unto his Word neither diminish ought from it And then as I said the Text is levell'd against all manner of Corrupting the Word One Eminent Instance of which I shall produce by and by the chief Reason of my undertaking this Subject I will confine my self unto the Precept in handling whereof my method shall be 1. To lay before you Negatively some Cases which though they may seem to be yet are not adding to nor diminishing from the Word 2. I will shew positively when we either add or diminish or both contrary to the Precept here given 1. Negatively c. And that in the following eases It is not an adding unto the Word when we explain and fill up any Passage of Scripture out of some other places wherein we find the Truth more fully exprest For in this consists the very Office and Duty of a Preacher and Explainer of the Scripture And this I plead for my sufficient Warrant in taking the liberty of supplying the Text out of other Parallel Places as you see I have done 2. It is not diminishing from the Word when we omit the Hebrew Titles of the Psalms Nor is it adding to the Word when we prefix the Latine Titles to ' em There was of late a Gentleman who in defence of Nonconformists alledg'd against the establisht Worship That in the Psalms used in the Liturgy are left out the Antient Hebrew Titles which are says he Original and Parts of the H. Scripture having a tendency towards the unfolding the Mysteries therein contain'd And he quarrels at the Latine Titles prefixt thereunto But it were well if the Dissenters whose Cause he pleads would first prove that those Hebrew Titles are Original and Essential Parts of the Holy Scripture and then if they are so that they would give us a Reason why in that very Translation which they approve and make use of those Original Titles are indeed retain'd but in the Hebrew Language still in many Psalms and unintelligible to the
People or why the Translation of 'em into plain English is not always placed at the head of the Psalm but often cast into the Margent as if they were something else than Scripture neither of which ought to be if these Titles be part of and so useful towards the unfolding the Sense of the Psalm And hereupon I ask whether this is not a sufficient Intimation that they are not of a Certainty what they are confidently affirm'd to be Viz. Original I would moreover be resolv'd what those Mysteries are which those Hebrew Titles do unfold Whether the Dissenters read 'em to their Congregations and if they do whether the People are one jot the wiser or understand the Mysteries of the Psalter ever a whit the better for ' em Lastly I desire to know why they do not affix 'em or rather the Translation of 'em to the front of the Psalms But if they desire to be excused these smaller faults be it so yet Aequum est peccatis veniam poscentes reddere rursus Let then the World judge whether this Author sought not an occasion of quarrel against us and yet found none except what involves his own Party in the same condemnation As for the Latine Titles they are any one may know but the first words of every Psalm and so by consequence undoubted Parts of Scripture as edifying too as the Hebrew Titles are In short that they are borrow'd from the Romanists may be granted and defended too For so were the Hebrew Titles from the Modern Jews 'T is not I confess worth while to take Notice of such Stuff as this and I am really asham'd of the Digression But the Peevishness of an Adversary will sometimes extort a Reply tho' it deserves it not and it may be fit now and then to let the Contentious see their own Folly and Frowardness I conclude then that the leaving out the Hebrew Titles is no diminishing nor the affixing the Latine an adding to the Word of God 3. It is not diminishing from the Word when we intending to feed the flock of Christ with the sincere Milk of the Word read some few Verses of a Chap. omitting the rest for that time The foremention'd Writer excepts against the reading the Epistles and Gospels telling us thus That 't is a curtailing or mangling the Scriptures that thereby they become quite another thing than the Evangelists intended in the Gospels or the Apostles in the Epistles altogether ruining the Scope and Connexion in divers places It is the manner of some Men to accuse stoutly and in the general without offering any one Instance to shew the Truth of their objection For tho' nothing be prov'd yet something will stick and at this rate who can hope to be found innocent But it might upon second Thoughts have been remembred That the Dissenters ' emselves oft-times sing but two sometimes but one Staff of a Psalm and yet this is not a curtailing and mangling the Psalms That the Scriptures were not divided by the inspired Pen-men into Chapters as well as not into these shorter Paragraphs or Sections which we call Epistles and Gospels that there is a Connexion many times between Chapter and Chapter and yet the reading of a single Chapter is not accounted a making the Scripture to become quite another thing than was intended Loripedem Rectus deridat Aethiopem Albus Surely it might have been remembred that there are two sorts of Senses in every small Section of Scripture 1. A Relative 2. A Separate or Independent Sense The Relative Sense it's true cannot be understood without the Neighbouring Parts but however is not thereby quite ruin'd In saying so the Gentleman o'reshort himself and by objecting too much prov'd nothing at all against us For to omit is not to destroy And if it be necessary to read as much Scripture at one time as there is a Connexion between the Parts then must the Dissenters read many Chapters together peradventure whole Books and sing some of the longest Psalms without Intermission which is impossible Finally then if the Dissenters can shew any one Epistle or Gospel wherein the Relative Sense is altogether ruin'd or the separate Sense in any wise injur'd I promise then to subscribe to the Objectors judgment in this and all others his rash accusations of us When O Lord O when shall we find Truth and Peace and Sincerity upon the Earth When shall all unnecessary Squabbles cease from among us Men 4. It is not adding to the Word when several Passages tending to the same purpose tho' found in distant places or different Books of Scripture yet are cast into one complex Sentence or Sentences as it were depending one of another The so oft mention'd Gentleman Objects That in the Liturgy Translation of the Psalms three whole verse are foisted into the 14th Psalm immediately after the 3d v. They run thus Their Throat is an open Sepulchre with their Tongues have they deceiv'd thee Poison of Asps is under their Lips c. Which says he are not in any of the Original Copies But hold here I pray Have not the inspired Pen-men of the New Testament quoted some Texts out of the Old from remote Places and Authors twisting 'em together as one entire and complex Passage Doubtless there are Examples of this kind to be met with I will content my self with a single one Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written Death is swallow'd up in Victory O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory And yet this Saying being borrow'd Part from the Prophet I say and Part from Hoseah is by St. Paul cited as one single and intire Testimony of Scripture In like manner these three Verses are to be found at least scatter'd up and down in the Book of Psalms part in the 5th Ps 9th v. and part in the 140th Ps 2d and 3d Verses If this answers not Expectation I add further That St. Paul in the 3d Chap. to the Romans has subjoyn'd the 3. Objected Verses immediately to the 3d v. of the 14th Ps As it is written says he There is none that doth good no not one Their throat is an open Sepulchre so on to the end of the three objected Verses Surely St. Paul's Epistle to the Rom. may at least excuse if not justifie this suppos'd Alteration of the Psalms It is rather to be feared that the Objector himself had a design upon the Scripture Whilst he is accusing us for adding thereto himself is diminishing from it and rather than spare us is calling into Question the great Apostle of the Gentiles for adding to the Word But above all with what Effrontery could this learned Man skill'd in the Original Languages as he pretends tell his Readers that those three Verses are not in any of the Original Copies Perhaps his own Party has hitherto believ'd him but if they will give me leave I 'll