Mr. Nicole that Jesus Christ came into this World we must examine according to the Cartesiaen method whether the Gospel be a feigned Book or no and hear all that is said by the Wicked upon this Subject and examine all the moral demonstrations whereon the certainty of things done is grounded Moreover we must be assured by Philosophical reasons and by good answers to Spinoza's Systeme that Man acts freely that he has an immortal Soul and that God prepares pains and recompences Where are Tradesmen or Peasants who are capable of so long a dispute pushed to a contradictory decree So that this cannot be the way to answer well for if we did but retain one or two Articles of our Creed we should have enough to do to render our selves certain of them according to des Cartes method And all this shews that Mr. Nicoles principle ought not to be applyed to matters of Religion And he is shewn several other very inconvenient consequences of this principle and it is concluded that Faith does not depend upon an examen of discussion but upon an examen of attention the effects whereof are Learnedly explained in shewing the manner how Divine Truths are imprinted in our understanding this is very fine and gives us a second example of Mr. Iurieu's sincerity for without troubling himself whether Mr. Nicole will brag of having obliged the Ministers to quit their ground he leaves him wholly to the examin of discussion and maintains that this was not what he ought to have disputed against and he answers an objection of Mr. de Meaux whether there be a time wherein a Christian may doubt of the Truths of Scripture and that according to the Principles of the reformed Church Let us say a word upon the last Book of this answer the Author has not so much indifference for Mr. Nicole but he has taken care to hinder his too great brags of the full victory that he has had in several cases upon the examen of discussion and says that this victory is but of little use to Papists but that it furnisheth Weapons to Libertines and Pagans to combate the Christian Religion Moreover he is not of Opinion that all the Arguments that were thundered against the examen of discussion are good and as to what concerns the way of feeling and this ray that he has so much laught at he is shewn that there is no reason to be so merry upon that word that there are really things in Scripture which are known by the way of feeling and that it is no sufficient Argument against it to say that it deceives Hereticks daily for the Author says if it deceives them it is because it is not assisted by an interiour Grace from the Holy Ghost as when we feel the light of Truth besides this he maintains that the most simple were able to know what was requisite to make them quit the Roman Communion In fine he shews the analysis of Faith according to St. Augustine and he answers Mr. Nicole in several things concerning the calling of the first Reformers and the Schism whereof some would fain have convinced them he answers him I say in all this and accuseth him of a thousand frivolous quibbles unworthy both of a Man of Honour and a witty Man I do not doubt but many of my readers may not understand what the analysis of Faith is Let us then say that we understand by these words the reducing of Faith to its first principles that it is a Metaphor borrow'd from Chymists who call Analysis the Operation that disunites the parts of a compound body setting apart the ingredients until they come to the most simple parts so to make the Analysis of Faith is nothing else but to mount by degrees to its beginning and to the first reasons whereon it is grounded and in this the Religions of the West are very different for tho' it is very true that the Protestants and Catholicks being questioned why they believe the Trinity agree in answering that it is because God has revealed it in Scripture but if you ask them this other question how they do know that God has revealed it in Scripture their answer will be very different the Catholick will answer that it is because he is told that the Roman Church finds the meaning of Trinity in certain passages of Scripture but the Protestant will say it is because he finds that these passages signify the Trinity whence it follows that the Faith of a R. C. is grounded on the Authority of the Church that of a Protestant upon the very Light which he finds in the Object proposed by Scripture There are but few who trouble themselves with this Analysis they content themselves well enough with believing what they have a feeling of Moreover it is a great question with Roman Catholicks whether in the Analysis of Faith they must stop at the Pope or go on to the Council Gregory of Valence in his Analysis Fidei Catholicae maintains firmly that they are to stop at the Pope But Mr. Holden an English Man by Nation and a famous Doctor of Sorbonne holâ—s for the Council in his Divinae fidei Analysis seu de fidei Christianae resolutione which has been re-printed lately at Paris with some additions A Lutheran Professor called Hannekenius refutes the Jesuite in the year 1683 by publishing paralysis fidei Papaeae I do not know whether he will publish such another Paralysis against the Doctor of Sorbonne Mr. Iurieu put at the end of his Book a short answer to what Mr. Ferrand published against the Parallel of Papism and Calvinism if this Article had not passed the bounds already we could give a short extract of this short answer it is admirable and discomforts this Author who to speak the truth has not answered the hopes that the Catholicks of this Country conceived of his Work they were a little surprized with the stroke they received from the parallel and they expected that Mr. Ferrand that was chosen to revenge their common Mother would acquit himself well of the Office but they experienced that he did not hold to what the Church promised it self of him Non illum nobis genetrix pulcherrima talem promisit The Accomplishment of Prophesies or the Deliverance of the Church near at hand c. Corrected and Augmented almost a third part with the Explication of all the Visions of the Apocalypse By the S P. J. PEPETH A. R. at Rotterdam by Abraham Achers 1686. 2. Vol. in 12. THis Work has made such a noise that there are two thousand Copies disposed of in four or five Months and yet there are but a very few gone into France which would have taken off a great many if it were suffered that it might be disposed of there this considerable part of Europe being almost nothing by report in respect of the Booksellers Trade one would think that the first Edition should have sufficed nevertheless there was soon occasion
exactly ordered and helps to resolve a thousand great difficulties the submission Christians owe unto Councils and upon the infallibility that M. Meaux maintains that Protestants attribute to Councils M. Nicole goes farther for he affirms that they attribute the gift of infallibility to each faithful person to refute him he is given to understand by several examples that it is not necessary to think ones self infallible to be convinced of any Opinion and because the knot of the difficulty lies in this that they which are deceived are no less convinced than the Orthodox the Author acknowledges that the Characters cannot be precisely shewn which distinguish the false and true perswasions and at the same time says that these differences are real and make themselves apparent It is good faith that can convince the publick that Mr. Iurieu is none of those Controvertists whereof M. Simon gives us such ugly Ideas I would say of those that wou'd rather dye than acknowledge that they cannot clear precisely this or that difficulty He gives us at the same time many instructions upon the manner how hearing and reading the Word of God conducts infallibly into the Truth those in whom the Holy Ghost works by an efficacious Grace but lest people may confound the infallibility that is produced by this Grace with the privileged infallibility which was belonging to the Apostles he teaches us the marks whereby to distinguish them after which he fully answers two objections that were proposed to make the Protestant Church seem to become to the highest pitch of impertinence For it was objected that a private Person how ignorant soever he could be should be assured according to their principles that he can understand the true sense of Scripture better than all the Church besides and that he owes no submission to Church or Council unless he sees by his own proper light that their decision is good all these difficulties are solidly answered and made to disappear The reader sees that hitherto M. Iurieu has met with several difficulties in his way but they are but trifles to what he must encounter now for he is going to answer objections that relate to the way of examen and that are without any dispute the main strength of M. Nicole He answers them first indirectly and argues almost thus We must go to the knowledge of Scripture either by Authority or by way of examen but it is impossible that Authority should conduct us to it therefore we must make use of the way of examen He proves the minor in shewing that upon Earth there is no infallible and speaking Authority and tho' there were it would be impossible to have recourse to it because it cannot be known by any certain sign of necessary truth It is the bravest Field in the World wherein the Enemy is led without having any place to retreat to so that if there were able and disinterested Judges as the Platonists and Aristoteleans were to observe the strokes given there are no People in the World they would despise so much as the Christians whereof they would see the greatest part brag of a Doctrine that cannot keep the Field one Moment in sight of the Enemy and which nevertheless subdues every day some of the other party upon this may be well said the absurdity which Sandaicat published concerning the Battle of Cerisoles les Spagnales victoriosos serinder however it be let us mark in a few words what the Author does here He shews that if Faith did not enter the Soul but by the way of Authority M. Nicole would have it the Iewish Church should never have had any good assurance of the Will of God as well because there was not in a long time any Prophet or other infallible Tribunal that declared it as that the Authority of the Prophets themselves might have been suspected to be false that amidst the most famous Miracles because there was none that could infallibly assure them that these Miracles came from God or from the Devil These dreadful difficulties are pushed to the time of Jesus Christ himself and his Apostles and it 's shewn that according to the Roman Church the Iews would have had no reason to be converted to it The same thing is shewn in respect of following ages in a word it is maintained against M. Nicole that his principle is the great road to Pyrrhonisme and Atheism because for to trust well the way of Authority we must know it well but very few could be able to come to the requisite assurance by the way of examen upon this subject and to the end that the difficulty should come to be more inexplicable the Author has invincibly refuted all that M. Nicole brought to prove that the Authority of the Church makes it self easily known so that here is the way of Authority quite shut up by what way then will people enter into the Faith must it be by examen if that be the way M. Iurieu must take away the Obstacles that M. Nicole has put in it and he must answer directly for to answer by retortions as was observ'd by a Modern Author is to furnish Deists with the best Arms that they ever yet made use of and is to compleat what M. Nicole has begun for the dullest amongst them would say after he had seen Mr. Nicoles book and what we have mentioned of Mr. Iurieu that seeing God has not made Man capable of choosing without rashness the only Religion that is Good it is evident that he has Revealed us nothing of it but has left it to our Education and Natural light therefore of necessity to disarm these Libertines he must answer directly to what Mr. Nicole says and let us see how he will behave himself He accuses his adversaries argument against the way of examen of two great faults one that it supposeth no help from the Holy Ghost to them who meditate upon Scripture the other that he supposes a Cartesian principle that would entirely ruine all Religions if it were applyed to Moral knowledge this principle is that we must believe nothing but what we understand clearly distinctly and to be lawfully assured that we have attained this evidence we must first have examined a thing all manner of ways and must have known that it could not have been other ways Our Author says that this condition being impossible in regard of most People and yet all men being obliged to be firmly satisfied of their Religion it follows that Religion is not subject to these preliminary conditions which Des Cartes only requires for the objects of speculation The Remonstrants believe they can draw great Advantages from M. Nicoles objections because they believe that for to answer him the points of Faith must be reduced to a very little number of Articles clearly contained in the Word of God but the Author says that this answer would cure no evil because to be assured to that degree of certainty which is required by
Ordination and that it belongs to the Bishop only to confer it and she allows the Distinction of Orders And tho' there is none under a Deacon because the Scripture makes mention of none yet she acknowledges that they are very antient Sixthly As for the Real Presence tho' Dr. Wake treats of it at length we will omit speaking of it until we come to the XII Article where there are many Books seen that concern this Subject Seventhly We receive says the English Expositor with equal Veneration all that comes from the Apostles let it be by Scripture or Tradition provided we be assured that they are the true Authors of the Doctrine or Practice attributed to them so that when we are shewn that a Tradition was received in all Ages and by all Churches then we are ready to receive it as having the Character of an Apostolical Institution So our Church does not reject Tradition but only the Tenets and Superperstitions which Rome pretends to justify after this way Eighthly And as for the Authority of the Vniversal Church of all Ages the English acknowledges 1. That they have received Scripture from their Hands and it is chiefly for this Authority that they look upon Solomon's Song to be Canonical and reject other Books Apocryphal which perhaps they would have received with as much ease These Books have our respect even before we know by reading whether they be worthy of the Spirit of God but this Reading confirms us in the respect which the Authority of the Church gives unto them as to the Holy Writings II. If there had been an Vniversal Tradition not contested that had come from the Apostles to us concerning the meaning of the Holy Books as concerning their number the Church of England would receive it also but she does not believe that a particular Church such as that of Rome should usurp this Priviledge nor that it ought to force others to follow the Interpretations which she gives of the Passages of Scripture III. When any Disputes arise concerning Faith the best way to appease them is to assemble a Council but it does not follow that such an Assembly can say as the Assembly of the Apostles at Ierusalem It seem'd good to the Holy Ghost and to us nor that it is Infallible or that it's Canons are not subject to Correction IV. Dr. Wake goes on and says When we say I believe in the Holy Catholick Church we do not only understand that Iesus Christ has planted a Christian Church which is to last to the end of the World but also that the Son of God will conserve either among the Christians or in the Vniversal Church Truth enough to denominate it such a Church that is he will never suffer that Truths requisite for Salvation should be unknown in any place So that tho' the Vniversal Church can err it does not follow that it can sink altogether nor become wholly erroneous because then it would cease to be but such a particular Church as that of Rome can err and fall into utter Apostacy And tho' the Fundamental Points be clearly contained in Scripture and that it is very hard that one Man alone should gain-say the Opinion of all the Church nevertheless if this Man was certainly convinced that his Opinion was grounded upon the undoubted Authority of the Word of God we would be so far being afraid to bear with him that we all agree that the most glorious Action that St. Athanasius ever did was that he alone maintained Christ's Divinity against the Pope the Councils and all the Church V. And so tho we acknowledge that God has subjected Christians to the Government of the Church for Peaces sake and to preserve Vnity and Order and that she has power to prescribe to her Children what Doctrines are and are not to be publickly taught in her Communion yet we believe that the Holy Scripture is the only Support of our Faith and the last and infallible Rule by which the Church and we are to govern our selves Ninthly That there are some that think that the Church of England makes the Fathers of the three First Ages Idols and equals them in Authority to the Holy Scripture But Mr. Wake will undeceive them for says he Tho' we have appealed to the Churches of the first Ages for new Proofs of the truth of our Doctrine it is not that we think that the Doctors of those times had more right to judge of our Faith than those had that followed them but it is because that after a serious examination we have found that as for what concerns the common Belief that is among us they have believed and practised the same things without adding other Opinions or Superstitions that destroy them wherein they have acted conformably to their and our Rule the Word of God notwithstanding it cannot be denyed but that they effectually fell into some wrong Opinions as that of the Millenaries and Infant Communion which are rejected by both Parties Tenthly Whether one may be saved in the Roman Church the English think that as she yet conserves the Fundamental Doctrines those that live in her Bosom with a disposition to learn and leave off their pernicious Errors and profess all the truth that they will discover may be saved thro' the grace of God and Faith in Jesus Christ and by a general Repentance that puts their Errors in the number of the Sins they do not know of But that ill use may not be made of this charitable Grant the Expositor limits it as followeth I. That it is harder to be saved in the Communion of this Church since the Reformation than it was before because its Errors were not so well known nor so solidly refuted which rendred the ignorance excusable II. That they that live among Protestants and in a Country wherein they may learn and make publick and open profession of the Truth are more condemnable than the other III. That Priests are yet more than Laicks In a word the Protestants hope that the good Men of the Roman Church will be saved but they have no assurance that they are to be saved Whereas they are assured That they will be saved that live Christian-like in their own Communion They do not know whether God will condemn Roman Catholicks for the Errors they professed taking them for truth but they are assured that the Crime of those that being convinced of Popish Superstitions leave the Protestants thro' motives of Interest and Ambition and maintain Tyrannical and Superstitious Tenets against their Consciences deserve no pardon Eleventhly As for Idolatry the Homilies of the Church of England accuse that of Rome as well as the English Doctors who lived under Edward the VI. and Queen Elizabeth The Catholicks object that the Learned of this Kingdom changed Opinion in the Reign of King Iames the First and begun to maintain that the Church of Rome was not Idolatrous but these Gentlemen are so unlucky in Proofs that of six Authors
into the Sacred Volumes upon their Word and before it had been compared with the Law of Moses which he would have to be as the Rule to all Books Thence it cometh that after him nothing was added to the Canon of the Holy Writings I cannot believe that this was done by the advice or order of some Ecclesiastical Assembly There are no Footsteps of these sorts of Assemblies in Scripture and 't is evident that God would not suffer that there should be any least it should be thought that the Authority of his Word depended on the Will of Man or that the Church under this pretence should attribute to it self the right of Pronouncing upon the Canon and to reject or admit the Books as it should think fit If the Church had this power there are many Prophetical Writings which we should miss undoubtedly we should not have the Prophesies of Ieremiah to whom the whole Colledge of Priests and all the ordinary Prophets were opposed and it is absurd to say that the Church had this Power one time and not another God gave Credit enough to Moses in speaking to him in the sight of all Israel Exod. xix 14. and his Writings never wanted the Authority of any Assembly to be received As to the other Prophets Do you ask how their Books were received or how they have been preserved It is a conduct of Providence which I adore without comprehending its ways It hath not yet been proved that we owe this obligation to the Pharisees or Rabbins in particular It is to the Jewish People in General that St. Paul gives the Title of Depositors of the Divine Oracles Rom. 3. Several other Questions of Criticks are treated of in these Letters of Divinity and Morality If Boaz Espoused Ruth by vertue of the Right of Next-a-Kin What Motive compelled the Gibeonites to feign that they were come from a far Countrey If the Seven Nations of the Canaanites were not of the number of those to whom God had commanded Peace to be offer'd It 's Answer'd That these Seven Nations were excepted and not contain'd amongst those to whom Peace was to be offered That the Gibeonites being of their number saw themselves obliged to put a Guile upon the Israelites to be received amongst their Allies that this having been Sworn it was not permitted to break it because it was not the Israelites who had offered Peace but the Gibeonites which had demanded it a Conjuncture upon which God pronounced nothing and which seemed even to exempt them also Submission being a mark of Faith see Ioshua 11.9 and compare the example of Rahab Ios. 2. Yet as the Gibeonites had obtained this Alliance by deceit and remained in the midst of Palestine for fear they should corrupt the People they were obliged to Abjure Idolatry and an Employment was given them which kept them with the Priests As for the other People which the Israelites Conquered they were suffered to live in their Religion as it appears by the Example of the Neighbouring Nations whom David made Tributaries It is Asked if the Daughter of Iephtha ought to have been Sacrificed and it 's Answer'd Yes Divers Questions are put about the Baptism of little Children if it canbe Administred without the Temples and set Hours or by Laicks upon which occasion our Author makes the History of this Sacrament and concludes that we ought to Conform our selves in this to the use of the Church wherein we live that it is absurd to have the Publick stoop to our own particular Customs and that a Protestant who threatens to separate himself for these things from the Communion of a Church hath already abandoned it seeing he has a design to trouble the Peace thereof and that he can suffer no Order but that which he establisheth L.LXX. Other Questions upon Baptism of Infidels may be seen in L. XCVIII Those who would have it that the Prophets who followed Moses made alterations in his Writings and those who suspect that the Pentateuch is a Collection of some other Prophet who lived a long while after and composed it upon the Memoirs of this Lawgiver commonly do cite to prove their Hypothesis the Passages of the Five Books of Moses where there are Names which were not in use in his time That of Genesis Chap. xiv 14 where it is said that Abraham pursued the Five Kings unto Dan seems one of the strongest seeing it is evident by Iosh. xix 47 and Iudges xviii 29 that this City was called before Leschem or Lais. Mr. Alting Answers 'T is likely there were Three Cities of this Name Leschem and Lais being perhaps different Cities to which the Danites gave the Name of their Father and that of Genesis being it may be a Third City scituate near the source of Iordan If we may not rather say that it is at the very source of Iordan And this source was but Ten Miles from Sidon whereas Lais seems to be distant enough from it Iudg. xviii 7 28. This same source was very distant from the Territories of the Tribe of Dan being at the South of Naphtali and Asher There is no likelyhood that these two Tribes should permit the Danites to seize upon Cities which were fallen unto them by Lott nor that the Idol of Micah to which the Tribe of Dan gave Publick Adorations was erected so far from their Land Iudg. xviii 18 30 31. All this makes our Author believe that Lais was scituate near Ioppe more than Forty Miles from Sidon since it is said it lived after the Fashion of the Sidonians because it was washed with the Sea that it subsisted by Commerce and that its Government was Democratick as well as that of that Famous Republick L. lxxx and the Letters lxxxiii lxxxiv lxxxvii lxxxviii are Burman's and Alting's and Treat of several Questions wherein these Two Divines differ'd in their Opinion concerning the duration of the Sanhedrin and the Scribes of the Old Testament What the Face of God signifies in the first Precept of the Decalogue If the Seven Epistles of the Apocalypse are Prophetical The CXIV contains Two Curious Questions of Morality Whether it be lawful for a Christian to wear Modest Ornaments and to get his Livelyhood in making Lace Ribbands Perukes c. After the Letters are Two Dissertations upon the Hebrew Tongue the first Treats of its Names Iudaic Hebraic and Holy The Second shews that 't was God himself who Taught Man this Tongue The Manner of Thinking well as it has a Relation to the Operations of the Mind In Dialogues At Paris Sold by the VVidow of Sebastian Mabre-Cramoisy 1687. in Quarto p. 402. And at Rotterdam by Reinier Leers IT is not difficult to find out the Author of the Dialogues of Aristus and Eugenius Here we find the same Form and Politeness with a Collection of the finest places of the best Authors done by a delicate Hand Yet we are not more charmed with the choice of things than with the pleasant
sorts First Such Reasons which the Jews have first used and the Christians from them And Secondly Such as the Christians only have invented and used We shall begin with the First sort viz. Such the Jews first made The First Reason for the Antiquity of the Points is that which R. Azarias in Meor Enaim cap. 59. bringeth to prove his Opinion That the Points were coaevous with the Letters And that is this Because the Sounds of the Vowels which are often expressed in the Bible by the Points only are so essential to Speech that all Languages have them in one shape or other either in Letters or Lines or Points either in or between or above or below the Letters And 't is not to be imagined that the Hebrew Tongue which is the First and the Mother of all the rest should want that Essential part which all others enjoy And indeed for this Reason Letters are called Consonants because they can sound with but they cannot found without Vowels And as R. Azarias ibid. gives Instances of the Occidental Languages as the Latin Italian Grecian c. having Vowel-Letters so he mentions the Oriental Languages also and in particular he caught R. Elias in his Story about the Men of the Countrey of Prester Iohn reading without Points by shewing that they had Letters to express their Vowels § 2. Now 't is granted us that Vowels are coaevous with the Letters Vid. Dr. Walton afterwards Bishop of Chester in his Considerate Considered cap. 10. pag. 201. But then 't is said that they are expressed by the Vowel Letters Evi a b u i in the Bible which may be read without Points as well as the Rabbinical Commentaries the Talmuds the other Eastern Languages and as the Greek is read without Accents and where they are wanting there the scope of the place may help the Skillful ibid. c. 10. pag. 215 216 217. Resp. Here 's no Proportion in the Comparisons the Rabbins the Eastern Languages the Talmud the Greek Testament c. express their Vowels by Letters But the Hebrew Bible in innumerable places doth not but by Points only They grant us the Vowels of the Bible were expressed coaevous with the Consonants And we 'll prove this was done only by the Points in innumerable places and thence conclude the Points were coaevous with the Letters at least of Divine Antiquity and Authority And as to the scope of the place the Matter is too Sublime Divine and Mysterious the Language too Elyptical and Abstruce in many places to yield that relief And as to the Argument That the Bible was of old without Points because the Eastern Languages were of old without Points We reply They always used Vowel Letters and so do the Syriack Chaldee and Arabick Translations where our Bible useth Points only and not Vowel Letters which manifesteth that our Bible had Points from the beginning as theirs had Vowel Letters To make this plain we could produce innumerable Instances out of the Rabbins and all the Oriental Tongues had we room to place them but one or two at present taken out of the Rabbins may suffice to shew that the Bible expresseth those Vowels by Points only which the Rabbins the Chaldee Paraphrase the Syriac and the rest of the Oriental Languages express by the Vowel Letters As for Example R. David Kimchi when he repeateth these Bible words Hos. ◠8 And Loruhamah was weaned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he thus expresseth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the short o and the short u are expressed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Vowel Letter by Kimchi but by the Points only by the Bible so ver 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kimchi reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so cap. 2. ver 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kimchi reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And ver 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And ver 10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And ver 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And ver 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And cap. 3. ver 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And ver 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And ver 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he reads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cum multis aliis Now though the Hebrew Tongue expresseth their Vowels either by Vowel Letters only or by Points and Vowel Letters together or else by the Points only yet 't is essential to that Tongue and all others to express the Vowels one way or other And seeing the Vowels in the Bible are expressed by the Punctation only in innumerable places where they are essentially necessary to Speech that they be expressed some way or other We may conclude that the Points are an essential part of the Text and thereby of Divine Authority and Antiquity Because the Vowels which are an Essential part of Speech are expressed only by them in innumerable places as hath been already in part and shall be more fully under the next Argument made to appear And so much for the First Reason which leads us to the Second And that is The Argument of Semadar to prove that the Vowels were as ancient as the time of Moses CHAP. V. §. 1. The Second Reason for the Antiquity of the Points stated That the Scripture was written very plain but without Points 't would be very obscure §. 2. This is evinced by a Collection of divers places where the Vowels are expressed by the Punctation only and that in such places as would be unintelligible without the Points §. 3. The Objection of Capellus That 't is not Impossible though it be Difficult to read without Points Answered The Objection That 't is the Office of the Ministry to Read as well as to Expound Answered §. 4. The Argument from the whole proved § 1. THe Opinion and Argument of Samadar for the Divine Original of the Points is related by R. Samuel Arcuvolti who agrees with him in his Arugath Habbosem cap. 26. And by R. Azarias in Meor Enaim cap. 59. And also by Elias Levita himself Masoret Hammasoret Pref. 3. fol. 78. and 't is to this effect If saith he it be asked Whence shall we know that the Punctation was from God 'T is answered From hence we know it because 't is said by the Lord in the Scripture very fully Deut. 27.8 And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of the Law VERY PLAINLY Now saith he unless it were for the help of the Points and Accents whereby the words are made plain no Man could be able to understand the meaning of them as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus far Samadar as Elias reports his words and all he saith to it is only this See if it be fit to lean upon Which we shall
well one only Nature he directs his Discourse to the Sabellians but narrow and straitned and which hath not the Propriety of being the Principle of great things as not being capable thereof or not having a will for it It must needs be either by Envy or by Fear that you do not establish any thing which should equal it or that should oppose it But in as much as God is more excellent than Creatures so much is he most worthy of the first cause of being the Principle of a Divinity than of Creatures and of not descending to these latter but by a Divinity which is betwixt two As if the Divinity existed according to the Arians because of Creatures as it seemeth to those who are so very subtle If in confessing the Dignity of the Son and Holy Ghost we made them without a Principle or if we related them to a Principle of another Nature then we should dishonor Divinity or introduce Gods opposed one to another A little lower Gregory saith That the Unity moved it self by reason of its Bounty and that the number of two hath been surpassed because Divinity is beyond Matter and Form which are the two Principles whereof Bodies are composed that Trinity is limited by reason of its Perfection and surpasseth the Conjunction of two so that Divinity is neither too strait nor doth extend it self to Infinity The first addeth he hath something in it very derogatory and the second would cause Confusion The first is altogether Jewish and the second Heathenish The word to move it self in this occasion is a Platonick term which these Philosophers use when they speak of the Productions of Divinity and Gregory meaneth that Divine Nature hath been multiplied to three Hypostases or three Individuals which is opposed to Judaism which holds but one Supreme Nature and to Paganism which establisheth too great a number of Gods The Platonicks disputed amongst one another upon this the one maintain'd that Supreme Divinity hath not been multiplied but to their Gods and that all which is above that is not of a like nature and the others understood it in a greater number of Divinities Plato and Porphyrius were of the first Sentiment and Plotinus of the second Iulian having ascended the Throne in the Year CCLXI sought all manner of ways to ruin the Christians and perceiving they made great use of Pagan Authors whether to form themselves to Eloquence or to draw from thence Reasons fit for maintaining the Christian Religion and to attack Paganism he undertook to hinder the Christians from applying themselves to the Study of Literature Some Ancients say that he prohibited them not only to keep Schools themselves but also to frequent the Schools of Grammarians and Orators amongst the Pagans others seem only to say that Christians were prohibited to keep Schools Iulian himself saith formally in one of his Letters That the Children of Christians should not be hindred to go to the Schools of Pagans because those who offend not but for want of Wit ought to be taught and not punished Gregory of Nazianzen speaks of this Prohibition of Iulian in his third Speech but according to the Judicious Observation of a Modern speaking more like an Orator than an Historian it is hard to penetrate into his thoughts 'T is a bad effect of the continual Rhetorick of the Ancients They are so Eloquent that they are not understood 'T is likely that Iulian prohibited not the Children of Christians to go to the Schools of Pagan Doctors either because he saith it or because it was a good means to seduce them Hence some Learned Men amongst Christians as the two Apollinaries and Gregory put Scripture and Religion in Greek Verses or in fine Prose These Writings would supply the Reading of those of Ancient Pagans and Youth had no need of Grammarians for to understand them Parents could easily serve their Children in room of a Tutor to expound unto them these Christian Verses after having read Scripture Yet this Prohibition extreamly vexed the Christians which would not suffer their Grammarians their Rhetoricians and their Philosophers in the Churches of the Galileans these are the terms of Iulian to expound their Matthew and Luke If he never had done any other thing they would not have introduced so many new words nor so much subtiliz'd upon the Tenets then in Dispute and the Platonick Philosophy had not had so much share in their Decisions It was about this time that Cesar Brother to Gregory who returned as we have said to Constantinople was because of his Knowledge received first Physician to Iulian and placed amongst the number of the Friends of this Emperor who loved learned Men. Gregory writ him thereupon a Letter extreamly sharp wherein he told him that he had covered his Family with Confusion through his Conduct that every one thought it strange that the Son of a Bishop should follow the Court and should seek for Honors and get Riches amongst Pagans that he made his Fathers Life bitter who could not reprehend others of what his Son did commit that they were forced to hide this Conduct from his Mother fearing it should make her dye for very Grief that he had Means enough to live Honestly without exposing himself to so great a Danger that in fine if he continued in this manner of Life he must be ranked amongst such Christians as are least worthy of bearing this name If this Letter obliged not Cesar to return to his Parents there is a likelihood it strengthened him against the Endeavors of Iulian of making him abandon Christianism whereof his Brother speaks in one of his Speeches He saith That Cesar having answered to all his Reasons protested to him he was a Christian and would be so all his Life and that Iulian cried out before several Persons of the Court when he thought on the Bishop of Nazianze and his two Sons O Happy Father O Happy Children Cesar either wearied by the Solicitations of Iulian or touched with the Advertisements of his Brother returned to Nazianze in the time that Iulian departed to go against the Persians It appears to be about the same time that Iulian sent a Captain with Archers to Nazianze to seize on the Church of the Christians but far from being able to do what he desired for if he had not escaped immediately by advice of the Bishop or of some other Person he would have returned with his Legs broken so great was the Anger and Zeal of the Priest of Gregory the Father for this Temple These are the own words of his Son which shews that these good Folks did not always Preach Passive Obedience In the Year CCCLXIII Iulian was kill'd in his retreat from before the Army of the Persians the effect if we believe herein the Charitable Gregory of the Prayers of the same Bishop and the same People who were for breaking the Legs of the Captain of the Archers of whom
to Dr. Cave in his English Life of Clement Alexandrinus which hath been very useful to us in the making this Clement in the Passage which hath been related concerning the Philosophy he approved if as Socrates who in his Phoedon applies to Philosophers this Proverb which they made use of in their Mysteries There are many who bear the Thyrse but few who are truly filled with the Spirit of Bacchus Socrates adds immediately after These are I believe only those who applied themselves as they ought to Philosophy of the number of whom I have endeavoured to be as much as I could c. As the whole Passage is in Roman Character Dr. Cave thought that these words Of the number of whom c. were Clement's whereas they are Socrates as appears in Plato and even at the bottom of the Page where Clement Cites them If all this Passage had been in Italick Dr. Cave would not have been deceived in it which ought in no wise to appear strange to those who know that to write the Life of an Author collected out of divers places Attention must be given to so many things all at a time that it is very difficult to avoid confounding ones self Besides in distinguishing the Subjects by a Line and the Citations by different Characters more Facility is given to those who have read an Author in finding such places again as they may have occasion for which is not of little use As to this Edition there are three Indexes one of the Passages cited by St. Clement the second of the Subjects and the third of the Words and Greek Phrases either worthy of Remark or such as this Author applieth to a particular Sense If these Indexes were complete and correct they would be without doubt very useful but they are neither There is an infinite sigâ—t of Faults in the Numbers and often conâ—rary to what is in Clement The Passage of Iob There is no one that is clean is related in Chap. 25. of his Books whereas it is in the 14 th There is in the Index Peccato originali infectae omnium animae corpora 488. d. On contrary Clement refutes this Opinion in this place but Sylburge or some other who hath made this Index had apparently in his mind what Clement ought to have said according to him rather than what he effectually did say There is besides a fourth Index at the beginning of the Work which contains a List of the Authors cited by Clement but the Pages where he cites them being not marked it is altogether useless It were a thing to be desired for the Republick of Letters not only that Kings were Philosophers or that Philosophers were Kings but also that Booksellers were learned or that the Learned Men were Booksellers and that they brought back the Age of the Manuces and Stephens for to give us good Editions of the Writings of the Ancients and to level the way for a Study which of it self is hard enough without making difficulties by our own Negligence Chap. 1. Our Author begins the Defini-nition of the word Church as used in the Primitive Times which since it agrees so much with the present general Definition we shall pass it over to remark what is more uncommon Afterwards he comes to treat of its Members which he distinguishes into the Clergy and Laity in which he considers these three Particulars 1. Peculiar Acts of the Clergy 2. Peculiar Acts of the Laity 3. Joint Acts of both The Clergy he considers in these three Offices Bishops Priests and Deacons He begins at Ierusalem where the Holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles and Disciples induing them with the Gift of Tongues working Miracles and fitting them to Preach the Gospel to all the World He assigns St. Andrew to Scythia St. Bartholomew to India St. Matthew to Parthia St. Iohn to Asia the less telling us also that the rest of the Apostles had every one their Commission and Allotment according to Clemens Romanus The Apostles went forth Preaching both in City and Country appointing the first Fruits of their Ministry for Bishops and Deacons which they left behind them whilst they planted the other Churches Thus Clemens was ordained Bishop of Rome by St. Peter and Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna by St. John as says Tertullian Our Author reconciles what the Scripture and St. Clemens Romanus says Ep. ad Cor. p. 2. about the Plurality of Bishops in one Church with the Negation of Ignatius Tertullian and St. Cyprian who affirm that there ought to be but one Bishop in a Church He says the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the Bishop by way of Eminency and Propriety tho' there might be others such as St. Cyprian reckons Bishop Pastor President Governor Superintendent and Priest 2. Our Author shews in the Second Chap. that these Bishops Jurisdiction or Ancient Diocesses appeared to him to be but one Congregation for which he brings the Authority of several of the Fathers He also shews that the word Parish is as old as Irenaeus who in his Synodical Epistle to Pope Victor calls the Bishopricks of Asia Parishes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apud Euseb. l. 5. c. 24. p. 193. He brings eight more Instances of the word and gives us some Examples of matter of Fact parallel hereunto which cou'd not be otherwise as to meeting all together receiving the Eucharist from the Bishop alone were Baptized only by the Bishop who was the Common Almoner all the People met at a Church Censure and when the Bishop was dead all met to choose another publick Letters were read before the whole Diocess or Parish all the Diocess met to manage Affairs c. Our Author all along cites his Authorities very plentifully in the Margent to maintain his Assertion 3. In the Third Chap. he considers the Bishops Office which he says was Preaching the Word Praying with his People Administring the two Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper taking care of the Poor Ordaining of Ministry Governing his Flock Excommunicating Offenders and Absolving Penitents for every one of these Offices our Author Cites a Father He proceeds a little after to shew the manner of his Electing Bishops which he shews was by the Choice of all the People who knew his Life and Conversation before-hand but the Voice of the People was not sufficient by it self for after they had Elected one they presented him to the neighbouring Bishops for their Approbation for without that the Election was not valid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Euseb. Lib. Cap. 11. Pag. 212. After a Bishop's Election he was install'd by Imposition of Hands by other Bishops he cites all along his Authorities 4. He treats of Presbyters and gives this Definition That a Presbyter is a Person in holy Orders having thereby an inherent Right to perform the whole Office of a Bishop but being possessed of no Place or Parish nor actually discharging it without the Permission and Consent
Triumphant Hyman upon Iulians being cut off which Israel Sang when the Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea Naz. Orat. 3 p. 54. Iraeneus when some Hereticks made an Argument from the Conclusion of the Form of a Doxology says they alledge also that we in our thanksgiving do say World without End Iren. adv Heres lib. 1 â— 1. This Form is mentioned in Tertullian de Spect. p. 83. And the Gloria Patri was a Form both in the Gallican and African Church Tertul. speaking de Basil c. 13. says Christ had not only imposed the Law of Baptism but prescribed the Form of it The same Father Apol. c. 39. says after having washed their hands and brought in lights they called for some to sing Psalms or somewhat of their own Composing In the Third Century Hyppolitus the Martyr de Consum Mundi Tom 2. p. 357. speaking in his discourse of the end of the World and the coming of Christ says expresly That Liturgies shall be extinguished singing of Psalms shall cease and reading of Scripture shall not be heard Origen in Anno 230. is so full in his Homily on Ieremy that the Centuriators were convinced that Set Forms of Prayer were used in his time It is say they without Question that they had some Set Forms of Prayer in that Age c. The same Father adds on this Subject in Cels. lib. p. 302. They who serve God thro' Iesus in a Christian way and live according to the Gospel use frequently as becomes them night and day the Enjoyed Prayer which is as full as can be to the purpose St. Cyprian de Orat. Sect. 5. p. 310. says That Christians had a publick and Common Prayer wherein all agreed Anno 253. Gregory Thaumaturgus Bishop of Neocesarea was contemperary with St. Cyprian St. Basil an unquestionable Witness says concerning him that he appointed a Form of Prayer for that Church of Neocesarea from which they wou'd not vary in one Ceremony or in a Word nor wou'd they add any one Mystical Form in the Church to those which he had left them c. Paulus Samosatenus was offended at some Hymns and Composed others Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 24. In the Fourth Century Arnobius lib. 2. p 65. says To venerate this Supream King is the end and design of these Divine Offices Constantin's Form of Prayer is well known Euseb. vit Constant. lib. 4. Athanasius in his Apol. ad Constant. p. 156 157. says The People Mourned and Groaned to God in the Church all of 'em crying to the Lord and saying Spare thy People good Lord spare them give not their Heritage for a reproach to thine Enemies Which is an Original piece of Littany and a known Form prescribed in Scripture Athanasius de interp Psalm p. 303. Orders the People to sing the Psalms in the very words wherein they were written Flavianus was intreated to come back to the church and perform the same Liturgy there Theodor. lib. 2. c. 24. St. Cyril says to his Auditors in the Eucharistical Office Lift up your hearts Answer We lift 'em up unto the Lord. P. Let us give thanks unto the Lord. A. As it is meet and just Cyril Catechis Mystag 5. Iulian the Apostate devised to to make a Form of Prayer in parts for the Heathen Worship to be set up in Schools c. which things saith Nazianzen in Iul. Orat. 3. p. 102 are clearly agreeable to our Good Order And Sozomen Hist. lib. 5. cap. 15. speaking of the same thing says that Iulian designed to adorn his Gentile Temples with the Order of Christian Worship appointing prescribed Prayers upon set days and hours The Ingenious Apostat in one of his Epistles Iulian Fragment Epist. in Oper. p. 552. yet extant advises his Pagan Priests to pray thrice a day if possible or however Morning and Evening both in private and publick and to learn the Hymns of the Gods which were made in Old and Latter Times Adding that there was a Liturgy for these Priests and a Law directing 'em what to do in their Temples from which they might not vary The Council of Laodicea which is one of the Earliest Synods and has been always received by the Church says Canon 18. Bev. Tom. 1 p. 461. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That the very same Liturgy of Prayers which the Fathers had appointed for Three in the Afternoon c. In the Council of Sardica Anno 347. A Bishop coming to a strange City is Ordered to Assemble and Perform his Liturgy there Can. 12. There are other Testimonies in this Century of Gregory Nazianzen St. Basil Dionysius Areopagita St. Ambrose St. Ierom Chrysostom the Third Canon Carth. the 70 African Canon And here we come to the time that Mr. Clarkson confesses the uses of the Liturgies So that we need go no further We might run down the 5 th 6 th 7 th 8 th c. Centuries if there was occasion for it but what we have brought does sufficiently answer Dr. Combers end viz. To shew the palpable Errors of Mr. Clarkson about the Innovation of Liturgies Dr. Comber has Written a Second Part wherein he has followed his Antagonist down thro' these latter Ages and does not only shew from the beginning of Christianity till of late that Liturgies and Set Forms of Prayer were used publickly but that Extempâ—re publick Prayer was never suffered in the Christian Church whatever it might be in Private Families The use of the whole Discourse cann't miss this Effect amongst all considering and unpreâ—udic'd Presbyterians that it will either convince 'em that our practice is more agreeable to that of the Primitive Christians than theirs or at least that ours was used as well as theirs Besides it will take off the common Objection against us viz. That our Practices have taken their Original from the Papists since here aâ—e the most clear and convincing Eâ—idences in the World that the Papal Authority was not settled for many Hundreds of Years alter some very considerable Instances which are here brought against Liturgies and Set Forms of Prayers Hymns c. I had almost forgot to do the Author this Justice that he has not only brought his Authorities for the Practices of the Church of England but has also fully answered Mr. Clarksons Arguments against it with that Mildness Perspicuity Judgment and Learning as have not given him a little Repute amongst the Learned Such as wou'd be better acquainted with the Knowledg and Worth of the Author or are any way dissatisfied with this Subject if they please to consult the Author himself they cann't fail to meet with an ample Satisfaction A New Bibliotheque of Ecclesiastick Authors Containing the History of their Lives the Catalogue of their Writings and the Chronology of their Works the Sum of what they Contain a Iudgment on their Stile and Doctrâ—n with an Enumeration of the Different Editions of their Works Tom. the First of the Authors of the Three First Ages with a Preliminary
Child and Baptize him in the name of a Proselyte 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is a Proselyte from that very moment but he assureth us of another thing elsewhere which is not so conformable to the use of Christians to wit if a Woman with Child was Baptized and received into the number of Proselytes it was thought needless to Baptize the Child As to the Pots of Cana the Water of which Iesus Christ changed into Wine Lightfoot takes occasion from thence to enumerate all the Vessels of the Hebrews whereof mention is made in Scripture and tells what they severally contain'd The third part of the Harmony of the Gospels comprehends the space of one year which passed from the first Passover that our Saviour celebrated after his Baptism to the second As to these words of Jesus Christ in St. Iohn If any man be not born a second time he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Lightfoot makes a long digression touching the sense of these words the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven He immediately remarks that the Jews in the Thalmud take them in a very extraordinary sense that is to say for the rigorous observation of their Ceremonies and particularly that of the Tradition of Phylacteries Rabbin Gamaliel being Married did upon the very night of his Nuptials rehearse what was written upon his Phylacteries upon which says the Thalmud his Disciples spoke thus to him Have you not taught us that a Bridegroom is not obliged to mention his Phylacteries and that he answered them far be it from me to be so complaisant to you as to quit one only hour the yoak of the Kingdom After that Lightfoot sheweth that thereby in our Saviours time was understood the State of the Jewish Church under the Messia In fine he largely sheweth the different signification these words had in the Mouth of the Carnal Jews and in our Saviours Upon Iohn 3.23 And John Baptized at Enon near Salim our Author makes sundry remarks upon Enon and Salim he believes these places were in Galilee Afterwards he examines these 2 Questions to wit what Ceremonies the Iews used in their Baptism and how far St. John the Baptist hath imitated them When a Proselyte was received he was immediately asked if it was not through some humane consideration that he would embrace Iudaism as through fear desire of Riches or love to some fair Israelitish Woman If he answered it was not then the difficulty of observing the Law was represented to him and the Punishment it inflicted upon Transgressours But for fear of discouraging him he was also told of the rewards promised in the Law they declared to him that tho Israel was seen miserable in this World yet God had prepared for it a felicity that he kept concealed and which they should enjoy in observing the Law that if God did not render Israel happy in this Life it was to the end only to keep it from Pride but that the other Nations should everlastingly perish how happy soever they for the present seemed to be They added that if he Repented that he had offered himself to be received into the number of the Proselytes he was permitted to withdraw If he still declared he was in the same Mind they Circumcised him and when he was cured he was brought to some Water wherein he presently entered up to the Neck Whilst he kept himself in this posture the three inferiour Iudges of the place rehearsed to him divers Precepts of the Law after which he plunged himself over Head and Ears and came out a very little while after If 't was a Woman that was to be baptized she was by Women put into the Water the Iudges held themselves at a sufficient distance from the place where she plunged her self and she turned her back as soon as ever she came out of the Water In expounding St. Luke 4.14 Lightfoot makes an ample digression concerning the Synagogues wherein he treateth of their antiquity and establishment of the Synagogues after the Captivity of the days in which men went to them of the conductors of the Synagogues and of their Preachers He believeth that in this the Christian Churches have imitated sundry customs of the Jews and that is it which others have evinced in whole Treatises A passage of the same Evangelist viz. C. 5.17 gives our Author an occasion to insert in his Harmony a small Treatise of the different conditions that were found amongst the Jews of the divers Orders of their Doctors of the fundaments of their Religion in the time of our Saviour of the different Sects and particularly of the Sadduces and Pharisees But all this is only an Abridgment of some parts of a greater work that our Author proposed to himself to make as may be seen in Section 1. of the Collection of the remarkable things concerning his Life For the better understanding of divers passages both of the Old and New Testaments we must of necessity have some idea of the manner of the structure of the Temple at Ierusalem and of its different parts Therefore Lightfoot hath undertaken to give us an exact description of this sumptuous Building particularly such as it was in the time of our Saviour We see a Draught of it at the beginning of this Treatise that the Author himself had traced As this Treatise had not been Printed till now but in English the Latin version made of it will appear a work altogether now to those that understand not the English Tongue This same reason besides the delight it may be to all men to know how this Temple was made whereof the Scriptures speak so advantageously engageth us to give a small description thereof according to the Ideas of our Author The Top of the Hill of Moriah whereon the Temple was Builded was at the first somewhat narrow but by little and little it was made larger partly in filling up the Valleys which were about it and in environing it with a strong Wall Under the second Temple it made a perfect square of 750 foot Diameter and of 3000 in circuit The Wall that environed it on all parts appeared to those that were in the midst of it thirty seven foot and an half high excepting over against the Eastern Gate where it was but nine foot high for a reason that Lightfoot produces On the outside this Wall was prodigiously high raising it self from the bottom of Valleys which Moriah was environed withal On the side of the Eastern Gate it was 600 foot high It was of white stones triangular of 30 foot broad and of nine high so solid a structure that this Wall remained till the destruction of the second Temple In the beginning of the side of the East to consider the exteriour circumference of this magnificent Building one might see the principal Gate of this circumference which was called the Gate of Susan The entrance was in heighth 30 foot and breadth fifteen but the Ornaments of the
tibi solus Sed ubi tres Ecclesia est licet Laici c. Grotius took the part of Mr. Rigaut his Friend and then printed a small Dissertation de Coenae administratione ubi Pastores non sunt It is in the third Tome of his Theological Works We may also see an Abridgment thereof in a Letter to Salmatius which is 260. of the 1. p. where our Author testifies he was of Erasmus's opinion to wit that in the Primitive times the Faithful consecrated the Bread and Wine and communicated together there being often no Priest in the Company See the Letter of Erasmus to Cuthbert Tonstar l. xxvi Epist. Grotius seems to have much respect for Christian Antiquity as may be seen by all his works and by this place of the Letter 191. of the 2. p. Perhaps those who are of Voetius 's opinion will think it will be a Socinianism to make the principal part of Religion consist in the observation of the precepts of Iesus Christ. But I see that the Christians of the first Ages the Assemblies the Doctors Martyrs have been of this Iudgment that there are few things which we ought necessarily to know and that as to the rest God Iudgeth us according to the obedience we have rendered to him The same also appears by a Conversation that Grotius had with the Prince of Condé in 1639. and whereof he gives an account to Chancellor Oxenstiern in Letter 1108. of the 1. p. He relates to this Suedish Lord that the Prince had given him a visit that they had discoursed of several things and that this Prince had approved his Opinions that in this Age one may attribute to himself the Name of a Christian and the Surname of Catholick the Scripture must be believed interpreted not according to the particular Judgment of each one which hath caused Seditions Schisms and often Wars but according to the universal and perpetual consent of the Ancient Churches which we find in the Writings of several excellent men and chiefly in the Symbols and Acts of the true Ecumenick Councils which were held before the Schism of the Eastern and the Western Churches and which the Emperors and all the Churches have approved of That moreover we must abstain from calumniating any one to leave off the Spirit of Parties to endeavour the Unity of the Church such as Jesus Christ hath ordained and the Apostles have founded and to hold for our Brothers to wit for Christians and Catholicks all those who are in these opinions although those who rule over the Churches have separated themselves from the External Communion Haec omnia Princeps sibi dicebat probari sapientissimis quos cognosset hominibus Not that Grotius was very much conceited with the antiquity he believed as some are that the Ceremonies which it hath constantly kept to are all of Divine Right Thus he speaks to Mr. des Condés about Confirmation and Imposition of hands Let. 329. 1. p. I have found by reading that the imposition of hands was a Jewish Ceremony which was introduced not by any Divine Law but by Custom every time that any Body prayed God for another For the Jews prayed God that his Power should accompany that Man as the hands which were put upon his Head and which were the Symbol of the Divine Power were united to him Jesus Christ followed this Custom as several others of the Synagogue whether Children were to be Blessed or the sick were to be Cured in joining Prayer to this Ceremony It is according to this Custom and not consequent to any Precept that the Apostles laid their hands on those to whom they conferred the Gift of the Holy Ghost by Prayer Thus it was that not only Priests used the same when they received any into their Body as it appears by the Example of Timothy 1 Tim. iv 15. But the Apostles themselves received anew the imposition of Hands when they engaged into any new design Acts xiii 2 So if at every time that hands were imposed a Sacrament was conferred we shall find Sacraments in all the Prayers which have been made for any one which is contrary to the true Signification of the word and to the use of the Ancients It 's from this Ceremony continueth our Author which was not ordained by God but which hath of it self been introduced amongst the Jews and Christians that sprung the Sacraments of Confirmation of Ordination and Penitence of Extream Unction and even of Marriage for the Ancient Churches laid their hands on those who were Married as the Abyssins this day do The Baptism of Christians adds he consisted in times past in immersion only as that of the Jews who baptized all those who embraced their Religion It appears not that any laid hands on those who were baptized but those who had the Gift of conferring the Holy Ghost This hath been introduced rather in honour of Bishops to persuade the People that they had succeeded to the Rights of the Apostles In the second Age and the following divers Ceremonies were added to Baptism by allusion to some passages in Scripture according to the Custom of the Ancients who expressed themselves not only by Words but also by Signs and Symbols It is for that that they made those who were baptized to tast of Hony and Milk But it was thought fit to represent particularly by these Symbols that those who believe in Jesus Christ receive in their Soul the same Graces which Jesus Christ made the sick feel which he cured in their Body or that those who make profession of believing in him feel the Eyes of their Soul to open as well as the Ears of their Heart that they are cured of all their spiritual maladies and that the Devil hath no further Power over them Therefore Exorcisms were made use of and the term of Epphata be opened also of Spittle of Oyl whereof Jesus Christ and the Apostles made use of in curing corporal maladies Posterity was not content with this 'T was thought it ought to be made apparent that Christians are Kings and Priests in anointing with a more odoriferous oyl This Unction was joined to Baptism as it is yet with the Greeks and as it hath been a long time in the Latin Church The Priests who baptized administred it as well as the Bishops the Bishop according to the Testimony of St. Ierome and St. Augustine differing from the Priest only in this that the Bishop had the sole right of Ordaining Priests Our Author after having made these Remarks gives his Sentiment concerning a Canon of a 1. Council of Orange which caused then great disputes betwixt Mr. de S. Cyran and F. Sirmond and maintains that the latter had well cited and understood it tho' his Adversary accused him of falshood Grotius believes that this Canon gives the Power to Priests to administer the Chrisme and orders that it should be administred but once Nullus Ministrorum qui baptizandi recepit officium sine Chrismate
by a very plain way Why was not Iesus pleased to render the way more easy and did not tell us where we should find such a Judge We are therefore obliged to look for him saith Episcopious and this Disquisition must necessarily aim at either of these two things Either that each particular Society of Christians and even each Member of this Society attribute to it self the Power of Soveraign judging of Controversies or that the Universal Church to wit the Body of all those who profess the Gospel hath at all times right to chuse such a Judge The first cannot be granted because every one looking upon himself as Infallible no body would submit himself to the Decisions of his Neighbour The second is naturally unpracticable for before the Universal Church can choose a Supream Judge of Controversies it must needs have cast it's Eyes upon divers Subjects capable of fulfilling this Charge and examined carefully their capacity And how shall it make this Examination All the Christian Societies must concur in this Election But how should they agree thereupon and whom could they choose who should not be suspitious or uncapable of this Employment Seeing all Christians have already taken Parties and those who are not Christians understand not our Disputes Add to this that tho Men would be decided by the ordinary Judges of the Roman Church there would still a Party of Male-Contents remain If the Pope was chosen France would appeal to the General Council if a Council was assembled Italy would not accept on 't until it had been confirmed by the Pope and this Bishop would only do it upon condition that this Ecumenick Council would acknowledge it self beneath him which is contrary to the pretensions of France The impossibility of this Design is an evident proof according to our Author that God will not have his Church to be governed after the manner of the Kingdoms of the Earth where one is obliged to submit without knowing for what because there is but the Body and some transitory Goods in question But the Kingdom of God extending it self over the Soul and Conscience Men must be instructed convinced and persuaded Men must read pray meditate and live Christianly to obtain the Grace of distinguishing Truth from Falshood In vain would Scripture teach us these Truths and exhort us to these practices if there were an infallible Judge All this would be useless neither is it of great me amongst those who believe they have one All the World knoweth the ridiculous explications the Roman Doctors gave to Scripture before Protestants had put it into the hands of the People and no body is ignorant of the many Truths which have been discovered since it hath been believed that every one should instruct himself in the Will of God by his Word It is true that there have arisen Disputes which are the unavoidable consequences of Examination But if Christians applyed themselves only to Scripture and that instead of deciding of their Differences when Scripture is not clear thereupon they supported each other with a mutual Charity we should soon see them become both more wholsome in their Opinions and more reformed in their Manners It is a consequence very clear and very easie to comprehend but such as apparently will never be justified by Experience V. The last writing of Bom is a small Treatise to prove that St. Peter hath been established Head of the Catholick Church where this Priest relates the common Passage of Controvertists Thou art Peter c. Feed my Sheep c. The Answer of Episcopius is not complete but that which there is on 't appears more than sufficient to refute all the Objections of the Missionaries The first Reason would be even enough which is that although his Adversary had clearly proved his Thesis he would do nothing for all that if he did not shew that the promises made to St. Peter regard also his Successors whereas most of the Fathers have taken them for personal Priviledges as Tertullian in his Book of Chastity c. 21. who speaks thus to Pope Zephirin If because the Lord hath said to Peter Vpon this Rock I will build my Church I will give thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and all that thou shalt bind or unbind upon Earth shall be bound or unbound in Heaven If I say for that cause you imagine that the power of unbinding or binding is passed unto you to wit to all the Churches founded by Peter Who are you that overturn and change the clear intention of the Lord who hath conferred this personally on Peter Vpon thee saith he I will build my Church and I will give thee the Keys and not to the Church and all that thou shalt unbind and not that they shall unbind 2. After having shewed that these Priviledges are not personal it should be proved that they regard only the Bishops of Rome excluding those of Antioch 3. That they regard them all without exception and without condition to wit That all and every one of the Popes are infallible as well in Fact as Right against the Experience and the Sentiment of most of the Doctors of the Roman Communion 4. It should be defined what the Catholick Church is and shewed by formal passages that these Terms denominate the Body of Pastours which is called the Representative Church which is impossible Whereas it is very easy to shew that the Church signifieth in Scripture only the People in opposition to Pastours And in this sense there is nothing more absurd than all that is said of the Power of the Church and it's Priviledges seeing it is but the Body of the Pope's Subjects and Roman Clergy and that Subjects who are far from making Decisions must submit and obey their Lot 5. After all this it should be still proved that the Priviledges given to St. Peter and the Bishops of Rome his Successors import not simply a Primacy of Order and some Authority in things which regard the Discipline and Government of the Church which Protestants could grant without doing a prejudice to their Cause but they do moreover mark a Primacy of Jurisdiction of Sovereignty and Infallibility in matters of Faith which is impossible to be proved by Scripture and all the Monuments we have of Antiquity and which is even contradictory seeing the belief of a Fact or Truth is persuaded and forceth not it self Have not Roman Catholicks much Grace to accuse Protestants of Obstinacy because they refuse to embrace a Hypothesis which supposeth so many dubious Principles whereof most are contested even amongst the Divines of Rome and to ask them to obey the Church without distinctly telling them what this Church is or in what consists the Submission which is required of them or how far it ought to be extended An Abridgment of Universal History The First Part containing the Ecclesiastical History in Two Books by Henry le Bret Provost of the Cathedral Church of Montauban in 125. 3 Volumes At
which hath been so often fatal to the Church they undertook to become Masters of the Conscience of the People and to put the young Folks from their Imployments or to impose an Oath upon them that all perhaps have not signed without remorse of Conscience Yet some of those who have established this Form are persons of an extraordinary meritâ—â— who I am persuaded have acted in this occasion by a sincere zeal to maintain what they regard as Truth I should only wish they had more Extent and a greater freedom of Mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The 33 Orations of Themistius 13 of which have been formerly published Dennis Petavius of the Society of Jesus Translated many of 'em into Latin with Annotations To 20 of these Orations are added other Notes and to the remaining 13 are joyn'd the perpetual Observations of John Harduinus a Member of the same Society Paris in Fol. THemistius was a Philosopher of Paphlagonia so Eloquent that he had given him the Sur-name of Euphrades He published Commentaries upon Aristotle when he was very young which were so much esteemed that one of the best Philosophers of Greece quitted his School to go to see him He Taught with so much clearness at Antioch Nicomedia Rome and elsewhere that he out-did all the Philosophers of his time The Romans were so charmed with him that they sent to the Emperor desiring that he would oblige him to live in the midst of them but they obtained not this advantage Themistius chose rather to return to Constantinople where he passed the greatest part of his life He was beloved of Six Emperors Constantius conferred the dignity of Praetor upon him and honoured him with a Brazen Statue Valence had so great a deference for him that in consideration of him he moderated the false zeal which led him to persecute the Orthodox It is assuredly one of the greatest marks of esteem which can be given to a Man for as soon as a Prince hath determined to extirpate a Religion all that retards the progress of this design is uneasie to him and incommodes him extraordinarily they are very powerful Reasons only which can work an alteration of this nature Yet the Discourse of Themistius produced this great effect upon an Emperor animated to the ruin of the Orthodox by the Counsel of some Arian Bishops and by the Intreagues of the Empress This Philosopher represented to Valence That he persecuted without cause Men of worth that it was not a crime to believe and to think otherwise than he did that he should not wonder at this diversity of Opinions that the Gentiles were much more divided amongst themselves than Christians that every one pointed at truth by some place and that it had pleased God to confound the pride of Men and to render himself more venerable by the difficulty which there is of knowing him It is pity that such fine thoughts have been said by a Pagan and that it should be necessary that Christians should learn this Important Lesson from anâ— Idolatrous Man Yet they ought to profit thereby But Mr. Flecher who hath so carefully related this Discourse of Themistius to shame thereby the Memory of an Arian Emperor tells us that the Emperor Theodosius a little while after also took upon him a command which was as a fit subject for a second discourse of Themistius But he was far from doing it because of the charge of Prefect of Constantinople and of Tutor to the Son of Theodosius the Great which this Emperor gave him lest he should cease his Applauses for all the Orders of the Court It is very strange that a Prince who abolished vigorously the Relicks of Paganism and who gave even no very good quarters to the Sectaries of Christianity should trust the Education of his Son to a Heathen Yet it 's true that Theodosius hath done all this for those who say that Themistius was a Christian and Chief of the Sect of the Agnoites who believed that Iesus Christ was absolutely ignorant of the end of the World they confound him with another Themistius a Deacon of the Church of Alexandria who was the head of this Sect under the Empire of Iustin towards the year 519. It signifies nothing to the proof of the pretended Christianity of Themistius to say that he hath cited this passage of Scripture The heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord This I say signifies nothing because that besides his citing these words as if he had taken them from the Books of the Assyrians every one knoweth that Longinus hath quoted Moses with Elogies on him without being on that account engaged e're the less in Paganism Themistius must needs have been an honest Man because he always had the Friendship of St. Gregory of Nazianze He had left 36 Harangues Henry Stephen is the first who hath published any of them Father Petau being then at the Colledge of la Fleche made an Edition thereof He added a second much better when he came to Paris but it was yet very imperfect seeing there lacked Sixteen Orations He sought so successfully that he found thirteen whereof he Translated into Latin the considerablest part He left them as a Depositum in the Colledge of Clermont's Bibliotheck and these are they which appeared the first time in the Edition of Themistius that Father Hardouin hath lately given us He is a very learned Iesuit who was brought to Paris to be imployed with Father Cautel to make the Supplement of Dogmata Theologica of Father Petau but this design hath not succeeded so that these two Jesuits have elsewhere endeavour'd by other Works to make their Talent be valued Father Cautel hath set his face another way As for Father Hardouin the Publick hath already known that he worketh upon a Commentary of Pliny in usum Delphini which will be say they a most complete piece and which will be publish'd in a year Moreover he hath a design to publish all the Manuscripts of the Bibliotheque of Clermont which have not been as yet printed and he hath begun by the Orations of Themistius at the intreaty of Father Garnier who dyed an Bologne in Italy the 26 th of October 1681. during the Voyage he made to Rome about the Affairs of his Society In this Edition have been inserted all the Notes of Father Petau upon twenty Discourses of Themistius and many things are very Learned therein There is in particular a gross Error of Appian who saith in the First Book of the Civil War That the Romans have had Kings during 100 Olympiads and Consuls 100 Olympiads also whereas it is certain that Tarquin was banished Rome in the Year 244 after the Foundation of the City 156 years before it had lasted a hundred Olympiads Besides that Appian contradicts himself visibly seeing he places the Dictatorship of Sylla but in the 175 Olympiad Father Petau also pretends That Scaliger was mistaken when he said That the lesser Mysteries were celebrated at
Athens but every three Years This Jesuite maintains against him that they were celebrated every year But when he afterwards proveth by a very obscure passage of Titus Livius that they were celebrated every first Year of each Olympiad he seems to give himself a needless trouble seeing that if he hath proved well that they were celebrated every year it followeth without any difficulty that they were celebrated the first Year of all the Olympiads It may nevertheless be said for his Justification that he makes use of the passage of Titus Livius but to shew the impossibility of the Hypothesis of Scaliger He corrects in this same place a passage of Plutarch which seems to say That the Mysteries were celebrated in the Market place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Casaubonus who perceived the fault thought he was bound to correct it in reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or else 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 't is not for that we must read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit to Agra which was a place near the River Ilissus where there was a Temple of Ceres and whence Diana had apparently taken her name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In fine her Remarks that most Authors have unseasonably confounded the Mysteries with the Thesmophoria which were celebrated in the Honour of Ceres He relates several Differences betwixt these two Ceremonies One of the things upon which he hath enlarged so much is the Bridge that Xerxes built to pass from Asia into Europe Herodotus hath given us the Description thereof Father Petau expounds it and corrects in it a great many faults We should be too tedious if we should descend into a more particular Relation Let us be content with this Remark upon a passage of Cassiodorus L. 9. Ep. 5. Where it 's ordered to keep no more Corn than would be necessary to maintain each Family Sive in gradu sive in aliis locis condita potuerint invenire These words have much tormented the Interpreters Father Petau saith that by in gradu an Isle of the Adriatick Sea must be understood situate towards the place where Venice hath been built and not the Bread which was distributed upon the Stairs at Constantinople Let us now say somewhat of the Work of Father Hardouin He has plac'd the Orations of Themistius in the order they ought to be in according to the time wherein they were spoken and to effect this he hath made a Chronological Table the exactest that he could He hath filled the vacancies which were in this Author and cut divers things which had been added and spoiled the sense he hath corrected the faults which had slipped thereinto and finally he hath cleared the places that are most difficult by his Learned Observations He observes that the Romans had Dragons in their Colours and as 't is also certain that they had Eagles in their Ensigns he teacheth us to discern these two things it is saith he that the Eagles served for the entire Legion and the Dragons for a Cohort He pretends that Sethus Calvisius having placed the Death of Procopius in the Year 365. and changed the Name of Iovinus designed Consul for the Year ensuing into that of Dagalaiphus hath added a false Calculation in all the sequel of his Chronology He makes several Discoveries and several Remarks upon the Family of the Emperour Theodosius to whom he restores two Children that no body does more than mention to wit Gratian and Pulcherius tho' it is certain that St. Gregory of Nissa and St. Ambrose have spoken thereof He speaks to the purpose upon the Chapter of Genealogies for he hath better distinguished than Mr. Henry de Valois had done the two young Valentinians whereof the one was Son to the Emperour Valentinian the first and the other was the Son of Valens and was named Galates because he was born in Galatia It was for this that the ninth Oration of Themistius was made Mr. de Valois seemed to believe when he published the first time his Ammian Marcelline that these two Valentinians were Brothers He is reproached with it here but as he corrected this fault in his Notes upon Socrates after he had seen the Idatius of Father Sirmond and that the same fault was also corrected in the new Edition in Folio of Amien it will be taken ill that Father Hardouin thought upon such a Censure and it will perhaps be said that he fetcht the occasion a little too far One of his most curious Remarks concerns the passage which induced some to believe That Themistius made profession of Christianity and which seems to be the same with that of Solomon The heart of the King is in the band of the Lord. This Philosopher cites his fine Sentiment as taken out of the Books of the Assyrians Father Petau believed by these Assyrian Books the holy Scripture was to be understood because Themistius sometimes gave the Christians the Title of Syrians according to the custom of the Gentiles who often confounded the Iews with Christians Father Hardouin rejects this Opinion and founds his own upon this that Themistius could not borrow the passage in question neither from the Original of Scripture nor from the Version of the 70. The Hebrew is Leb melek Ve Iaed Iehovah the Heart of the King in the hand of the Lord. The 70 have thus Translated it simply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Themistius saith thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He has this passage from another place according to this Iesuite and not from Holy Scripture Some profane Author furnished him as was that who taught him to say That Men commonly sung upon Lebanon I know not whether it was ever said That Aesop must needs have read Solomon seeing he cites a Sentence which is found word for word in Chap. 3. of Proverbs God resists the Proud but shews favour to the Humble So it is That the 70. have turned the passage of Solomon and that the Apostle St. Iames hath cited it in his Epistle There would not be much reason under pretence of this great conformity between the passage of Aesop and that of the Scripture to maintain that Aesop had read the sacred Books for whence could he draw the signification which the teâ—m hath in the Sentence of Aesop which is a particular signification to the Greek Bible of the 70. It is better to say with Vavasseur the Iesuite That Plenuda is the Author of the Book which we call this day the Fables of Aesop. At least it is true That some Christian is the Author of the Moral Sense which hath been expressed in one of the Fables of Aesop by the very Greek terms of the Scripture An Abridgment of the Prerogatives of St. Ann Mother of the Mother of God approved by the Doctors of the Sorbonne and Translated out of French into English to accompany a Book which is Entituled Contemplations on the Life and Glory of the Blessed Virgin with the Defence of that Work and other pieces of that nature to
rest of the People till they were visited by the Priests and declared Lepers And this Inspection was neither made upon the Sabbath nor Holy-day that Devotion and Publick Rejoycings might not be hindered It is not likely that People should tarry so long a time to separate the Pestiferous 4. The Gentiles who were not Proselytes and who lived in Canaan were not obliged to shew themselves to the Priests though they were Leprous and yet they were not hindered to converse with all the World 5. Those who were suspected to be Lepers were shut up in the Field or even in the Town and there were only those who were judged Lepers that were obliged to go out which if they recovered were not suffered to enter till after many washings and other Ceremonies which they were to observe 6. According to the Judgment which the Priest pronounced a Man was looked upon to be clean or unclean and so he was conversed with or his company shunned But it is not likely that this Sentence rendered a Man more or less Contagious 7. The general Leprosie which covered the whole Body did not render a Man unclean because they were declared clean who had all their Body covered with White Leprosie and in whom there was not a bit of Live flesh to be seen Naaman the Leper had several to serve him and he himself was Minister to the King of Assyria which could not be if his Distemper was Contagious Also the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tame which is spoken of polluted and unclean People marks only a legal impurity and is not applyed to them who are Infected with a Contagion The Heptades are followed by a small Treatise entituled Sciagraphia Biblica seu specimen Oeconomiae Patriarcharum It is as it were a Historical Abridgment of Divinity disposed according to the order that is contained in Holy Writ This Treatise is not ended because it begins at the Creation and ends at the Punishment of Sodom The Letters of Mr. Alting are one of the most considerable Pieces of this Volume being all full of Moderation and Learning In the Second he proposes some difficulties to Mr. Wetstein Professor at Basil who said in one of his Dissertations that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were Synonyms in St. Iohn The Author on the contrary will have the terms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew not only That the Word was in the beginning of all things but supposeth also that he was in being before whereas the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew that this word is destined to the Office of Mediator which was done since or at the beginning God having Promised the Messia who was to bring Life to Men and that immediately after the first Sin In the Third Letter which is Written to Buxtorf the Son Mr. Alting to shew that the Sabbath was a Ceremonial Institution which Figured Iesus Christ and the Gospel thus Translates a passage in Isaiah 58.13 If thou call the Sabbath a delight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Likdosâ—h Iehova mecubbad the Holy of the Lord. He pretends that this Holy of the Lord is the Messia who is called the Holy One of God Mark 1.24 Luke 4.34 And that the Father hath sanctified and sent him into the World John 10.36 The Author Answers in the 4 5 and 6th Letters some difficulties which were made upon the Explication of this passage and upon Iob 11.7 In the Ninth is sought the Origine of this Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basar vedam Flesh and Blood which is common in the Rabbins and Writings of the new Testament The Author believes that the Iews did not begin to make use of it until after the Prophets times when Philosophy began to be brought in amongst them They saw some Pagan Philosophers define a man a compound of Body and Soul and searching in their own Tongue for familiar Terms which would answer this Definition they added to the word Basar Flesh by which the Scripture commonly marks Man that of Dam Blood Besides the passages of Genesis 9. and Levit 17. where it is said That the Blood is the Soul of Beasts there are many others by which it appears that the Soul and Blood are Synonymous with the sacred Writers so they say in some places the Messia has given his Blood and in other places he has given his Soul to ransom many There is in the 16.50 a Judgment which deserves our observation but to know the importance of it we must know the dispute upon which it was delivered about the end of the Year 1655. There arose a dispute amongst the Mennonite Ministers of Amsterdam about the external State of the present Christian Church from Conferences they came to Writings whereof there were several Copies soon made and as soon printed The first which appeared upon this Subject was signed by Gallenus and David Spruit who put it into the hands of their Brethren The 11 th of Ianuary 1657. it was digested in Nineteen Articles wherein these two Ministers expounded their Opinion touching the Church which is to this purpose 1. That there is but one Church which is called the Spouse and Body of Iesus Christ and that it was to that alone that the promises of Iesus Christ were made 2. That Iesus Christ has established in this Church Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Doctors and hath given them the Gifts of the Holy Ghost which guide them infallibly so that they and their Hearers might be assured they did not err 3. That not only the Apostles but even the inferiour Ministers of the Apostolical Church and even the Deans and Antients after receiving the imposition of hands were endowed with miraculous Gifts which were necessary for the Exercise of their Charge 4. That so the first Ministers had a Right to call themselves Embassadors of Iesus Christ and that the People were obliged to receive them in that Quality 5. That the Church should fall into an entire Apostacy that this Prediction should be accomplished soon after the Death of the Apostles seeing that from the time of St. Paul and St. Iohn the mystery of Iniquity began to increase since there were already several Antichrists One must have but a small insight of Ecclesiastical History to know that the Zeal of Christians cooled a little after and that they fell from a Remissness into a corruption of Manners from a corruption of Manners into that of Doctrine and that instead of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost there was nothing seen to Reign in the Church but the Spirit of Superstition of Tyranny over Consciences of Schism and Excommunication 6. That those who undertook in these late Ages to reform the Church had neither miraculous Gifts nor an Express not extraordinary Vocation from Iesus Christ. 7. That to prove that the Assemblies which were held are the true Church they have only some Arguments drawn from passages of Scripture explained according to the weak Lights of their own reason or
to speak better according to their conjectures 8. That there is no Text in the Bible which priviledges a Man who is not inspired to form an Assembly which should call it self the true and only Church of Iesus Christ and should appropriate to it self it's Priviledges by excluding all others 9. That nevertheless Christians divided themselves into innumerable Sects whereof the most part excommunicates and condemns the other 10. From all this it 's concluded That one cannot look upon any of these Churches nor the Ministers thereof nor the Tenets nor the Ceremonies of them with the same respect which one was obliged to have for the Church and Apostolical Pastors 11. Consequently that these Assemblies have no Right to impose their Doctrine or Worship as a necessary Yoak upon Consciences nor to condemn and excommunicate such as do not the same with them 12. That Baptism and the Supper of the Lord are Sacraments ordained by Iesus Christ whose use is very profitable that the Assemblies of Piety are so likewise provided their Government be not Tyrannical that they are looked upon as the work of some godly Persons who have endeavoured to imitate the model of the Church which they found in Scripture and they confess these Institutors were not infallible and that they left faults in their Works which they are willing to correct when they are better instructed This was the occasion of a Dispute that then made much noise One of Mr. Galenus's Brothers answered these Articles which Mr. Galenus had printed in the Year 1659. with a Reply to his Adversary In 1660. Mr. Pontanus Minister of the Remonstrants at Amsterdam undertook to examine this Opinion in a Treatise which he made of the visible Church of Iesus Christ of it's Office and Worship Without doubt this dispute was spoken of in 1664. seeing one of Mr. Alting's Friends ask'd him his Opinion upon it to which this Professor answered I do not see that the Opinion of Galenus such as you mention it in your Letter is so condemnable it would be in vain now to search the form of the Apostolical Church and the Gifts which the Apostles conferred by imposition of hands I remember I told you that we have a Faith which makes us uncapable of receiving Gifts As we believe that the Signs which according to the Promise of Iesus Christ Mark 16.17 18. should accompany the Faithful viz. the gift of Miracles the gift of Tongues and of Prophecy have ceased in the Church then it is not strange that they descend not to us In the Opinion of some Men this Faith and it's Efficacy lasted not as long as the first Age It wou'd distract us to find out the Signs of it in such distant times after this I do not admire that most Doctors have taken so different ways and that like Painters they have drawn more or less near after the model of the Apostles according as their Pencil was fine or gross Thence sprung so many different Churches to which were given the names of their Doctors as commonly the names of Painters are given to their most excellent pieces It 's true that there are some far better than others but there are none but please some people so much that they despise and condemn sometimes all other Churches how little soever they differ from theirs It 's an evil that could only be deplored hitherto and God only knoweth when it will be remedied When he is pleased to give us this Faith which we have lost he will give us it's Fruits and 't is then we shall be the Image of the Primitive Church In the mean time we must preserve and endeavour to preserve and increase the Faith we have which is that of Tenets and which may conduct us to Salvation notwithstanding the faults of the exteriour form and Government of the Church In answering to the same who asked him his Opinion upon the Visions of Drabicius he saith I know nothing certain upon that business now I cannot approve them and I dare not condemn them I suspend my Iudgment in the design to meditate upon this Subject and perhaps at another time I will write to you at large of it l. 17. In the Twenty first Letter are a great many helps for the History of David and upon the Persecutions which Saul makes against him In answering a Divine of Herborn who exhorted him to make a Translation of Scripture but without swerving from the received Versions and the common Tradition I cannot saith he make that two Councils agree for one ruineth the other to what purpose is it to spoil Paper to say the same things a hundred times over I take notice of another fault which has taken roo◠amongst the Reformed that is that we are very Orthodox upon the Theory or Speculation of Scripture but as to Practice we are altogether Papists Puri puti Pontificii You will acknowledge it if you reflect upon the Actions of both the one and the other You advise me to be silent upon the question of the Sabbath tho' you acknowledge it is of great importance and you will not have me to oppose my self to the received Hypothesis I know full well that it is an Axiom of the prudence of this Age not to touch an evil which is strongly rooted but the Reformers of the past Age had far more Christian Thoughts They had the courage to attack the Errors which were in the peaceable possession of Mens understandings tho' they foresaw the troubles which they would cause throughout all Europe It is in vain to expect to gain time till Men were silent or did agree all to maintain a false Hypothesis this silence and this consent would not render it true I do not take the Testimonies of Men saith Jesus Christ nor would he have St. John Baptist himself to be believed if his words were not conformable to the Writings of Moses 50.27 Upon the famous passage of the Romans 3.25 the Author hath an opinion altogether different not only from the common Interpretation but also from that of Bezae and of Cocceius the first Translates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dissimulatio and the second Prateritio But Mr. Alting will have it Transmissio or Translatio a Transposition He founds it upon this That there is a Pleonasmus in the Version of these two learned Interpreters because the terms of Dissimulation Praeterition and Non-imputation give no other Idea but the Patience of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which mention is made in the following vers 2. He adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which answers here to the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hegnebbir which is spoken of Sins 2 Sam. 12.13 and Iob 7.21 and that so Paresis mark'd in this place that Action of God considered as a Debtor who transports the Debt or the Crimes of Sinners upon Iesus Christ who is made their Pledge or Surety So the sense of this Passage is according to our Author that God has transported upon Iesus
Knowledg is still wanting what becomes of these Vapours when they are rais'd in the Air and from whence comes that Current which always appears at the entrance of the Straits of Gibralter but Mr. Halley sends us back once more to examine it only advertises the Reader that to make the Experiment which he hath spoken of he must make use of Water which hath been Salted to the same Degree that the common Sea Water is dissolving therein one fortieth part of Salt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SEU De Punctorum Origine Antiquitate Authoritate OR A DISCOURSE Concerning the ANTIQUITY DIVINE ORIGINAL AND AUTHORITY OF THE Points Uowels and Accents That are placed to the HEBREW BIBLE In TWO PARTS By a Member of the ATHENIAN SOCIETY Quod superest de Vocalium Accentuum Antiquitate eorum sententiae subscribo qui Linguam Hebraeam tamquam c. i. e. As for the Antiquity of the Vowels and Accents I am of their Opinion who maintain the Hebrew Language as the exact Pattern of all others to have been plainly written with them from the Beginning seeing that they who are otherwise minded do not only make Doubtful the Authority of the Scriptures but in my Iudgment wholly pluck it up by the Roots for without the Vowels and Notes of Distinction it hath nothing firm and certain Anton. Rodulph Cevallerius Rudimenta Hebraicae Linguae cap. 4. pag. 16. LONDON Printed for Iohn Dunton at the Raven in the Poultrey MDCXCII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OR A Discourse concerning the Antiquity and Original of the Points Vowels and Accents that are placed to the Hebrew Bible In Two Parts The FIRST PART WHEREIN The Opinions of Elias Levita Ludivicus Capellus Dr. Walton and Others for the Novelty of the Points are considered their Evidences for the same examined and the Improbability of their Conceit that the Masorites of Tiberias Pointed the Text is at large discovered from the Silence of the Iews about it their Testimonies against it the Unfitness of the Time Place and Persons of late assigned for the Invention of the Points from the Nature of the Masora and of the Masoretick Notes on the Verses Words Letters Points Vowels and Accents of the Old Testament Their Observations on all the Kinds of the Keri U Ketib the Words written Full or Defective the Ittur Sopherim the Tikkun Sopherim and the rest of the Parts of the Masora and from other Considerations The SECOND PART Containing the Principal Testimonies and Arguments of Iews and Christians for the Proof of the Antiquity Divine Original and Authority of the Points Vowels and Accents Wherein the chiefest Objections of Elias Capellus and Others are either Obviated or briefly Answered The Cause Occasion and Method of the ensuing Discourse is declared in the Prooemium or Introduction AMongst our Abstracts of Books that have a more particular Relation to Ecclesiasticks such as the various Editions of the Bible Iurieu's System of the Church c. we have thought fit to insert this our own following Collection which perhaps may more particularly treat of the Parts of the Masora than any Piece yet extant It will be of great Use to all Scholars that are design'd for the Study of the Original Tongues and will help to make good our Title-page The Young Students Library We have herein endeavoured to remove some Prejudices and reconcile the Differences of the Learned on this great and weighty Subject which is of no less Consequence than the receiving or rejecting the Bible it self We must not enlarge in Prefacing to any Work where the Works themselves are to be Absteacts but referr you to the Subject it self Advice to the Young Students of Divinity Recommending the Study of the Scriptures in their Original Languages together with the Writings and Commentaries of the Rabbins thereupon with Directions for the Knowledge thereof Men and Brethren YOur Work is the greatest as St. Paul saith Who is sufficient for these things Consider what Knowledge the Work you must account for at the last Tribunal doth most require and attend it Hoc age You are to have the Care of Souls and to your Trust are committed the Oracles of God Your great Concern therefore is to know the Mind of God as it is revealed in his Word that you may teach it others and defend it against all Opposers This is all you are entrusted with and shall be judged by to wit the Bible This Word or Mind of God is contained perfectly in the Hebrew Bible and Greek Testament only Translations are no further God's Word than they do express the sense thereof which in all places they cannot perfectly do without more words than are allowed to to be in a Translation These Sacred Originals are the Standard and Rule of our Life Worship and Doctrine and the Fate of all Translations depends on their Preservation If therefore the Teachers need not know nor be able to defend the Original none else need Then were the Translation of it needless and so the Scripture it self and thereby all Religion and Ministery to boot if any of these things are needful they are all so for they stand or fall together Now that we may know the Mind of God in his Word we must first know what the words themselves do signifie and properly and literally mean This we cannot do in many places without the help of the Rabbins or of those who have been taught by them which is much the same and that on several Accounts which renders their Work needful as Leusden in Philologus Hebraeo-mixtus pag. 115 c. and others do manifest As 1 st Because many words as to the Grammar and sense of them could not be known without the help of those Masters of the Hebrew Tongue as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioel 2.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioel 2.8 c. 2. There are many words but once used in Scripture especially in such a sence and are called the Apax legomena or ein lo chober bemikr◠which we cannot know the meaning of without their help and herein they are singular though they lament the loss they have been put to about them vid. Kimchi in his Preface on Miklol Also Kimchi in his Preface on Sepher Sherashim tells a Story how they knew not the meaning of that word a Besom in the Prophet's sweeping with the Beesom of Destruction till in Arabia a Rabbin heard a Woman say to her Daughter Take the Besom and sweep the House So Ioel 2.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sword To conclude There are very many such words but once used which as they cannot be known by the Bible alone so neither can the sence of the place be known wherein they are till they are first known and this is in many places 3. Many Phrases and divers ways of Speech are very dubious in the Old and New Testament which are well illustrated and explained by the Rabbins as Ioel 1.20 Ionah 1.5 Iudg. 12.7 Gen. 2.2 c. And
little the better for the very places of Scripture we most frequently alledge because they most commonly respect the Masoretick Bible which we have not room to explain to those who know nothing of these things If therefore such Subjects are fit for Divines to understand then must the Knowledge of the Rabbinical Writings be so likewise 'T is peculiarly incumbent on the Ministry by their Office to defend the Doctrines they teach by the Scriptures But if they are unable to defend the Scriptures the only Evidence and Proof of their Doctrines the Christian Religion with the Doctrines thereof must fall to the ground And yet this Position That the present Hebrew Bible and Greek Testament in the Words Letters Points Vowels and Accents we now enjoy is the same uncorrupted Word of God which was delivered of old by the holy Pen-men of it to the Church This we say cannot well be defended against all Opposers without the Rabbinical Knowledge we speak of And so much for the need of this Knowledge We shall only give some Directions about this Study First He must well understand the Hebrew Bible in the first place who would know the Rabbins before he look after them And for this if he hath no Latin he must get William Robertson's First and Second Gate to the Holy Tongue His Key to the Bible Iessey's English Greek Lexicon c. But we suppose most have the Latine Tongue and such have Grammars and Lexicons enough as Buxtorf's Epitome his Thesaurus His Lexicon And many other Authors especially Bythner's Lyra Prophetica in Psalmos Leusden's Compendium Biblicum Arius Montanus his Interlineary Bible c. Let him read the Hebrew Bible much And then for the Rabbins take this brief Account and Direction The ancient Chaldee Paraphrasts are most of them translated and thereby easie to learn The ancient Cabalistical Writings as the Zohar Bahir c. are both most difficult and least useful Their Oral Law or Traditions were collected after the Destruction of the Temple A.D. 150. by Rabbi Iudah the Holy as they call him This they preferr before the Scripture and suppose it was Orally delivered by Moses to Israel and unlawful to be written but when Ierusalem was destroyed they were constrained to write it lest it should be lost but yet 't was so written as that none but themselves might understand it This Book is called Mishnaioth comprizing all their Religion with the Bible 'T is divided into Two Parts each Part into Three Seders or Books each Seder into many Masecats or Tracts each Masecat into Chapters and Verses A brief Account of the Contents of the Mishna and all the Parts of it is given by Martinus Raimundus in his Prooemium to his Pugio Fidei a very Learned and Useful Book which also gives an Account of the Tosaphot the Gemara and the Commenâ—â—ries thereon which compleat the Talmuds both that of Ierusalem A.D. 230. and that of Babylon Five hundred Years after Christ which Gemara is but a Comment and Dispute on the Mishna which is the Text of the Talmud There are several Masecats or Tracts of the Mishna translated as the Nine first Masecats viz. Beracoth c. So also Masecat Middoth by Le Empereur Sanhedrin and Maccoth by Cock Megillath by Otho Codex Ioma and others But as the very Learned Ludivicus de Campeigne du Veil observes He that would know the Mishna must learn Maimonides This Moses Maimonides Physician to the King of Egypt about Five hundred Years ago wrote his Iad Chaseka or Mishna Torah wherein he hath comprized the Substance of the Mishna and Talmud in a pure pleasant plain and easie style if compared with the Mishna and Talmud and yet he that has read him may with ease and pleasure understand all the Mishna And then for the Talmud There is Clavis Talmudica Cock's Excerpta c. This Maimonides of whom the Jews say from Moses the Law-giver to Moses Maimonides there was never another Moses like this Moses Several of his Tracts are translated also as Iesudee Hatorah the First Masecat of all and Deoth Aboda Zara the 1 st entituled De Fundamentis Legis 2. Canones Ethicae 3. Idololatria 4. De Iure Pauperis 5. De Poenitentia c. But most are translated by the excellent Ludivicus de Campeigne du Veil as De Sacrificiis one of the fourteen Books which he hath divided this Work into and De Cultu Divino another of the fourteen Books comprizing several Tracts Also his Tracts about Vnleavened Bread about the Passover about a Fast c. As to other Rabbins several are translated as Cosri c. and that on various Subjects as Logick by R. Simeon Physick by Aben Tibbon with Maimonides's Epistle against Iudiciary Astrology So of Arithmetick and Intercalating the Month by Munster and that of Maimonides by Duveil with many other Books as Ietsirah Bachinath Olam c. And of History as Seder Olam Zutha and Seder Olam Rabba Tsemach David c. And as to Rabbinical Commentaries the best and chief are R. Sal. Iarchi or Isaac R. Aben Ezra R. David Kimchi all these upon the Proverbs are translated by Antony Giggeius upon several minor Prophets by Mercer viz. on Hosea Ioel Amos c. on Ioel and Iona by Leusden as also a Masecat on the Misbna called Pirke Abbot Kimchi on the Psalms is likewise translated These Rabbins lived about Five hundred Years ago and do excellently explain the Text where Grammar and Jewish History are necessary But several of the above-mentioned Books being scarce we shall be ready to Translate and Print in two Colums the one Hebrew the other English either any Masecat of the Mishna or any Hilcoth or Tract of Maimonides or the Commentaries of the Rabbins on any part of the Bible if our Bookseller receive Encouragement which with Buxtorf's Great Lexicon Talmudicum and his Book de Abbreviaturis would no doubt enable one that hath read the Hebrew Bible to understand the Rabbins Which is all the Direction we have room to give here and therefore conclude with our hearty Wishes That our Young Students may be mighty in the Scriptures Acts 18.24 2 Tim. 3.15 16. and thereby they will by the Grace of God become Able Divines according to the Old Proverb Bonus Textuarius Bonus Theologus The PROEM Containing the Cause Occasion and Method of the ensuing Debate IN this Introduction we shall take notice of Three things wherein are contained the Cause and Occasion of the following Discourse with the Method of proceeding therein 1. The Weight and Moment of the Subject in Controversie 2. The many Circumstances that render its Consideration at this time necessary and seasonable 3. The Method and Order of manageing the same First As to the Weight and Moment of the Matter in Controversie it is small in quantity about no more than a Point or Tittle but great in quality about no less a Cause than the Keeping or Rejecting of the Bible For 1 st The Old
we shall translate a full Testimony out of his Book entituled Mozenee haleshon hakkodesh towards the beginning of it as it is delivered by Buxtorf De Punct Origine pag. 13. The words are these or to this effect viz. The words of the Lord are pure Words or Sayings preserved by the hands of holy Men one Generation after another For they were sanctified from the Womb they heard the holy words at the Mouth of him who is most excellent in Holiness and they were Interpeters between him viz. the Lord and between Iacob The holy People and these were before the building of that holy House viz. the Temple and when it stood upon its Basis or Foundation and after it until the Vision and Prophecy was sealed up But after a few years about the time of the building of the holy House the second time at that time the Spirit of the Lord the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding rested upon the Men of that House that were called Anashee keneset haggedolah The Men of the great Synagogue or Sanhedrim to explain all that was sealed up in the Command And the words that are translated by the Mouth of the Just Men from the Mouth of the former and latter Prophets that is delivered by Oral Tradition from hand to hand Also they were rendring a Reason or restoring the Accent Meshebe taam Prov. 26.16 and taught their Posterity Chephets Colinian the sence of every word or thing al jad taamee hamikra by the hand or means of the Accents of the Scripture And the Kings and the Ministers they taught their Posterity and the closed Sections and the open Sections And what continues carries on the sence in opposition to the Pause and the Verses or Pauses that stop the sence and they were Eyes to the Blind therefore we go in their steps and follow after them and lean upon them in all the Expositions of Scripture And after the Captivity of our Fathers from the Holy City the Lord stirred up the Spirit of his Saints and the Chief of them was our holy Rabbi viz. Iudah to compose what was noted in loose Writings of the Commands of our God and that is the Mishna whereunto nothing may be added nor may any thing be taken away from it Also after them came other holy Princes and pious Hero's and they are the Men of the Talmud viz. the Gemarists and they went on in their paths viz. of the Masters of the Mishna and they took up the Stones out of the High-ways of the Testimony and they removed every Stumbling-stone out of the paths of the Lord. And after this stood up in Israel according to the good Hand of our God upon us two great Rows or Orders Neh. 12.31 the one keeping the Walls of the Sanctuary of Strength Dan. 11.31 founded by the Hand of our God that no Stranger may be able to destroy it Now this Sanctuary is the Holy Books of Scripture and the Men of this Row or Order are the Men of the Masora or the Masorites who separated all the mixed Multitude from the holy People alluding to Nehem. 13.3 and meaning what is Humane from what is Divine in Correcting the Copy And they numbred the Men of the Sanctuary from Two or Eleven to the end that no Stranger might draw near to the Gates of Righteousness Blessed be the Lord our God who hath put such a thing as this in the heart of the rest of the Kingdom of his Priests to beautifie his House which is a House of Wisdom as Solomon saith Wisdom hath built her House And the second Row that goeth over against it And I go after it Neh. 12.38 are those that are expert in War alluding unto Cant. 3.8 in the Law or about the Law and they are the Grammarians Thus far Aben Ezra In this place saith Buxtorf Aben Ezra doth elegantly and discreetly Expound in what manner and by whom the holy Word of God was preserved from the Beginning quite down to the Time of the Grammarians and what was done in every Age about the Preservation thereof and by whom it was done For First he saith The true and genuine Sence of the Word of God was preserved without Points by holy Men such as Moses and the Prophets unto the time of the Second Temple and the time wherein Vision and Prophecy were sealed up Secondly After the building of the Second House about the ending of Prophecy or the Prophetick Gift and Ministry God raised up other holy Men to wit the Men of the Great Synagogue that is to say Ezra with his Councel who preserved the Word of God which was brought to them by Oral Tradition This Holy Scripture they did by other means than Tradition with great care and study deliver down to Posterity But how they did this and what in particular it was that the Men of the Great Synagogue did about the Preservation of the Scripture this he doth teach particularly and by Parts For First he saith That this was done Al jad taamee hamikra By the means of the Accents of the Scripture Secondly By the Kings and Ministers that is the Vowels The Kings he calls afterwards seven viz. Holem Shurek Chirek Pathak Segol Kamets Tsere And the Ministers Sheva Mute Mobile and Compound And he doth not mean the Accents which the Grammarians divided into Kings and Ministers Vid. Balmes cap. 3. of the Points more of this Thirdly By the Doctrine concerning the Sections that are close open or continued Hasetumim Vpetuchim Vdebikim Fourthly By Hapesukim the Verses or the Distinction of the Scripture into Verses by these helps he saith they are like Eyes to the Blind and in their Steps we go in Reading and Expounding the Scripture at this time He saith we every where lean on their Exposition of the Scripture and therefore not of the Tiberian Masorites Thirdly In the Third place after the Men of the Great Synagogue he proceeds to the Masters of the Mishna and to them he chiefly ascribes the true Explication of the Precepts of God Fourthly He makes the Talmudists or Gemarists succeed the Masters of the Mishna and to these he ascribeth the Illustration and Explication of the Doctrine of the Mishna and their Disputations Fifthly He saith By the good Hand of God to Israel he raised up Two other Orders of Men labouring profitably for the Preservation of the Scripture The First Order he ascribeth to the Masorites but unto these he ascribeth no Invention either of the Points or of the Accents or of the Distinctions But he principally commends these for Two things First That they did separate every thing that was strange that is Foreign or Humane from the Books of Scripture if any thing had by hap crept into it Secondly That they numbred the Words and Letters of the Books of Scripture that so there might be no way left whereby the Text could be corrupted in time to come And agreeing to this is what he writes of the Masorites in his Book
entituled Iesudee Mora Truly there is a Reward to the Works of the Masorites who are like those who keep the Walls of a City For by reason of them the Law of the Lord and the holy Books of Scripture do stand in their Form without any Addition or Diminution This is the sum and substance of Aben Ezra's words From whence it appears saith Buxtorf as clear as the Noon-day First That he did not make the Tiberian Masorites but the Men of the Great Synagogue the Head of whom was Ezra to be the Authors of the Invention of all the Points Accents and Distinctions For he reckons up the Tiberian Masorites long after the Authors of the Points Accents and Distinctions Nor is there left any room for that Exception That he speaks only of the Power and Force of the Points and Accents For his Words are too manifest and the order of his Speech will not allow this for he shews what was done in every Age for the Preservation of the Scripture But if he had spoken here of the Oral Explication of the Scripture only what then did the Men of the Great Synagogue do other than those before them Did not they do this and for this were commended by him And if he thought the Masorites invented them first why did he not expresly ascribe it to them when he made mention of them In vain therefore doth Capellus in his Vindiciae make the Objection That the Sound and not the Shapes were meant by him of Ezra when he knew Buxtorf had already Answered it Moreover Capellus says Aben Ezra is as much for him elsewhere and so no witness against him Resp. This we deny But if he were he is for us here and therefore can be no Witness against us We can spare him having all besides him for us better than they can who have not another for them Secondly He saith Why did not Ezra as well Write the Oral Law as Point the Text Reply Because the Scripture is the only Rule of Faith and so esteemed by them but the Oral Law was but Humane Tradition of no account then however it were afterwards admired and it then became needful to Point the Text that it might be plain seeing they had in part forgotten their Tongue in Captivity and was never since restored to be Vulgar Capellus asks Why might not Ezra deliver the Sounds of the Points to Israel as well as the Oral Law by Tradition Resp. We deny the Oral Law was delivered by Ezra to Israel but if it were as the Jews imagine yet was there not that need to write one as the other They could keep their Oral Traditions notwithstanding any Alteration of their Language but so could they not preserve the true Punctation of the Language when it ceased to be vulgarly spoken or understood But when through their many Dispersions they were in danger of losing their Traditions then they wrote them as R. Samuel Arcuvolti declares in Arugath Habosem who says also It was necessary that the Points were placed in Ezra's time though it had been unlawful before because the Sound could not be preserved longer than that time without them Capellus Vindiciae lib. 1. cap. 1 § 11. objects Was not Ezra enough with a Prophetick Spirit what need of the Sanhedrin Resp. 1. The Sanhedrin was instituted 2. Others were Prophets as Haggai c. and why must they be excluded 3. This is the General Opinion of Jews and Christians That Ezra and the Prophets did act in Conjunction with the Great Sanhedrin in the Reformation of the Church as they were commanded But of this more elsewhere may be spoken Capellus Vindiciae lib. 1. cap. 1. § 9. says What Aben Ezra says of Ezra is no more than is due to any skilful Grammarian Resp. Not so For First as Cosri says 'T is a Work Divine and requires Divine Aid to give the true Sence of Scripture infallibly and truly 2. That might be done by Ezra by Humane Ability whilst the Language and the Text was rightly read and pronounced that could not be done after the Tongue ceased to be vulgarly understood without Divine Aid And therefore though it were no more than Humane Skill yet none since Ezra could be supposed to have that and therefore it might well enough belong to him on that account So that here is an express Testimony of Aben Ezra for the Antiquity of the Points notwithstanding all the Exceptions made by Capellus against it CHAP. IV. The several places of Aben Ezra wrested by Elias and his Followers considered Their genuine Sence declared WE are now to discover the Fraud and Violence used by Elias and his Followers to wrest the places of Aben Ezra in the places they alledge out of him in favour of their Opinion and to shew that what he saith in those places doth well enough agree with what he hath elsewhere said for the Antiquity of the Points The First place we shall take notice of is in his Book entituled Tsakooth alledged by Elias and after him by Capellus Wherein Aben Ezra saith There are many Interpreters who charge the Author of the Distinction of the Text into Verses with Errour therein but they do not speak what is right and Rabbi Moses the Priest is one of them c. But I admire at this greatly how the Author of the Stops or Verses should err ve aph ki im hu Ezra hasopher seeing he was Ezra the Scribe The Novelists read it And if he were Ezra the Scribe This in general he saith That there hath arisen no Man so wise as the Author of the Pauses since his time for we see that throughout the whole Scripture he hath made the stops no where but where they should be placed Thus far Aben Ezra Here Elias owneth that Hamaphsik the Author of the Stops is meant the Punctator but he wonders why he is called so in the Singular Number being elsewhere in this Book mentioned in the Plural But this Buxorf denies is any where mentioned in the Plural in this Book though the Matter is small whether the one or the other for the Singular might mean Ezra as the Head of the Sanhedrin and the Plural might mean Ezra in Conjunction with the Sanhedrin Elias inferrs from this place That Aben Ezra did not believe the Points were given by Moses on Sinai Resp. We grant it For we say it was his Opinion that Ezra placed them And that Opinion doth well agree with this place Capellus objecteth 'T is too mean a Commendation of the Author of the Points to suppose he meant Ezra when he says There has been none so wise since him and that it was done perfectly right Resp. 'T is Praise enough for Ezra or Moses either to say That none has arisen like him And That the Punctation is exactly according to the Mind of God and in all the Parts of it true and right And as to Others who charge the Punctator with Errour he reproveth them
Tiberias did pronounce Ephodeus in his Grammar cap. 5. fol. 35. col 2. speaking of the true Pronunciation of the Hebrew Tongue and that it is unknown at this time he saith And Rabbi Ionah the next Grammarian to R. Iudah hath already written that Resh hath certain peculiar Properties according to the way of the Men of Tiberias for they are more clear or elegant in the Holy Tongue than all the Hebrews The same he repeateth cap. 32. Balmesius in his Grammar under letter F 3. pag. 2. writeth thus And the Tiberian Readers read it like the Pronunciation of Aleph with Shurek but I know not the reason saith he why they so read it speaking of Vau in the beginning of a word before a letter with Sheva Mobile marked which should be pronounced with Shurek but here hath no other sound than a gentle Aleph And of this Pronunciation of Vau as Aleph Aben Ezra saith fol. 135. col 2. I sakooth So have we received of our Fathers one age after another that it should be so pronounced So Kimchi in Miklol fol. 62. a. Again Balmesius saith in letter F 1. pag. 1. speaking of the letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cheth and Ain in the end of words he saith For many Grammarians which I have seen lean upon the Readers of Tiberias who pronounce it as if there were Aleph For Example They read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Misbeach as if it were written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Book entituled Keneh binah fol. 33. â— And in all the Variations or divers Pronunciations of the Points which are often-times divers ways pronounced The Men of Tiberias are clear more accurate and skilful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than all the Hebrews that are in other Countreys In the Book Leviath Chen whose Author is R. Immanuel Son of Iekutiel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benevontine cap. 3. fol. 5. And although there doth not appear any difference in our present reading between Koph and Caph with Dagesh and between Teth and Tau daggesh'd and between Vau and Beth raphated the Men of Tiberias which were in those days were more expert in our Language than all the Jews They made a difference between them and so they made a difference between the reading of Pathak and Kamets and between Segol and Tsere and between Kibbuez and Shurek Again cap. 18. fol. 19. col 1. where treating of the Pronunciation of the letter Resh he saith In the reading of this letter Resh dageshed and raphated the Men of Tiberias were expert bekiim skilful in those days and in that time And in fol. 105. col 2. treating of the difference that is between divers Letters and Vowels in Verse he saith And we are not skillful in the difference of their Sound or Pronunciation like the Men of Tiberias who were of old time more clear or skilful in the Language than all the Hebrews even as the best Grammarians have testified concerning them Rabbi David Kimchi in Michlol fol. 108. col 2. treating of the letters Begadkephat saith That the Author of the Book Ietsirah hath written Resh with them For he saith there are seven Letters that double as Begadkephrat but the pronouncing of Resh raphated and dageshed we do not hear or sound But I have found saith Kimki in a Book of one Eli the Son of Iudah Hannasir who saith That the sign or difference between Resh dageshed or raphated or hard and gentle belongs only to the Sons of Mesia which is Tiberias for they speak them in their Talk and read them in reading the Scripture and it is in the Mouths of Men Women and Children it departs not from them and without any difference they read and speak Resh Where it should be pronounced hâ—rd there they use to speak or read it with Dagesh and where it should be gentle or soft with Rapha c. Rabbi Iehudah Mulcatus in his Commentary on the Book of Cosri part 2. sect 80. fol. 130. a. on those words of the Author Cosri Or to hasten the reading he saith these words Teach the properties of right Reading which were known to him although they are now strange to us as also many the like are in the reading of the Men of Tiberias which is different from our reading Vid Buxt de Punct Orig. par 1. pag. 24 25. From all which Testimonies it appears saith Buxtorf pag. 25. That the Men of Tiberias were no otherwise famous among the Jews who were but Five hundred or Six hundred years at most after them Then First For their skill at decently reading and pronouncing the Hebrew Tongue Secondly And also for their study and care to preserve the true reading of the Scripture For if they had believed them to have been the Authors of the Points doubtless they would not have passed over that with such negligent silence as not to speak a word about it when they speak of them and of their Commendation Nor can their being praised for Skill und Accuracy in the Punctation suppose them the Authors of it For none need be told that the Inventors of any Art are well acquainted with their own Invention and 't is a slender Encomium to say of such That they understand ther own Invention For if they should not well understand their own Device how should others or who else should Of their Skill and Accuracy Ierom seems to have knowledge alluding thereunto on Gen. 49.21 and that he hired a Iew of Tiberias to teach him to read And as neither He nor the Rabbins ascribe the Invention of the Points to them so the Pointed Bible of Hillel in being long before their time proves the contrary And so much for the Second thing that is What Aben Ezra and the rest of the Rabbins say in Commendation of the Skill and Accuracy of the Tiberian Masorites in the Pronunciation of the Hebrew Tongue and whether what they say of them doth belong unto them as Authors or as Correctors of the Punctation Thirdly The Third thing to be proved is That Aben Ezra doth not ascribe the Invention of the Points to the Masorites because he often differs from them and opposeth them but always follows the Punctation and enjoyns all others so to do As may be seen not only in the places before alledged where he reproves those who charge the Punctator with Errour and saith He hath Pointed right in every place And not only in his Comment on Exod. 34.5 but also in other places he expresseth the same esteem of the Authority and Perfection of the Punctation As for Instance in his Book Tsakooth pag. 179. where he brings Hosea 4.10 They left off to take heed he there saith If we should say so we should thereby accuse Hammappesik Happesukim the Punctator that he did not know the reason of the Accents but far be it from us so to do Chalilah Chalilah And in his Comment on Exod. 6.28 where our Translation ends that Verse as
also Deut. 2.16 with a Comma the sence not making a Period About which matter he saith It is to be admired that the Orderer of the Parasha's should here divide into two Verses that which by the sence seems to be but one And the like is done Deut. 2.16 We know not why 't is done but saith he 't is like Baal Hahapesakoth the Punctator did know the reason why he did so for his Knowledge is larger than ours Hence he adviseth us to follow the Punctator always as in his Book Mosenaim fol. 19. b. And before I expound unto thee all these things already mentioned saith he I must admonish thee that thou dost go after Baal Hataamim the Punctator And whatsoever Exposition is not according to the Exposition of the Accents do not agree to it nor hearken to it and do not mind the words concerning the Ten Verses that one of the Geonim saith do belong to the Verses following or coming after them for they are all right and they are distinguished or divided according as the sence requireth And pag. 198. col 1. disputing against some he saith And moreover if their words were true Lo hajah baal hateamim maphsik beathnak besoph bemillath vejiphol c. the Baal Hateamim who is Hammappesik the Punctator would not have made the Stop or Pause with Athnak in the end in the word Vejiphol Gen. 45.14 So pag. 200. b. He knoweth saith he the Secret of Baal Hateamim the Punctator And elsewhere saith Buxtorf He saith 't is of great moment to keep the way of the Accents Now that Aben Ezra doth not suppose the Punctator or Punctators to be the Masorites appears by this That he treats the Masorites quite otherwise than he hath done the Punctator For First When he speaks of the Masorites he doth not call them Baal hateamim and hammappesik the Punctator but he calls them The Wise Men of the Masora The Men of the Masora and Baal Hammasoret the Author of the Masora And Secondly He often differeth from and opposeth the Masorites but he never opposeth the Punctator And that he oft differs from the Masorites appears by these Instances In Tsakooth 149. concerning the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vehinnehhu Jer. 18.3 which the Keri reads divided into two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vehinneh hu with Aleph added As he reckons by the Masorites he saith This is not defective of Aleph that is wanting Aleph for it is one word though the Men of the Masora do say it is defective And fol. 150. col 2. Ve taam anishee hammasoret eno taam And the Reason of the Men of the Masora is no Reason So fol. 190. he saith concerning a Masoretick Observation Ein tserik There is not need of it And so of others fol. 191.2 fol 192.1 and elsewhere In the end of the Preface prefixed to the great Bibles thus he saith speaking of the Fifth way of Expounding Scripture which he followeth himself And I will not saith he mention the Reasons of the Men of the Masora why this word is written full and why the other word is written defective for all their Reasons are allegorical their Reasons are only good for Children for sometimes the Writer writeth a word full which he doth to make it plain and sometimes he writeth a word more obscurely by the defect of a letter for brevity sake c. but their Reasons are only good for Children So that we see he contemneth and oft opposeth the Masorites but we shewed before he honoureth and always followeth the Punctator Therefore we conclude that Aben Ezra doth not suppose the Masorites to be the Punctator or Authors of the Punctation Capellus Vind. lib. 1. cap. 1. sect 10. objecteth There might be two sorts of Masorites First the Tiberian Punctators and long after them those that numbred the Letters and counted the Keri Uketib Resp. 1. Neither Aben Ezra nor any other Iew make any such distinction 2. A posse ad esse non valet consequentia 3. 'T would injure the former Masorites for he opposeth and despiseth the Masorites in General and if the Punctators whom he reverenceth so much were Masorites also he would no doubt have excepted them particularly 4. Capellus hath hereby lost his Cause by supposing the Authors of the Punctation or Shapes of the Points were long before those that numbred the Letters seeing the Talmuds made before A. D. 500. do call those that numbred the Letters the Ancients as being long before their time whereas Capellus his Opinion is That the Authors of the Points were not till after the Talmuds Capellus Vind. cap. 1. sect 12. saith If the Masorites restored and corrected the Punctation our Faith is humane if built thereon as much as if they invented it Resp. Not so For no more is required to preserve the Text uncorrupt from Age to Age than humane Care and Industry under the conduct of Divine Providence but the giving forth of the Scripture and the ascertaining the Sence of Scripture requires Divine Assistance and Evidence of Divine Authority Capellus objects sect 13. ibid. Vind. The Masorites had few Pointed Copies to correct by or many If few how came they to differ And if many they were either about great Matters or small If about great Matters then we stand on Humane Authority if about small then 't was not worth their labour Resp. 1. Themselves say nothing can be certainly spoken of those Times by reason of the darkness of the History thereof and therefore they should not press us in this Point 2. How many Pointed Copies were then we matter not but that there were very great and many differences in the Copies we deny the Providence of God watching over his Word to preserve it to the end of Time The Superstitious care of the Jews and the Religious Care of the Christians would not consist with it but some small difference might be suffered to quicken the diligence of those whose duty and concern it was to preserve it which might be well worth their time to Correct and justly deserve the Praise of Posterity for the same Capellus objecteth They must destroy all other Copies besides that which they corrected and this was impossible to be done Resp. No more need for this than for to burn Hereticks and destroy all that differ from us No Truth is Light the shining whereof dispelleth Darkness and so is their Copy universally embraced as the Standard Capellus Vind. cap. 1. sect 17. saith How know we that the Masorites did correct the Copies seeing there is no History of it And if they did correct them 2. It might be fallacious and stuffed with many things in favour of their own Nation 3. Who can believe that these Men chose the best and most genuine sence always and never mistook either by Errour Negligence or Design 4. Who can believe that our present Copies are the same as those which the Masorites corrected Resp. They most need to Answer these Questions
themselves who say they are the Authours of the Punctation We allow them no more than to be Examiners or Correctors of it which their superstitious Care of the Text and the general Esteem of the Jews of those Masorites is enough to evidence the Truth of as much as we need to lean on them for But how do they solve these Doubts Why they say the Punctation yields generally a genuine and right Sence If therefore this be strong enough to satisfie those who make them the Authors of the Punctation that they were able and faithful in Pointing the Text much more may it be a sufficient Satisfaction to those who allow them no further hand about the Punctation than barely to examine the Copies and follow the most and best Approved in their time These are the faint Efforts of Persons engaged in a desperate Cause And thus we have proved at large that Aben Ezra is not of the Opinion that the Masorites Pointed the Text and all that he saith about the Points and the Punctation proves the contrary As also all that Aben Ezra and the other Rabbins say in Commendation of the Skill and Accuracy of the Tiberian Masorites proves no more than that they were skilful and faithful Correctors or Collaters and Examiners of the Copies of their time and doth not at all belong to them as Authors or Inventors of the Punctation We are nextly to consider what other Rabbins Elias and his Followers bring to countenance their Opinion though not one of the places they alledge speak one word about the Masorites of Tiberias much less of their being the Inventors of the Punctation CHAP. VI. The Testimonies of Cosri R. David Kimchi and Tsak Sephataim considered Inferences from the Silence of the Iews and the Insufficiency of the Evidences for the Novelty of the Points 2. The Testimony of Cosri considered ELias in Masoret Hammasoret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. col 2. saith Thus saith the Author of Cosri Without doubt it was kept in their Hearts that is the Points from the time of Moses was with Pathak and Kamets and Sheva and Chirek and the Accents c. And they put seven Kings and Accents which were Signs to express those Sounds which they had received of Moses from Sinai And what thinkest thou of their ordering the Scripture first with Verses and after that with Points and then with Accents and then with the Masora with the Observation of the Words that are full or defective until they had numbred the Letters c. Now Quid sibi vult Elias What doth Elias infer from hence Why saith he Behold it was not his mind that Moses wrote them We grant it What then Why saith Elias Oh that the Author of Cosri had explained to us who he meant when he saith Vesamu and they put or placed them viz. the Points whether he meant the Men of the Great Synagogue or the Masorites But I think he meant the Masorites saith Elias But why he thinks so he says not Well be it so the Jews think otherwise And We think otherwise that he meant the Men of the Great Synagogue both by the sence of the place in Cosri and by the Exposition of Muscatus upon the place First As to the sence of the place the Author of Cosri saith in the place alledged That the Punctation was certainly made by Men divinely assisted or it had never been so universally received as it is and else Men of like ability might be able to do the like And it was done saith he with admirable Wisdom for it appears that in the fixing of the Points and Accents there is such an Order therein that cannot be done but by Divine Assistance which is far otherwise than our Wisdom can attain unto in every respect c. Now all the Jews acknowledge that none have been Divinely Inspired and Infallibly Assisted since the time of Ezra that Prophesie ceased And therefore Cosri must needs mean the time of Ezra by Vesamu And they put them And Secondly so R. Iudah Muscatus upon the place Vesamu And they put them doth expound it where he saith It appeareth to me that by this indefinite Speech he meaneth the Men of the Great Synagogue for unto that time the Antecedents and Consequents or what is spoken before it and after it doth agree And thus we see the Father-in-Law Cosri is of the same mind with his Son-in-Law Aben Ezra that the Points were as ancient as Ezra's time 3. R. David Kimchi's Testimony examined Elias in Masoret Hammasoret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7 th 2 d. alledgeth what Kimchi saith in Miklol pag. 69 70. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Orderers of the Pointing have put a difference between the Third Pers. Sing of the Preterperfect Tense of Niphal and the Participle Benoni Sing for their reading is the same viz. Niphkad alike in both and they have Pointed the middle radical letter of the Preterperfect Tense with Pathak and the Participle Benoni with Kamets Now all that is hence objected is That if Kimchi had thought that Moses or Ezra had Pointed the Text he would not have spoken in the Plural Numb Metakkenim the Orderers but in the Singular Res. 1. That doth not follow for he might mean Ezra in Conjunction with the Men of the Great Synagogue collectively 2. Other places of Kimchi shew what his Opinion is herein though as Buxtorf observes the Jews speak of Ezra and the Sanhâ—drin in the Singular or Plural Number indifferently Ezra is called the Head of the Scribes and Aben Ezra speaking of the 18. Tikkun Sopherim on Numb 12.12 He calls them there Tikkun Ezra But to â—ind Kimchi's Mind plainly we shall view the places where he speaks his Thoughts about it As First In his Preface on Ioshua where speaking of the Keri and Ketib he saith It appears that these words were found thus 〈…〉 that in the former Captivity the 〈…〉 and the Wise Men were disperâ—ed and they that knew the Law were dead And the Men of the Great Sanhedrin who restored the Law to its old Estate they found some difference between some Copies and they followed the agreement of the majority of Copies according to their knowledge and in the place that they could not well understand clearly which was the rightest and truest there they wrote one and did not Poinâ— it or else they wrote it without and did not write it within That is in the line and so they wrote one way in the Line and another in the Margin Now saith Buxtorf in that Kimchi saith of the Men of the Great Sanhedrin that restored the Law to its pristine state That the one of these words that have a different reading they did not Point Doth it not plainly follow then in his Opinion that they Pointed the other Or else how was the not Pointing the one a Mark to distinguish it from the other And so by Consequence the Points were then in use Capellus Vind. lib. 1.
the Text of the Old Testament and the Form of writing the same as they had found it received by the Jews in their time with this single end or design That no Persons whatsoever in time to come should presume to make the least Alteration of the Text on any Pretence or for any Reason whatever And hence the Masora is said to be Sig Letorah An Hedge to the Law And this shall be made appear by Instances throughout all the Parts of the Masora On the other hand the Punctation determins the sence of all the Scripture it speaks what that makes it say and nothing else This might be placed by Ezra well enough while the right Sound was known and Men divinely inspired were among them But for the Post-Talmudick Masorites to presume to introduce the Shapes of innumerable significant Points upon the Text thereby determining the sence of every word in the Bible is a thing more contrary and opposite to the whole Nature and only Design of all the Masora and of all their Masoretick Notes than ever was done And therefore it is altogether improbable that the Masoritâ—s or the Authors of the Masora should be the Inventors of the Punctation and the Intruders of the same upon the Text. Now to prove the Truth of what is here asserted in General about the Nature and Design of the Masora we shall produce Instances out of all the Parts of the Masora the very Proposal whereof will evince what we affirm That as they do no where own themselves to be the Authors of the Points so their work was only to observe what de facto they found the Text to be and their only design thereby was to preserve it from being altered in any thing As to the matter of the Masora wherein it consisteth Buxtorf in Tib. cap. 12. saith They are Critical Annotations concerning the Hebrew Text of Sacred Scripture The Text is considered 1. As to the Verses 2. The Words And 3. The Letters of it First As to the Verses 1. The Verses are all numbred through every Book of the Bible and the middle Verse of each Book is noted Also the Verses in every Section of the Law and of every Book of Scripture are numbred by themselves As for Instance Genesis hath 1534 Verses The middle Verse of it is in cap. 27. ver 40. And thou shalt live by thy Sword Exodus hath 1209 Verses The middle Verse of it is in cap. 22. ver 28. All the Pentateuch 5845. Tho' the precise numb is question'd And so of the rest Vid. Buxtorf Tib. and Parkhurst's Canon of Scripture part 1. pag. 88. According to which Account the Masorites reckon the Verses in all the Bible to be 23206. Hence they are called Sopherim Numberers and are herein a Hedge to the Law that not a Verse should be lost So that in this part of the Masora their Work is only to note what they found the Text to be de facto And 2. Their Design is to preserve it entire from Alteration And 3. We may observe that the Verses were distinguished before their time or they could not have been numbred by them as being found by them so to be Secondly The Verses are considered with respect to some Words and Letters that are found in them As for Instance one Verse is noted consisting of 42 Words and 160 Letters and that is Ier. 21. 7. Which Note if they had made the Verses themselves had been no very wise Observation And they note two Verses only in the Law that begin with the lâ—tter Samech viz. Exod. 32.8 Numb 14.19 And two Verses end with Samech viz. Gen. 32.14 Numb 19.33 And there are two Verses they say wherein Vajomar is four times used viz. Gen. 22.7 1 King 20.14 with many such like The Nature and Design of which is as we have observed on the number of the Verses to observe what they sound the Text de facto to be and to prâ—serve it from Alteration the Verses themselves being distinguished before their time for 't were absurd to make such Notes on Verses of their own making CHAP. X. The Improbability of the Masorites Pointing the Text further discovered from the Nature of their Notes on the Keri U Ketib and the seven kinds of them AS the Masorites consider the Text as to the Verses of it so they consider it with respect to the words of it likewise And their Observations herein also are only about what they found the Text de facto to be with design to preserve it from any Alteration in time to come which appears by a view of the several sorts or kinds of Observations about the words of the Text of the Old Testament The first sort of Observations about the words of the Text is concerning their genuine and true Writing and Reading called Keri and Ketib These Elias reckons in all to be 848 viz. 65 in the Law 454 in the Prophets and 229 in the Hagiography But Buxtorf and Others reckon more of them The Antiquity of these Keri and Ketib are not only expresly owned to be as ancient as Ezra's time by R.D. Kimchi in Pref. on Ioshua Abarbinel on Ieremiah and the rest of the Jews but also by Elias Levita himself and therefore needs not be here proved We shall therefore for our present purpose only consider the several sorts of the Keri and Ketib as the Masorites have sorted them and summed them up under each sort severally by themselves Now these Keri and Ketib Elias Levita hath divided into Seven Sorts or Kinds as the Masorites have summed them up and noted how they found them that they might not be alterâ—d hereafter Vid. Elias in Maamar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or his First Section The First kind is of Letters that are read in words and not written and written in words and not read And these are mostly the Letters jehu a h u j which are so found at the beginning middle and end of words Only it is to be observed saith Elias that Vau and Iod are not to be found so when they are quiescent in the midst of a word that is to say Vau after Holem and Shurek and Iod after Chirek and Tsere for these are in the Order of Chesarim and Melaim viz. words Defective and Full. But Vau is often written and not read after Kamets or Kateph Kamets As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jos. 9.6 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isai. 18.4 and many the like And Elias saith that the letter that is written but not read there that letter is not Pointed in the word wherein it is written as Ier. 50.8 from the Land of the Chaldeans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They came forth And also Ezek. 46.9 there Iod is written but not read As the Keri saith Iod is not read And so Baal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 HE is not read saith the Keri therefore it is not Pointed in the Ketib Eccles. 10.20 And as to the keri u lo ketib Elias observeth
that follow viz. That the Masorites would never have observed and kept these little Niceties as a Law upon their Posterity not to add alter or rectifie so much as a Letter where our Printers and all Translators make no scruple to do as the sence directs if they had added all the Punctation Fourthly The Fourth kind of Keri and Ketib is about placing the letter He 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is to say where there are two words so joyned that the first word taketh for its last letter the first letter of the second word being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He or on the contrary the second word taking to it self for its first letter the last letter of the foregoing word And First Where the first word takes to it self the first letter of the following word being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pointed in the line with Pathak and in the Keri is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Emphatick or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hajadajah at the beginning of the word And of these there are three in all thus written viz. 2 Sam. 5.2 Iob 38.12 Ezek. 42.9 And in two places 't is contrarily used that is the second word taking for its first letter the last letter of the word before it as 2 Sam. 21. 9 12. Ezra 4.12 Of this Fourth kind the final Masora directeth to the summ under Caph on Ketib And of this Fourth kind the same may be said as was observed on the Third kind before it Fifthly The Fifth kind of Keri u Ketib is of perfect words which are written and not read and read and not written First The words which are read and not written Elias counts Eight But the Masora round the first word of Deuteronomy reckon Ten viz. 1 Iudg. 20.13 2 2 Sam. 8.3 3 2 Sam. 16. ult 4 2 Sam. 18.20 5 2 King 19.37 6 2 King 19.31 7 Ier. 31.38 8 Ier. 50.29 9 Ruth 3.5 10 Ruth 3.17 Secondly Eight words are written but not read as the greater Masora on Ruth 3.13 have collected them viz. 1 2 King 5.18 2 Ier. 38.16 3 Ier. 51.3 4 Ezek. 48.16 5 6 7 8 in s four times written and not read 1 Ruth 3.13 2 2 Sam. 15.21 3 2 Sam. 13.33 4 Ier. 39.12 The final Masora under Caph on Ketib directeth to the places where the Keri u lo Ketib and the Ketib u lo Keri are reckoned up The words written but not read have no Point at all and the words read but not written have no Letters but Points only in the line So that this sort of Keri and Ketib as indeed all the rest are preserved by the help of the Points and not without them And this Keri u lo Ketib and Ketib u lo Keri is not only owned by Elias himself to be as ancient as Ezra but the Talmud it self saith of it That it was of Moses from Sinai that is of Divine Original and thereby as Ancient as Ezra and therefore the Points whereby alone it is preserved must be as Ancient likewise Sixthly The Sixth kind of Keri u Ketib is of words that are written one word and read two or written two words and read one First Of the words written one word and read two are Fifteen as Elias and the lesser Masora on Gen. 30.11 reckon them up 1 Gen. 30.11 2 Exod. 4.2 3 Isai. 3.15 4 Ezek. 8.6 5 Ier. 6.29 6 Ier. 18.3 7 Psal. â—0 10 8 Psal. 55.15 9 1 Chron. 9.4 10 Psal. 123.4 11 1 Chron. 27.12 On this 1 Chron. 27.12 the greater Masora reckon up the words foregoing and the four following 12 Deut. 33.2 13 Iob 38.1 14 Iob 40.6 15 Neh. 2.13 Secondly The words that are written two words and read but one are Eight saith Elias and the final Masora under Caph in Ketib and says that they are reckoned up in the greater Masora on 2 Chron. 34.6 as they are viz. 1 2 Chron. 34.6 2 1 Sam. 9.1 3 1 Sam. 24.8 4 1 King 18.5 5 Lam. 1.6 6 Lam. 4.3 7 Isa. 9.7 8 Isa. 44.24 9 Iudg. 16.25 Of this kind the same may be said as was before spoken on the former Seventhly The Seventh kind of Keri u Ketib is of words that are used for Modesty sake As First Shegel is four times to be read as Shacab says the final Masora under Shegel in Shin and reckons them up in the greater Masora on Isai. 13.16 viz. 1 Deut. 28.30 2 Isai. 13.16 3 Ier. 3.2 4 Zech. 14.2 Secondly The word Ophelim is read Techorim five times as the final Masora mentions on Techorim in Teth and directeth to 1 Sam. 5.12 where they are found 1 1 Sam. 5.12 2 1 Sam. 5.6 3 1 Sam. 5.9 4 1 Sam. 6.9 5 1 Sam. 6.5 6 Deut. 28.27 And 1 Sam. 5 11â— 17. 't is written as 't is read as the Masorites observe Thirdly The word Chrihem their Dung is read Tâ—oihem their Excrement and Seenihem their Piss is read Mee regleehem the Waters of their Feet As 1 2 King 18.27 2 Isa. 36.12 3 2 King 10.27 4 2 King 6.25 Now 't is very improbable that these Men who dare not leave out an Immodest word when there is one Modest in the place of it of the same Antiquity nor make the least Omission of any one useless letter that they found in a former Copy and yet cannot tell what it signifies to retain it It is I say very Improbable that these very Men should dare to Invent and Intrude all the Shapes of the Points Vowels and Accents upon the Text of Scripture whose business is to observe every little difference of a letter or word and to preserve the same that no Alteration might be made in time to come Again Elias himself in Masor Hammas Pref. 3. owns the Keri u Ketib to be as ancient as Ezra So doth Kimchi in Pref. on Ioshua and Abarbinel on Ieremiah And the Eight hundred forty eight words are preserved by the help of the Points as Kimchi Pref. on Ioshua observeth for the Points under the word in the Line are not its own but do belong to the word in the Margin so that without the Points the Keri and Ketib could not be preserved but it is preserved as we see Therefore the Points were as ancient as the time of Ezra seeing the Keri and Ketib which they preserve is so ancient And so Kimchi on Ioshua says that Ezra and the Men of the Great Synagogue put the Keri in the Margin and did not Point it to distinguish it thereby from the word in the line And as R. Sal. Arcuvâ—lti saith cap. 26. The Keri lieth hid in the Points of the Ketib And so much for the Original Nature and Kinds of the Keri u Ketib and the Masoretick Notes thereon CHAP. XI The Improbability of the Masorites Pointing the Text further discovered from the Nature of their Observations on the words written Full or Defective called Meleim and Chaserim And also from their Notes on the Ittur Sopherim seu ablatio Scribarum that is what the
Scribes have taken away And from the Tikkun Sopherim seu correctio scribarum or the eighteen places amended by the Scribes And from other Masoretick Notes on the words of the Bible and their Sibbirin or Conjectures THE Second sort of Masoretick Observations upon the words of the Text is about the words that are written Full or Defective the Original whereof Elias himself in Pref. 3. with the rest of the Jews owneth to the Divine and thereby as ancient as Ezra The Nature of these words Elias describes in Masoret Hammasoret Dibbur Haroshon 1. As also doth Buxtorf in his Tiberias from him which is this Know saith Elias that the chief and most of those words which the Masorites observe concerning them that they are Defective or Full they are most commonly such words that have Vau or Iod quiescent in the middle of a word that is Vau after Holem or Shurek and Iod after Chirek or Tsere and 't is but a few that they observe defective with Aleph or He And saith Elias I will begin with those that are defective or wanting Vau with Holem which are many Now know saith he that most of the Holems in Scripture want Vau but yet they do not observe of every Holem in Scripture that is without Vau that it is defective nor yet of every Holem that is with Vau do they say it is full Only those words whose manner is to have Holem with Vau most commonly when they come at any time without Vau then they observe concerning them that such a word is defective And so likewise those words whose manner is to have Holem come most commonly without Vau then whenever such a word cometh with Vau they observe concerning such a word that it is written full So that saith Elias this is a Rule That only those words which are for the most part written full they only are said by them to be defective when they are written defective And on the other hand Only those words that for the most part are written defective when they are written full concerning them only it is That the Masorites observe that such a word is written full Now of these Meleim ve Chaserim or words written ful or defective the Masorites make innumerable Observations for they note them where-ever they meet them which is almost every where Now what had it been for them to have made them all full or defective had they Pointed the Text But they religiously note every place where a word that is usually written full that is where the Vowel Letter is added to the Point most commonly if that word be ever written without the Vowel Letter they observe concerning it that it is defective but dare not make it full by adding to it the Vowel Letter though they know it is so written most commonly Now can any one imagine that these Men did venture to place the whole Punctation who durst neither add nor yet omit one single Vowel Letter where the Use of the word shews it should be added or omitted Thirdly The Third sort of Masoretick Observations upon the words of the Text is about the words that are called Ittur sopherim seu ablatio scribarum or What the Scribes have taken away the Antiquity whereof the Talmud it self owneth to be of Divine Original and Elias doth not deny it so to be Now these Ittur Sopherim are five words that might seem as to the sence to have required the letter Vau to signifie And at the beginning of them but being written without them are to be read without them Of these the final Masora on Ittur under Ain mention four and direct to Psal. 36.6 where they are reckoned up viz. 1 Gen. 18.5 2 Gen. 24.55 3 Numb 12.14 4 Psal. 36.6 5 Psal. 68.26 Vid. R. Chaim in Pref. on the Bible Now can any think that these are the Men who made so bold with the Text as to Point all the Scripture of the Old Testament and yet did not venture to put a Vau one Vowel Letter where the sence seemed to require it and observed these places that none might presume to add or alter a Vowel Letter upon their own Judgment even there where they thought the sence did require it so to be Fourthly The Fourth sort of Masoretick Observations upon the words of the Text is about the Eighteen places Transposed called Tikkun sopherim seu correctio scribarum or The Amendments of the Scribes otherwise called by Aben Ezra Tikkun Ezra The Amendments made by Ezra For Elias the Talmud and the Iews generally own their Divine Original only Aben Ezra Iarchi c. sometimes say there was no Tikkun but the Text always was as now it is and the Masorites curse any that dare alter these places which they reckon up round the beginning of Numbers 1 Gen. 18.22 2 Numb 11.15 3 Numb 12.12 4 Ier. 2.11 5 1 Sam. 3.13 6 2 Sam. 16.12 7 Hos. 4.7 8 2 Chron. 10.16 1 King 12.16 2 Sam. 20.1 9 Ezek. 8.17 10 Hab. 1.12 11 Mal. 1.13 12 Zech. 2.8 13 Iob 7.20 14 Iob 32.3 15 Lam. 3.20 16 Psal. 106.20 Of these the Masorites say on Numbers cap. 1. A Curse shall come upon every one that writes an Accusation against these Tikkum Sopherim And if so what must they have expected would have befallen themselves had they intruded the whole Punctation who esteemed the least part of Scripture to be so compleat and sacred Fifthly There are other sorts of Masoretick Observations upon the words of the Text which manifest likewise that the Authors of such Notes were very unlikely to be the Inventors of the Points and Verses Such as these 1. They note the Place or Position of words as they are found in the beginning or end of a Verse As in Gen. 1. 2. they say Vehaarets and the Earth is eight times at the beginning of a Verse and the eight places are there collected But if they had made the Verses they 'd never have made such Notes on their own Invention for they had other work to do and 't was their own Fancy to have them eight times at the beginning if they made the Verses 2. They observe also when a Verb is used with one certain Noun or Preposition and how often as how often Amar said is joyned with the words El Elohim unto God which they found to be nine times so the Verb Iareh to fear is seven times joyned with Eth Elohim the Lord as they observe on Gen. 42.18 Certainly the Authors of the Punctation had somewhat else to do than make such Notes 3. They observe the signification of the ambiguity of a word as to its various sences on Gen. 6.11 Gnaleh a Leaf the Masora there saith it is six times used to signifie a Leaf And why might it not have been six score times in that sence had they so Pointed it For it is fixed by the Points to the several sences wherein it is used for Gnaleh in other places so
them all but do no more than barely note them Hence we conclude the Punctation and all the Parts of it were long before the Masorites and before these Masoretick Notes else they would have made no Anomalies or given a Reason why they did make any If now the whole Punctation were not finished until A. D. 1030. as Capellus supposeth then there is no time left for the Masorites to live in for the Grammarians succeeded Ben Asher A.D. 1030. and take no notice of them which they would not have omitted had any such Criticks in their Learning been in their time But if the Punctation were finished A. D. 500. as Elias supposeth then these Masorites who made the Points could not make these Notes on the Anomalies thereof also as he imagineth they did but were long after them Vtrum horum mavis accipe Capellus saith If the Masorites did not Point the Text it follows not the Points were before A.D. 500. Resp. None else besides the Masorites are pretended to be the Authors of the Points since Ezra's time If therefore the Masorites did not Point the Text it must have been Pointed in Ezra's time Capellus supposeth the Anomalies may be either from Use against Grammar or by Errour or Design In supposing it was by following Use and Custom against Grammar-Rule it must then be allowed 1 st That all the Points Vowels and Accents are usefully distinct from each other which elsewhere he denyes for they must distinguish all these Anomalies in their Sound by the Ear till the Punctation was placed His other Conjectures That it may be it was done by Errour shews how little he regards the Providential Care of God over his Word to be a perfect Rule to the Worlds end so he can get but an it may be it was Errour and then it may be it was Design and yet a Posse ad esse non valet consequentia as before was observed We cannot conclude that every thing is actually whatever it may possibly be It may be saith Capellus the first Authors of the Points made these Anomalies by mistake but the succeeding Masorites finding of them supposed they were designedly made at first and so left and noted them Resp. 1 st Then the Points Vowels and Accents were made long before these Notes on the Anomalies of all the Parts of the Punctation 2. Then the Punctation was not 500 years in composing for all on 't was finished before these Notes were made which yet were many Ages in making 3. Then the first Masorites were the greatest blundering Blockheads that ever were to make such innumerable palpable Mistakes in what they had invented themselves And yet their Successors must be supposed to esteem them so infallibly exact as to follow them universally against their own Sence and Reason not daring to rectifie one Mistake 4. If Ben Asher A. D. 1040. finished the Punctation why did he not rectifie these Mistakes or Anomalies in all the Parts of it And then let him produce some Evidence that this Masora or the Notes on these Anomalies were made by Masorites that lived since Ben Asher's time whereas the Grammarians succeeded Ben Asher and take no notice of any such Secondly Capelius says if this won't do that 't was done by Mistake then It may be it was done at first designedly by the first Masorites the Causes whereof we may not know which the following Masorites to prevent any Alterarion of them through inadvertency have made those Notes on them And this is not strange seeing we must suppose Ezra did it designedly nor yet absurd seeing we suppose Ezra did the same Resp. 1 st Still the Punctation was all finished by the first Masorites contrary to his Opinion elsewhere 2. Ezra was a publick Person and divinely inspired but the Masorites were private Persons and had neither ordinary nor extraordinary Call or Authority to place innumerable Points contrary to all Grammar-Rule without rendring an Account of the Reason why they did so And therefore 2 ly 'T is absurd in them though it was not so in Ezra for as Capellus saith the cause of these Anomalies might be that such was the Use and Custom of the Tongue so to express some words different from Grammar-Rule This might be known and done by Ezra but could not be done by the Masorites because the knowledge of such Niceties as the Anomalous Sounds were lost long before their time In short this we say from hence 1. The Masorites are the Authors of the Masora we know no other of their Works than this 2. These have made the Notes that are made on the Anomalous Punctation And 3. They who made these Notes we have proved were not the Authors of the Punctation because all the Punctation must have been made long before these Notes could be made thereon and therefore we conclude that the Masorites were not the Authors of the Punctation CHAP. XIV The Absurdity of the Opinion That the Masorites Pointed the Text A. D. 500. discovered from the Evidence there is that the Masora which the Masorites made was long before A. D. 500. THe Masorites or Authors of the Masora must by all means be accounted for the Authors of the Punctation and yet it will not be allowed that the Points were invented before A. D. 500. after the Talmuds We shall therefore prove that the Masora it self or the principal Parts of it were before the Talmuds being owned as such in the Talmuds themselves Now as to the Parts of the Masora the Antiquity whereof we are to examine we agree with the Account that Elias himself giveth us thereof in Masoret Hammasoret pag. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who tells us That by the Masorites the Scriptures are preserved so well that no change can befall them in time to come in the least And hence they are called a Hedge to the Law which otherwise had been lost These Masorites he saith numbred all the Verses Words and Letters of every Book of the Bible and hence were called Sopherim or Numberers and hereby they found that Vau in the word Gihon was the middle of the Law as to the Letters Darash in Darash Moshe was the middlemost word And he put on him the Breast-plate Lev. 8.8 was the middlemost Verse in the Law And the like was done of every Book of the Bible or twenty four Books As also they numbred the Verses Words and Letters in every Parasha or Section of the Law as well as the whole Law which had 60045 Letters Also they reckoned how oft every Letter in the Alphabet was found in the Scriptures As for Instance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aleph was found saith he 42377 times in the Bible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beth 38218 times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 29537 times and so of the rest Thus far Elias Now we shall prove that the Parts of the Masora here mentioned were long before the Talmuds and yet the Authors of these Parts of the Masora are here called the
Masorites by Elias himself First As to the Name of the Masora that is not only mentioned by both the Talmuds but spoken of as being as ancient as Ezra's time in the Ierusalem Talmud in Megilla cap. 4. And in the Babylon Talmud in Masecat Nedarim cap. 4. fol. 37. In explaining Neh. 8.8 And caused them to understand the reading that is the Masora say both the Talmuds That is saith Elias By Oral Tradition the Masora was then used Not so saith R. Azarias they speak of what was written and not of Tradition Again The common Saying of the Talmuds shew the Name of the Masora was then known viz. There is a Mother to the Scripture and there is a Mother to the Masora And as to the Work of the Masorites Elias supposeth cap. 2. that they made the Verses And yet the Mishna it self not long after the Destruction of Ierusalem mentions the Verses as in Masecat Megilla cap. 3. it saith He that reads in the Law must not read less than three Verses and in the Paraphrase not more than one And as the Talmud on Megilla cap. 3. fol. 32. saith What Verse Moses did not make a Verse we must not make a Verse Secondly Again As to the Parts of the Masora their readings Ittur Sopherim Keri u lo Ketib thus saith the Talmud in Masecat Nedarim fol. 37. Rabbi Isaac saith the reading of the Scribes and Ittur Sopherim and the Keri u lo Ketib and the Ketib u lo Keri is a Constitution of Moses from Sinai Thirdly But the main Work that Elias ascribes to the Masorites was the numbring the Verses Words and Letters of Scripture and telling which is the middle Verse Word and Letter of the Law and the like Now of these the Talmud maketh mention most plainly in Masecat Kedushin cap. 1. fol. 30. it is thus written Therefore Roshonim the Ancients were called Sopherim Numberers because they numbred all the Letters which were in the Law and these said that Vau in the word Gihon is the middlemost Letter of the Law Lev. 11.42 That Darash Lev. 10.16 is the middlemost word of the Law And Hitgalach Lev. 13.35 is the middlemost Verse in the Law c. The Ancients they say knew well the Letters full and defective and that the Verses of the Law were 5888. The Talmud indeed oft refuteth the Masora as Elias confesseth in Table 1. Speech 5. but then the Masora must needs be in being The Talmud takes notice of the Great and Small Letters which is also a Part of the Masora as on Sopherim cap. 9. it saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Great Deut. 29.28 What Argument saith Buxtorf can be plainer than this the Name and Work and Parts of the Masora were long before A. D. 500. Therefore they were not first made A. D. 500. as Elias thinketh Indeed he allows them to be by Tradition before a thing most absurd and impossible but not written until after the Talmuds A. D. 500. Now we say if the Masorites Pointed the Text they were these Masorites who wrote the Notes about the number of the Letters Words and Verses of the Bible of the Ittur Sopherim the Keri u lo Ketib the Reading of the Scribes the Letters Greater or Lesser than ordinary the Letters and Words Full and Defective and the like all which the Talmuds plainly say were made by the Ancients their Ancestors long before their time or else the Punctation was made by other Masorites than these the Talmud speaks of if the Punctation was made by these Men then it was made long before A. D. 500. even as ancient as Ezra for so ancient is this Masora esteemed by the Jews to be Elias his Fancy That this Masora was Orally preserved from Ezra 's time till A. D. 500. is refuted by R. Azarias and R. S. Arcuvolti But if the Masorites who Pointed the Text were not these ancient Masorites the Talmuds speak of then they were either those that made the Notes on the Anomalous Punctation and upon the rest of the things that are the Subject of the Masoretick Observations which compose the present Masora or else they were some others But they were not these Masorites neither for we have at large proved that those who made the Notes on the Punctation were long after the Punctation was made And that those who made the other Notes on the other Parts of the Masora did only observe what they found the Text to be but placed nothing to the Text their only design being to prevent any from so doing in time to come If therefore the Masorites Pointed the Text they were other Masorites than either of these before mentioned But other than the one or the other sort of Masorits already mentioned we neither read nor hear of and till some other can be found out we conclude the Masorites A. D. 500. or since that time did not Point the Text. And so much for the discovery of the Improbability of those Persons Pointing the Text to whom the Invention of the Punctation is ascribed CPAP. XV. The Absurdity of the Opinion That the Text was first Pointed A D. 500 further discovered from the Evidences of the Points Vowels Accents and Verses being long before that time and the Instance of a Pointed Copy of R. Hillel A. D. 340. and from the Account we have of these things in the Zoar Bahir Mishna and Talmuds WE shall conclude this FIRST PART with the Evidences of the mention that is made of all the Parts of the Punctation in the ancient Writings of the Jews that were before A. D. 500. and the Instance of a Pointed Copy of R. Hillel of great Antiquity We shall begin with the Book entitled Habahir made by R. Nechoniah fifty years before Christ. Vid. Buxtorf Thesaurus A. D. 1609. pag. 66 67. Iuchasin pag. 20. Tsemach David part 1. pag. 35. R. Azarias Meor Enaim cap. 59. The words of Bahir are these The Points in the Letters of the Law of Moses are like unto the Breath of Life in the Body of a Man And in the Book called Zohar made by R. Simeon ben Iochai a hundred years after Christ. Vid. Buxtorf ibid. and Bibliothaeca Rabbinica on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iuchasin pag. 42. R. Azarias Meor Enaim in imre bina cap. 59. The words of Zohar are these Not one Letter is able to signifie one thing or another without the Points All the Letters without the Points are like the Body without the Soul when the Points come then the Body stands in its Station And so in the Tikkunim or Explications of the Zohar saith R. Azarias ibid. And in the Preface of Tikkunïm 't is said The Accents are as the Breath and the Points as the Spirit and the Letters as the Soul the one come after the other And this as R. Azarias ibid. observes is not meant of the Sounds only but of the Shapes of the Points Vowels and Accents as he there gives Instances See more of the ancient
Pathack So Mercer on Prov. 24.14 on the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dech he saith In a Manuscript it is writ with Tsere but in the Margin it is noted that in Hillel's Copy 't is written with Segol The same faith R. Moses Bar Nachman in his Commentary on the Book of Ietsir or Iezirah Capellus objects It may be Hillel's Copy was not so ancient as is pretended But gives no Reason why we should suspect its Antiquity which is generally owned by the Jews as Iuchasin Kimchi Vid. Buxt de Punct Orig. part 2. cap. 7. So that the Points were before A. D. 500. being found in Hillel's Copy A. D. 340. and mentioned in the Bahir Zohar Mishna and Talmuds And hence we conclude the FIRST PART of this Discourse That the Text was not Pointed by the Masorites A. D. 500. or since that time at Tiberias or elsewhere And thus have we collected what others have written and our selves observed about the Novelty of the Points the like we intend about their Antiquity in the SECOND PART but more briefly if possible The End of the FIRST PART 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 OR A Discourse concerning the Antiquity and Original of the Points Vowels and Accents that are placed to the Hebrew Bible The SECOND PART WHEREIN The Antiquity Divine Original and Authority of the present Punctation is proved By the Testimony of Jews and Christians The Universal Consent of all Nations that receive the Scriptures Their quiet Possession of the Text as 't is now Pointed by Prescription from Age to Age. The Vowels an Essential part of Speech oft expressed by the Punctation only The Obscurity of the Scripture without Points which yet was commanded to be written very plainly The Old-Testament evidencing it self to be the Word of God in and by the Punctation only The Anomalies thereof manifesting its Antiquity The Promise of Christ Mat. 5.18 That nothing shall be lost out of the Law or the Prophets whereof the Points are so great a part The manifest Absurdity of the contrary Opinion And other Considerations TOGETHER WITH Answers to the several Objections of Elias Levita Ludovicus Capellus Dr. Walton and Others against their Antiquity Such as are The Testimonies of some Jews about the Points The Unpointed Copy of the Law so kept in the Synagogue The Silence of the ancient Caballistical Writings of the Mishna and Talmuds about them The LXX and Chaldee Paraphrase reading otherwise than our Punctation directeth The Samaritan Character supposed to be the ancient Hebrew never Pointed The Novelty of their Names The Superfluity of their Numbers The possibility of preserving the Sound without the Shapes and of reading the Bible without Points as well as the Rabbinical Commentaries the Talmuds and other Oriental Languages are read without them By the help of the Matres Lectionis or Letters Evi a h v i By the scope of the place c. The Silence of Ierom and the Fathers about them The Opinion of divers Modern Divines both Papists and Protestants against the Antiquity of the Shapes of the present Punctation The Keri u Ketib being about the Letters and never about the Points and the like In TWO PARTS The FIRST PART containing the Testimonies The SECOND the Arguments of Jews and Christians for their Antiquity and Divine Authority wherein the Objections against the same are Answered The FIRST PART of the SECOND PART Containing the Testimonies of Iews and Christians for the Antiquity of the Points with the Answer to the several Objections that are made thereunto CHAP. I. §. 1. The Question stated §. 2. The several Opinions of those who own the Antiquity of the Points enumerated Their Divine Original proved by the Testimony of all the Iews Elias only excepted The extent and weight of this Testimony in part considered §. 3. The Objections of express Testimonies against the Antiquity of the Points answered §. 4. The Objection of the Law being kept in the Synagogue without Points answered §. 5. The Silence◠of the ancient Caballistical Writings the Mishna and Talmuds about the Points answered § 1. IN the FIRST PART of this Discourse Chap. 1. we declared that there were two Periods of Time particularly fixed unto the one or the other of which all Parties do in some respect ascribe the Original of the Points The one is the time of Ezra the other is A. D. 500. The one makes them of Divine the other of Humane Original and Authority So that the Question is Whether the Shapes or Figures of the Points Vowels and Accents which are joyned to the Text of the Hebrew Bible were invented and placed to the Text as early as the time of Ezra or else not until the Talmuds were finished A. D. 500 And having at large discovered the Improbability and Absurdity of the Opinion That the Points were first invented after the Talmuds were finished A. D. 500. in the First Part we are now to prove That the Shapes or Figures of the Points Vowels and Accents which are joyned to the Text of the Hebrew Bible were invented and placed to the Text as early as the time of Ezra Not that we need to enlarge upon this position having proved it in proving the other For none doubt of the Points being placed by Ezra but those who suppose them first invented A. D. 500. Which Opinion being already refuted there is no other time assigned by any for their Original since the time of Ezra And having largely shewed that they were not first invented and placed A. D. 500. or since that time nor yet at any other time since Ezra it followeth they were placed by the time of Ezra So that what is further alledged for the Antiquity of the Points is ex abundanti and more than could be required not but that we intend to produce sufficient Proof for their Antiquity and Divine Authority § 2. We have moreover observed already Part 1. Chap. 1. That those who acknowledge the Antiquity and Divine Authority of the Points c. do yet differ among themselves about the precise time of their first Invention For 1. Some suppose they are coaevous with the Letters and as ancient as Adam This is the Opinion of R. Azarias in Meor Enaim cap. 59 of Antonius Rodulphus Cevallerius in Rudamentis Linguae Hebraicae cap. 4. Petrus Cevallerius ibid. in Annotationibus Matthias Flacius Illiricus Clavis Scripturae part 2. tract 6. pag. 644. Marcus Marinus in Pref. to Arca Noae Vid. Buxt de Punct Orig. part 2. cap. 1. R. Samuel Arcuvolti Arugath Habbosem cap. 26. 2. Others imagine that they were Orally delivered by Moses on Sinai but not placed to the Text till Ezra's time So the Author of Cosri thinks part 3. sect 31. The Talmudists the Author of Tsak Sephataim and Others say the same 3. Others believe the Points were placed together with the Letters as the Scripture was at first written by the Pen-men of it So saith Baal Samadar and Others Vid. Arugath Habbosem cap. 26.
had been in their time Resp. We have produced Instances out of the Caballistical Writings as the Zohar and the Bahir and out of the Mishna and both the Talmuds viz. that of Ierusalem and that of Babylon wherein the Points are not only mentioned but their Necessity and Antiquity is owned in part 1. cap. 15. And so hath Buxtorf de Punct Orig. part 1. cap. 5 6. at large where he produceth full Testimonies out of several Caballistical Books that mention very many of the Names of the Points as doth his Father in his Tiberias 2. The Points might be then and yet they might not have occasion to mention them as well as many voluminous Rabbinical Commentaries since the Masorites Alsheeck Abarbinel c. who make no mention of the Points 3. In the Points they were not like to find such Mysteries as in the Letters seeing the Points hinder the design of raising many Mysterious sences because they confine the Text to one certain sence 4. They might look for greater Mysteries in the Letters which they believe were given by the Lord himself than by the Points if they thought that Ezra invented them 5. And as to the Mishna and Talmuds there is not a Text as Buxtorf observes de Punct Orig. par 1. pag. 77. in all the Mishna or Talmuds any otherwise read than according to our present Punctation Now if Capellus placeth so much stress in the Argument that the LXX read otherwise than the Points direct therefore the Points were not then we may well lay as much stress on this The Mishna and both the Talmuds read all places according to the present Punctation therefore the Punctation was in their time Elias objects The Talmuds oft say Read not so but So as not Beneecha but Boneecha And there is a Mother to the Mikra or Scripture and a Mother to the Masora and that Joab slew his Master about the reading of the word Zacar which as 't is Pointed may be either the Male or the Memorial Now saith he if the Points were Divine they durst not say Read not so but So. Resp. R. S. Arcâ—volti in Arugath Habbosem cap. 26. answers this and saith Their Rabbins had received many Doctrines and Laws by Tradition which that they might preserve to Posterity they set up Tsionim Marks as 't is said Sima be-pyhem Put it in their Mouths They say read not Sima but Simanah Signs So that they alter the Letters as well as the Points hereby and we may as well say the Letters were not in their time as that the Points were not on this account for they say read not so but so of the Letters as well as of the Points Moreover R. Azarias shews that the Story of Ioab and the Saying Read not so but so are Allusive and Allegorical Expressions Which he shews are never to be allowed to prove any Doctrine by for their Midrash and Hagoda prove no Doctrine and must be took for no other use than that for which 't is brought and must never be taken or used against Scripture or Sence and Reason as the Jews acknowledge Vid. R. Azarias Meor Enaim cap. 59. pag. 92. Maim More Nebochim book 3. cap. 43. Pugio Fidei pag. 92. or 111. ult Edit So Deut. 23.13 A Paddle on thine Arm read not so saith the Talmud but read Put thy Finger to thine Ear. This none can suppose they design to be the meaning of it but is Allegorical as Poets use to speak in Metaphors and Symbols Vid. Pugio Fidei ut supra So that these Notes were only to help the Memory by such Allusions as R. S. Arcuvoliâ— observes CHAP. II. §. 1. The Objection of the ancient Translations of the LXX and the Chaldee Paraphrase using an Vnpointed Copy Answered §. 2. The Objection That the Ancient Character was the Samaritan and had no Points Answered §. 3. The Validity of the Testimony of the Iews not impaired in the least by any of the Objections § 1. 4. 'T Is objected That the LXX read otherwise than our Punctation directs and therefore 't is supposed the Points were not in their time Resp. 1. They also read with other Letters Words and Sentences in many places than our present Hebrew Copy directs And we may as well suppose our Copy was not in their time or that they used another Copy as Capellus openly avoweth Vind. lib. 1. cap. 4. sect 6. pag. 822. And in his Critica and elsewhere goes to mend our Bible by Conjectures at what words were in the Copy by which the LXX translated but will not say ours is corrupted when yet 't is to be mended by his Conjectures in innumerable places which cannot be admitted without supposing it corrupted and grossly too And we may here see whither this Opinion of the Novelty of the Points and this Argument about the LXX doth tend at last not only to deprive us of the Points but also of the Letters Words and Sentences even the Copy it self which we enjoy Hence Vossius more honestly rejects our Hebrew Bible and prefers the LXX as Authentick And the Papists on this account reject our Bible and prefer the Vulgar Latin But both are more kind than Capellus For though they take away our Bible as well as he doth yet they give us another in its stead which he doth not only leaves us to conjecture by ancient Translations what our Bible was of old And of this Argument of the LXX Dr. Broughton saith in his Positions touching the Hebrew Tongue pag. 669. Our late Men saith he help Elias his most deadly Errour with an Argument hard for the Unlearned to Answer viz. this of the LXX of which he saith Good Men used this Reason to help the Pope to disannull the Authority of Scripture and to betray their own strong Hold This Answer is sure the LXX never meant to open the Law to Heathen where they would play the Hogs or Dogs Christ hath promised Mat. 5.18 That not one jot of the Law shall perish That the Copy we now enjoy is the true Authentick Original we are ready to prove when 't is necessary so to do But seeing those in England who embrace Capellus his Opinion about the Points do yet reject this Notion about our Copy we need not here enlarge upon this Subject 2. Some who use this Argument of the LXX would nevertheless state the Question so smoothly as if they did not deny the Antiquity of the Sound and Force of the Punctation but of the Shapes only which the Masorites say they placed right according to the Sound which had been kept by Use to that time Vid. Considerat Consid. cap. 10. sect 6. pag. 206 207 208 c. Whereas they yet use this Argument of the LXX the Chaldee Paraphrase and Ierom's going off from the Punctation Which they do as much in the Sound as Shape or rather solely in the Sounds and Force of the Points which by this Argument then were not at that time and
other Resp. If it be obscure when Pointed why then would they reject the Points but that the Bible might thereby be rejected for its Obscurity 2. We must know the reading of the Text our selves because thereby we must try the Exposition of it by the Ministry but to commit the Reading as peculiarly as the Expounding the Text to the Ministry is plain Popery § 4. But to conclude this Chapter we have proved that the Text was written very plain and that without Points 't would be very obscure as they are constrained to Confess and therefore we say the Text was written with Points and so much for the second Reason CHAP. VI. §. 1. The third Reason stated the Points evidence their own Antiquity and Divine Authority §. 2. The Objection that there are superfluities in the Punctaâ—ion Answered §. 3. The Objection about the Keri and Ketib being only about the Letters and never about Points Answer'd §. 4. The Objection of the insignificancy of the Musical Accents Answered §. 5. The Objection of the Chaldee Names of the Points Vowels and Accents Answer'd §. 6. The summe of the Arguments of the Iews for the Antiquity of the Points Declared § 1. A Third Reason for the Divine Authority of the Points is taken from what the Author of Cosri saith part 3. sect 32. as to the Nature of the Punctation it self being Divine Now we say that for the same Reason why we believe the Text to be God's Word for the same do we believe the Points to be from God We believe the Scripture to be God's Word because it evidenceth its self to be from God by certain Tekmeria or Proofs of the Power Light Purity and Majesty that appears in it manifesting its self to proceed from a Holy Wise Glorious Gracicious God But this it doth only as it is Pointed for without Points the Text speaketh either nothing or else contrary and divers things of which no judgment can be made whether they are good or bad Now saith the Author of Cosri part 3. sect 32. There appears in the fixing of the Points and Accents to be such an Order as cannot be made without Divine Aid which is far beyond the reach of humane Skill Nor had it otherwise been so universally received in all times by all the People of God without alteration because as wise men as they could have Pointed otherwise had it been done by humane Art only and so say we Now to fix and ascertain the sence of the Text universally infallibly right which is the Work of the Punctation requires no less ability than the infallible guidance of the same Spirit of God that first gave forth the Scriptures Men may know the things of men and may rectifie any litteral mistakes in Writings about Arts and Sciences the Matter and Subject whereof they treat being first well known and understood by them but no Man knows the things of God nor can know them but the Spirit of God and he to whom the Spirit reveals them 1 Cor. 2.11 The matter of the Scripture consists of such Misteries that were hid from all Men 'till revealed by the Scripture only The Prophesies of future Events as Isaiah c. are delivered in such cloudy and figurative Expressions and in such Elyptical Sentences as posed the very Pen-men of Scripture themselves to interpret it must needs therefore be impossible for any infallibly to fix and ascertain the right sense of the words of Scripture without Divine Assistance But in all the most deep and dark places of Scripture the Punctation is as compleat and perfect as in the plainest and every where shews it self and the Striptures thereby to be from God by the Divine and Heavenly Subjects that are delivered by the Text as it is at present Pointed We say then that we believe the Bible is God's Word with Faith Divine because of the Authority and Veracity of God who hath declared it so to be therein And we believe that God did indeed declare it so to be as is therein affirmed because the Bible evidenceth its self to our Consciences by infallible Tekmeria or Characters that it did proceed from no other but God himself All God's Works wear his Name and bear some mark upon them of God their Author but his Word is herein exalted above all other Works that bear his Name Psal. 138.2 Thou hast magnified thy Word above all they Name for there no where remains so many and so great prints of the immediate Finger of God as is on the Scripture none but God can make that Revelation of the invisible Nature and Being of God as is in the Scripture nor declare those Counsels which before were hid in God that are plainly expressed in the Scriptures which things the Angels desire to look into Nothing in Heaven or Earth doth bear so much of the Image of God as doth the Scriptures but God himself by nothing hath the great God revealed his Will and given forth to the Sons of Men a Law of Obedience but only by the Scripture nothing evidenceth it self so to be in the least degree but the Scriptures and all this the Bible doth in and by the Punctation only without which it would be nothing at all but whatever wicked men have a mind it should be sect 2. 'T is Objected 1 st There are multitudes of impertinent superfluities in the Punctation very unfit to ascribe to a Divine Original Resp. The Jews best know the usefulness of all parts of the Punctation and as much as they know they highly value buâ— they lament that they are ignorant of a great deal of it as the Musical Use of the Accents which hath been lost and the like but for every one to Condemn every thing he doth not understand would put a final end to Knowledge Mathias Wasmuth in his Vindicia doth at large shew the great usefulness of the most minute parts of the Punctation and in particular of the Accents and so doth Buxtorf de Orig. Punct par 1. cap. 14. from pag. 200. to pag. 262. and others And if some are ignorant of them and yet will not learn who can help it the Punctation is never the worse in it self because some do not or will not understand it all § 3. Obj. 2. 'T is said the Keri u Ketib are only about Letters never about Vowels and Points therefore saith Elias the Points were not when they were first made Resp. 1. Many Jews say Ezra made them and the Points after them and so they agree 2. 'T is Objected the Anomalous pointing of the Ketib with the Points that are proper to the Keri could not be of Ezra Resp. But Kimchi's Preface on Ioshâ—ah says it was done by Ezra for as he there saith they set one word in the Margen and did not Point it Now all the Jews own the Keri and Kerib to be as antient as Ezra and they likewise own that the Ketib is to be always pointed with the Points
that do belong to the Keri which are properly and regularly belonging to the Keri and as R. S. Arcuvolti saith the Keri lyeth hid in the Points of the Ketib and indeed this Objection is so far from hurting that it helpeth the Antiquity of the Points for if Ezra placed the Keri and Ketib or if they were fixed in his time then so must the Punctation be likewise whereby alone the Keri is distinguished from the Ketib and so preserved as Kimchi observes So that here is no Anomaly in this Punctation but it is Regular according to the Keri And this Keri and Ketib is not only owned by Jews but Christians also most Translations following some times the one and some times the other as they think best Vid. Ainsworth at the end of Deuteronomy c. § 4 So also do some from the Objection about the Musical Accents bring an Argument for the Antiquity of the Points For these Accents direct to the Modulation of the Voice for the uniform singing the Psalms which were most peculiar to the Ezraitical state of the Church For since that time the Skill and Practice hath declined till it is at length lost and thereby the Knowledge of the Musical Use of the Accents Hence 't is most likely these Accents were then placed when the Tunes they teach were sung and understood and not since by Persons who knew not what they placed them for § 5. Elias objects The Points have Chaldeè Names therefore are not from Moses Resp. 1. Yet they may be from Ezra well enough for then they were understood 2. Elias answers himself saying The Names have changed since the Masorites and Grammarians as Chirek called Shibber Holem called Malo Pum c. Pathak Katon for Segol c. And as R. S. Arcuvolti and R. Azarias observe the Names changed with the Dialect and Speech of each Age and Place but the Shapes have been always the same and the Sound and it matters not what their Names are or have been And so much for the Three Arguments used by the Jews Viz. 1. Vowels are granted to be an Essential part of Speech These are frequently expressed by the Points only in the Bible therefore the Points are an Essential part of the Text and so of Divine Authority 2. The Scripture was written very plainly but without Points 'twere more obscure and unintelligible than ever was any Writing therefore 't was written with the Points 3. The Old Testament evidenceth it self to be God's Word only by that Divine Sence of it which is expressed by the Points The Points therefore have the same Evidence of their Divine Authority as the Scripture it self hath These are the principal Argments used by the Jews for the Antiquity of the Points and the Objections against the same Which we have either Obviated or briefly Answered are the chiefest Objections that are made and such that are of greatest moment To Answer every little Cavil would swell the Discourse into a large Volume and waste the Readers time and patience CPAP. VII §. 1. The Heads of Arguments used by Christians for the Antiquity of the Points briefly mentioned §. 2. The First Argument That we are in peaceable Possession of the Punctation §. 3. The Second Argument That the Anomalies in the Punctation were before the Art and Grammar of it §. 4. The Third Argument taken from Mat. 5.18 That not a Tittle of the Law shall fail §. 5. The Conclusion of this Discourse § 1. HAving related the principal Arguments that are used by the Jews for the Antiquity of the Points in the Three foregoing Chapters and plainly proved them and the Divine Authority of the Points thereby We are in the Second and Last place to mention the Heads of Arguments that are used by Christians for the Antiquity of the Points Now these are for the most part Rational Improvements of those that are collected by the Jews Though they have much encreased their number yet some do seem to derive their Original from the Christians more particularly which we can but briefly mention having already far exceeded the Limits of this Discourse § 2. First then Among other things they plead lawful peaceable possession by Prescription under these several Circumstances 1. The Bible as 't is now Pointed is a Possession of Inestimable Value the Rule of Life from whence all Ancient and Modern Translations are taken and that whereon our Faith and Religion is founded 2. It hath been but of late called into question And that 3. Upon the most frivolous Pretences that ever any thing of such Importance was questioned about 4. The Interest and Design of many herein being to pervert us to a False Religion thereby And therefore 't would be great folly to deliver our Defensive Weapons to our Enemies only because they come to destroy us So that 't is thought but reasonable to hold our Bible till some cause be assigned why we should reject it besides the bare desire of the Papists or any Others to deprive us of it for their own Ends. § 3. Secondly Another Argument more peculiarly used by Christians for the Antiquity of the Points is taken from the Anomalous Punctation thereof from whence some raise an Objection against their Antiquity and 't is briefly this The Points are either coaevous with the Letters and a part of the Language or else they are an Art invented by Men Which if they were the Authors might and would have made them all uniform and regular there was no occasion for one Anomaly The only Reason why there are any Anomalies in Grammar is because all Grammar is made after Languages and by their Use whereas had Grammar been first all Speech and Words had been regular and uniform If then the Art of the Punctation had been first invented there had been no Anomalies in it or any occasion for the same But because there are innumerable Anomalies in the Punctation equal to what are in any Language we therefore conclude the Punctation it self was before the Art of it and as Ancient as is the Language it self What is objected Considerat Consid. c. 11. p. 251 252 253. That the Anomalies were not Consilio but Casu not Designedly made by the Masorites but by Mistake is not only without any colour of Reason or Testimony but against it For neither the Providence which attends the Preservation of Scripture nor yet supposing of common ordinary and very indifferent attendance on the Work of Pointing the Scripture by the Authors thereof will admit of such a Conceit the Anomalies being so innumerable and obvious to Any much more to the Inventors of them that they could not but observe them And whereas 't is further objected Why are not the Points that are placed to the Syriack Chaldee Arabick c. coaevous with those Languages also Resp. Had he produced the like Anomalies in the Punctation of them and their Religious Observation thereof he had said something till then he saith nothing against us
22.10 It appears by this History that the Copy which was kept in the Temple was not to be found and that it was not read as it should have been whence it may easily be concluded that the Jews had no great Care for their Books in that time Secondly Though several Ancients have said that Esdras re-established the Sacred Books which had been neglected during the Captivity of Babylon and formed thereof a Volume which was preserved from that time in the state wherein it is yet if the Genealogies be examined carefully which are in the Book of Esdras there will be Omissions found in it which can only come from the Negligence of the Copyers as that of Ch. 7.3 where there are three generations omitted in the Genealogy of Esdras There is moreover so great a diversity of Calculation betwixt the Books of Esdras and Nehemiah touching the Number of those who returned from the Captivity that there is no means of resolving this difficulty but in saying that the Copyers have not been so exact as they should in describing these Books Thirdly We ought to remark that since that time Hebrew was no more spoken but Chaldean amongst the Jews so that the Hebrew Tongue could not be known but is Studying it In those Ages they had not opportunity to Study a dead Tongue by those assistances which have been invented since seeing there were neither Dictionaries nor Grammars and it was but by an Oral Tradition that the Knowledge thereof was preserved as the Jews have also done several Ages It is manifest that it was impossible to acquire by this means an exact Knowledge of the Hebrew Tongue for without a fixed Grammar one is mistaken at every moment in the Construction of words and without a Dictionary one necessarily forgets the signification of an infinity of terms and chiefly of those which are but once in Scripture or whose sense is not clearly determined by the sequel Fourthly It must be acknowledged that the Hebrews had not at that time the Use of Points so that retaining the Pronunciation of the words of the old Hebrew Tongue but by heart it was impossible but a great deal of Changes should happen therein Lewis Cappel hath clearly proved the one and the other in his Treatise of the Points of the Hebrews and in his Sacred Criticks Fifthly If some Books of the Hebrew Text be compared with the Version of the LXX it will be found that these Interpreters have Translated an infinity of places by guessing without knowing well the meaning of the terms which they Translated that they went ill enough through the hard places where they have made in their Version nothing but pure gallimaâ—fry that they have not often understood the Construction of the words that finally either they had a Copy written very neglectfully or that they have unseasonably taken some words for other some in a very great Number of places I know full well that Learned Men have endeavour'd to excuse some of their Faults and that they have even shewn that they were often censur'd unreasonably but its certain there is an infinity of unexcusable Faults and its what may be clearly seen in the Critical Notes of Lewis Cappel which are now in the Press where he hath compared the Version of the LXX with the Hebrew As he acknowledgeth justly that much light may be drawn from this Version that its manner of reading is sometimes the best and that the Copyers have done it much wrong he remarks so great a Number of absurdities in it that it is impossible but to doubt that the Copy whereof they made use was not of the best nor they very skilfull in the Hebrew Tongue Notwithstanding the Jews used this Version before the coming of Jesus Christ and the respect they had for it sheweth clearly that they had extreamly neglected the Study of the Holy Tongue Sixthly The Study of the Jews of that time and in the following Ages consisted only in the Ceremonial Law Tradition and Allegories nothing being remarked in their Writings which may make one suspect that they were skilfull in Grammatical Knowledge and Criticks if it be lawfull to speak thus of the Hebrew Tongue It is seen even in the time of St. Ierom they had no exact Grammar because in his Version he often offends against the common and undoubted Rules and commits the same Faults which have been remarked in the LXX particularly in the difficult places he hath commonly no regard to any Construction and draweth himself out of trouble by some obscure Phrase The Admirers of St. Ierom and the LXX will find perhaps these Terms somewhat bold but in facts as clear as the day why should not things be called by their Names It 's needless to extend further upon this matter because what we have said sufficeth to make it understood why the secrecy of the Hebrew Poesie hath been so long hidden If any one should draw any ill consequence from the Principles we have set down we declare we acknowledge none of these consequences and those who may believe these consequencâ—s are well drawn are desired to consult the two Works of Cappel who hath been already cited several times where he hath shewn that Religion can only draw great advantages from the Disquisitions of Criticks which some Persons either malicious or unskilfull have unseasonably endeavour'd to decry In matters of Fact as those are History ought to be consulted as also ancient Monuments and we ought to build thereupon and not continually to reason and then to contradict History because it is not conformable to these Arguments VII That the Reader might see an Essay of the Poesie of the Hebrews we have chosen Psal. CL. which is short and which is visibly in rhime and it hath been put into a Tune proper to the words as we have already Noted As to what concerns the Version in French Verses the Author was satisfied to keep the sense in general and the Number of Syllables without sticking too much to the words because he would but give an example of a Poesie like to that of the Hebrews So the Names of the Instruments which are in the French Verses answer not to those of the Hebrew Verses but they agree better amongst themselves and are chosen according to the Rules of our Musick It only remains to join some remarks here upon the Hebrew Verses of this Psalm and upon the French Version in Prose we shall show thereby both the Truth of what hath been said of the Hebrew Poesie and what could be done upon the Psalms if we undertook to make Notes upon this Book PSALM CL. Disposed according to the Rhimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
were no sooner Sown than they were Born We make in one day and we bid those to be wise who have not learned to be so and who bring nothing to acquit them of Episcopacy but the desire of being Bishops 4. Gregory attributes to Basil Monastical Laws and written Prayers We have still the first without great Changes but the Liturgy which bears his Name hath been extreamly alter'd since 5. He praiesth not only his Friend but also makes his Apology against those who accused him of Pride of which notwithstanding he hath done it himself in divers Places and that suspected him of not ackowledging the Divinity of the Holy Ghost because he had not called him God in his Book Gregory saith that Basil did thus that he might not enrage Hereticks who could not suffer that this Title should be given to the Holy Ghost because the Holy Scripture doth not attribute it to him but that he had said the equivalent which was the same seeing it is not Words but things That do Save us 6. In fine after having described the Funerals of Basil he continues in these terms He is now in Heaven where he presents as I believe Sacrifices for us and where he Prayeth for the People for in leaving us he hath not quite Abandoned us c. He advertises me still and reprehends me in Visions at Night when I swerve in any thing from my Duty At the end of his Speech he asks his Succour in terms as earnest as if he hear'd him tho he seemed to doubt if he was in Heaven to wit in the Habitation of Supream Beatitude where Antiquity believed that excepting Martyrs none entred till after the Resurrection as we have already seen by another Place of Gregory It 's probable that 't was at Constantinople he Composed the greatest part of his Speeches which we have not as yet spoken of especially those that he made against the Arians wherein it was judged that he had defended the Council of Nice as well as in his other Writings that for that reason he had the Title of Divine Thereupon may particularly be read his twenty third Speech and the four following To give some Idea of these five Speeches of Gregory it must be observed that the design of the First is to shew that it belongeth not to all Men to Dispute of Religion and that it ought not to be done before all the World nor at all times nor with too much Heat He Censures the Hereticks as if they had no regard to all this and names Common Places which every Party have always made use of He complains that they no sooner thought a Man Holy but they Sainted him that Divines were Chosen as if by their Choice Wisdom and Learning were Inspired into them and that many Assemblies of Ignorants and Pratlers were Convocated As he knew that there was People that cou'd not abstain from Disputing to satisfie their desire he tells them he will open them a vast Career in which they may Exercise themselves without Danger As to Philosophy about the World or Worlds upon the Soul rational Beings more or less Excellent upon the Resurrection upon Iudgment upon Reward upon the Sufferings of Jesus Christ In these matters it is not unprofitable to succeed and there is no great danger in being deceiv'd therein Men have much changed their Opinions since and it is certain that we may fall into dangerous Errors and that some have effectively been deceived in these Articles In the second he comes to the Point and sets himself principally to prove against the Enomians the Incomprehensibility of God which he often repeats He likewise observes that there are many things in nature that we cannot comprehend with a design to conclude that it is an ill Argument to deny that something is in God simply because we comprehend it not After having thus prepared the Mind of his Reader or Auditor he declares his Sentiment upon the Divinity of the Son and upon the Holy Trinity in general which he does in such terms as are worthy of remark What we Honour is a Monarchy I do not call that Monarchy that is possessed by one only Person for it may be that a Person not agreeing with himself may do the same as if there were many but what is founded upon the equality of Nature the consent of the will the same Motion and upon the same Design in regard to what is produced by this Monarchy which is not possible in created Natures so that though those who compose this Monarchy differ in number their Power is not different If Gregory had believed the numerick Unity of the Divine Essence he had spoken very weakly and obscurely since that instead of Equality of Nature he should have said identity and not to speak of Consent of Will but of one Will in number In this same Speech Gregory answers Difficulties that the Arians made against the Eternal Generation of the Son which often are very weak whether it be that they are not well proposed or that the Arians argued no better Howbeit as the Personage of an Arian may be better represented the Opinions perhaps also of Nice can be defended with more Advantage Amongst the Objections of the Arians which Gregory starteth to himself this is one which is the Eighth That if the Son is in respect of his Essence the same with the Father it will follow that the Son was not begotten because the Father was not Gregory answereth not to this with the Scholasticks that the Son is not begotten in respect of his Essence who is the same in number with the Father as he ought to be according to the Principles of Modern Schools but that not to be begotten is not essential to Divinity to which he adds Are you Father to your Father that you may not be inferior to him in any thing because you are the same thing in regard to Essence If it was yet doubted if that Unity whereof our Orator speaks is a Specifick or Numerick Unity we only need read these words which are at the bottom of the following Page This is our Doctrin as it is likewise judged of things which are under the same kind as of a Horse an Oxe a Man and that each thing is properly called by the Name which agreeth to the nature whereof it participates whilst that which participates not hath not this name or beareth it but improperly So there is but one Essence and one Nature in God which is called alike although the Persons and Names are distinguished by our thoughts In the fourth Speech Gregory after his way resolves the Objections of the Arians by which they pretended to shew the inequality of the Father and the Son In the Fifth he disputes of the Consubstantiality of the Holy Ghost against the Macedonians Some of those who received the Divinity of the Son denied that of the Holy Ghost and had even the
by Words and Writing He had made Commentaries upon Scripture whereof we have only remaining a few words which are found in the Extracts of the Oriental Doctrin of Theodotus where Clement of Alexandria speaketh thus Our Pantenus saith that the Prophets express themselves ordinarily by the Aoristus and make use of the time present for the Future and Past. There is a likelihood that Pantenus officiated as a Cathechist when Clement arrived in Egypt and that he studied some time under him before he succeeded him He applied himself there as elsewhere to the study of Philosophy though he was far from taking all those who bore the name of Philosopher for such We do not simply receive saith he every sort of Philosophy but that only whereof Socrates speaks in Plato Socrates observed That there are a great many called but few chosen For he adds in the Sequel that the latter according to his Opinion are those who have applied themselves as a thing very requisite to Philosophy That People should not be taken for Philosophers who perhaps had but a shew Clement would not apply himself to any Sect absolutely but followed this manner of Philosophising which was then Eclectick to wit that of those who chose out of all Tenets what appeared most reasonable unto them and formed a System thereof for their particular Use. Potamon of Alexandria who lived in the time of Augustus was the first who had put in Use this manner of Philosophising Clement could not choose a more commodious Method for a Christian Philosopher because there is no Philosopher whose Tenets are all conformable to those of the Gospel though there may be made a System drawing very near that of the Christian Doctrin in gathering in all the Philosophers what they have said conformably to the Light of Nature or to some ancient Traditions spread almost over the whole Universe It is Clement himself who speaks it and who assures us that he applied himself to the Eclectick Philosophy for the Reason we have alledged After having said that God sent Philosophers to Men he adds That he understands not neither that of the Stoicks nor that of the Platonicks nor that of the Aristoteleans But I give this Name continueth he to the Truths which these Sects have held and which may incline Men to Iustice and Piety I in no wise call Divine the false Thoughts of Men. He saith elsewhere that the barbarous Philosophy and that of the Greeks hath included some Fragments of Eternal Truths in them not from Mythology of Bacchus but of Reason which has always existed He that should rejoin continues he that which hath been divided and which would compose a perfect System could assure himself of acknowledging the Truth A like Thought is in Lactantius which affirms that it is easie to shew that Truth altogether hath been divided amongst the different Sects of the Philosophers and that if there was any who would gather the Truths scattered amongst all Sects and make but one Body of Doctrin certainly it would not be far from the Sentiments of Christians Quodsi extitisset aliquis qui veritatem sparsam per singulos per Sectasque diffusam colligeret in unum ac redigeret in corpus is profecto non dissentiret à nobis He saith afterwards that none could do it but by Divine Revelation but that if it happened as by hazard that some body should do it without this Succour there would be nothing more assured than this Philosophy and that though he could not defend himself by the authority of Revelation Truth wou'd be maintained of it self by its own Light He afterwards blames those who apply themselves to a Sect so that they would embrace all its Sentiments and condemn all others ready to dispute against all the Doctrins which they have not learned of their Masters This design of gathering all which Philosophers have said conformable to the Gospel is undoubtedly very fine and can much conduce to convine the Truth of Christian Religion But for to succeed therein the Christian Philosophy and Religion should be equally understood to comprehend the clear and undoubted Articles which regard Practice and Speculation The Heterodox of those Times for want of taking heed had introduced into Christian Religion an infinity of Philosophical Tenets which have no Relation with those of the Gospel Thus the Carpocratians believed according to the Relation of Clement that it was permitted to meddle confusedly with any Woman whatever and did it actually after having Supped in a great Company and extinguished the Candles they entertain'd this Thought because Plato would have Women to be common in his Republick and that they had wrested divers Passages of Scripture to accommodate them to this Sentiment Clement believeth that they ill understood not only Scripture but also Plato who according to him meaned nothing else but that there should be no Girl in the Commonwealth to which all the Citizens indifferently might not pretend though after she being Married to one Man others could no more hope to Espouse her It might be well shewn that Clement expounded not well the Thought of Plato if this was a Place for it The Marcionites who said that the Matter and Nature are bad and who condemned Weddings fell into this Opinion so opposite to that of Carpocrates because they expounded some Passages of Scripture by the Principles of the Platonicks Because the Scripture often describes the Miseries of this Life and praiseth Continence they imagined that the Sacred Authors had had the same Ideas of this Life and Generation or Birth that Heraclitus and Plato had These Philosophers believed as it hath been remarked that Souls existed before the Body where they are only sent to be punished for the Sins which they had committed in another Life and that thus to speak correctly Birth should be called a Death rather than a beginning of Life and Death a Life because when we are born our Souls are cast into the Prison of the Body from whence they are delivered when we dye that 's the reason that these Philosophers and several Poets after them said it was better not to be born than to come into the World and to dye in Childhood than to live several Years which is the Cause also that they speak sometimes in very harsh Terms against Matrimony because it served according to them only to build a Prison to some unhappy Soul which was precipitated into the Body that they produced The Valentinians had also taken what they said of the Generation of their Eones from Hesiod as will appear by comparing the beginning of his Theognia with the Doctrin of the Valentinians related by St. Irenaeus and St. Epiphanius who fail not to reproach them that they had their Doctrin from this Poet. There is some appearance that they confounded the Doctrin of Hesiod with that of the Scripture because of some light resemblance which is found betwixt them It would be easie to shew that Hesiod by the
and also brings some new Reasons to prove it but he denies that they were Esseans He will have them to be a sort of Jewish Philosophers who all applied themselves to Contemplation Reading of the Law and the Prophets and to Prayer He brings several Reasons thereof which may be seen in the Original Mr. Bruno undertakes in this Dissertation to refute Scaliger and Mr. Valois He maintains that the Contemplative Esseans who were near Alexandria were converted by St. Mark contrary to these two Learned Men and endeavors to shew that Mr. de Valois in particular was mistaken when he said that the Contemplatives were no◠Esseans As to this last Opinion we shall make no stay at it because it is particular to Mr. Valois and the Refutation can be read in Mr. Bruno in half a quarter of an hour He is of the Opinion that the Therapeutes of Philo were converted to Christianity 1. Because we find in the Lausiack History of Palladius a Description of a Place wherein the ancient Christian Monks of Alexandria kept themselves exactly like that which Philo gives of the Habitation of the Therapeutes and that there is no appearance that 200 Years after the time of Philo the Christian Monks could have driven the Jews from this Place seeing in that time the Iews were more powerful than they were in Egypt There is much more likelihood that St. Anthony and some other Solitaries of Thebes joined themselves to the Christians who before lived very austerely and introduced thereby the Rules for a Monastical Life a little time before Palladius lived 2. It being very certain that in the time of Iosephus there were three Sects amongst the Iews Pharisees Sadducees and Esseans and that these Sects were not immediately lost it 's very strange that from that time there should be no mention of the Esseans But the Wonder will cease according to Mr. Bruno if it be acknowledged that these Esseans embraced Christianity Scaliger following the Opinion of this Author proved that the Esseans remaining Esseans viz. Iews could not be Christians but hath not proved that they were not become so by abandoning Judaism He speaks more largely in the Refutation of Mr. de Valois This Learned Man said particularly that Philo observed that the Therapeutes had Writings from some ancient Authors of their Sect who interpreted the Law after an Allegorical manner which did not agree with Christians who then had no Ancient Author of their Sect. Mr. Bruno answers to that that they might have been some old Jewish Authors who since the time of the Ptolomy had expounded the Law allegorically and had thus rendred the Iews more proper to receive the Gospel than if they were kept only to the Letter of the Law Such were Eleazar and Aristobulus whereof Eusebius speaks in his Evangelical Preparation Book 8. c. 9. It may be that St. Mark sent the Essean Converts to these Books to convince themselves of the Truth of the Gospel by seeing the Law was expounded therein after a manner conformable to what he told them Mr. Bruno believes even that it was these Books that Jesus Christ had respect two when he said to the Iews Search the Scriptures they are they which speak of me Because to take Prophecies according to to the Letter of the Word it would not be easie to form a clear Idea of the Messia It was necessary that the Christians should be satisfied at that time with the Books of the ancient Iews seeing that under the Emperor Claudius the Books of the New Testament were not as yet published We shall say no more concerning the Dissertation of Mr. Bruno it is so short that those who have a mind to examin his Opinion may read it in less than an hour 3. Mr. Colomie added to the end of this Volume a Collection of Fifty five Letters of divers Learned Men both of the past and present Age there are several which never were Printed and it is certain that those which have already appeared either are more correct in this Edition or such as were become so scarce that it was not easie to meet with them There is no Question treated on in these Letters but some Events of the Times are spoken of in which they were written or some Circumstance about the Life of these great Men or other Places which will divert those who love to be instructed in the least things which concern Manners or the Genius of those whom their Knowledge or their Employments have rendred Illustrious There is for Example a small Address of Father du Moulin in the Fifteenth Letter to Lancelot Andrews Bishop of Winton Father du Moulin writing to this Bishop calls Episcopacy a thing received since the Age which followed that of the Apostles Rem à saeculo Apostolis proximo receptam but as the Bishop reproached him with it he immediately writ à saeculo Apostolorum from the Age of the Apostles After that he blotted out the word Apostolorum and substituted those of Apostolis proximo yet so that what he writ at first might be read The Bishop suspects him to have made this Correction in favour of those who inclin'd to the Opinion of the Presbyterians and of having but half blotted the word which he at first writ to make People suspect that he was not a zealous Presbyterian seeing this word slipt from him before he was aware For the Letter otherwise is so short that it was easie to transcribe it which he undoubtedly had done to a Person of the quality of Bishop Andrews if he had not the design we observed All these Letters are short and there are a great number which were written by English men Amongst others the XLII Letter which is directed to Mr. Anthony de Dominis It 's Ioseph Hall who writes to him and testifies that he is very much scandalized through the Reports which ran then concerning this Arch-Bishop and which were found to be true afterwards It is that he would not quit England but to return into the Bosom of the Roman Church This Letter is very fine and worthy to be read although it had then no effect Some others will be found which are not less curious as the LI tho it treats ill enough of St. Augustin under the name of Traducianus A New Bibliothique of Ecclesiastical Authors Containing the History of their Lives the Catalogue Crisis and Chronology of their Works the sum of what they contain a Iudgment upon their Style and Doctrin with an Enumeration of the different Editions of their Works By Mr. Ellis Du Pin Doctor of the Faculty at Paris and Royal Professor in Philophy Tome Second of the Authors of the Fourth Age of the Church Octavo at Paris 1687. Pag. 1060. THE Design and Method of Mr. du Pin in this new Bibliotheque of Ecclesiastick Authors is very largely treated on in his first Tome an Abstract of which is to be found towards the latter end of this Book which
Term Consubstantial when as they freely acknowledg'd the Divinity of the Son of God He approved not of the Disputes at that time upon the Subject of the Hypostasis because he look'd upon those that received Three into the Trinity and those that admitted but of one to be of the same Opinion and only to differ in the manner of Expressing St. Basil was not so moderate for accoding to his Opinion those were Sabellians that said the Father and Son were two in Thought and one in Substance The Demi-Arians or Homoiousians that was those that would not acknowledge that the Son was Consubstantial with the Father and that said nevertheless that he was like him in all things c. the same in Substance were no more Hereticks than those that maintan'd the Three Hypostases in the Judgment of St. Basil St. Hilary of Poictiers of Philaster and even of Saint Athanasius who confesses in his Book of the Synods that Basil of Ancyra and those of his Party differed from those who made a Profession of Consubstantiality as to the name only Some of these Demi Arians are placed in the number of Saints in divers Martyrologies as Euseb. of Caesarea and Euseb. of Emissa and Pope Liberius also being a Catholick receiv'd them into his Communion St. Hilary of Poictiers although a great Defender of the Nicene Faith was not free from Error for to Answer to the Objections that the Arians drew from such passages of Scripture as proved that Jesus Christ was subject to fear sorrow and grief he fell into such an Opinion as made the Humanity of our Saviour a Fantom he maintained that Jesus Christ sustained not really either Fear or Grief but that these Passions were only represented in him To explain what the Son of God says of himself That he was ignorant of the day of Iudgment Mark 13. He says it ought not to be understood in the Letter as if Jesus Christ had been effectively ignorant of this Day but in this Sense that he knew it not to discover it to Man He had an other very very particular Error that he advanced in the Twentieth Canon upon St. Matthew that Moses and Elias should come with Jesus Christ near the time of Iudgment and that they should be put to death by Antichrist contrary to the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews for he says that Jesus Christ being rais'd from death shall dye no more He was of the Opinion also that Predestination was subsequent to Merit and that the Divinity of Jesus Christ was separated from his Humanity in the time of his death As to the rest the Roman Catholicks which complain that some Protestant Refugees have spoken too freely of those that have deprived them of their Goods and reduced them to the utmost Misery may read what St. Hilary says of Constantius That neither he nor the Bishops of his time received the thousandth part of the evil Treatments that the Reformed have suffered Mr. du Pin thinks the Errors of Optatus of Milan small and pardonable although he believed that Hereticks ought to be Rebaptized and seems to give Free-Will the Power not only of willing and beginning a good Action but also of advancing in the way of Salvation without the Assistance of the Grace of Jesus Christ. He approves not however of the Allegorical manner whereby this Bishop explains many Passages of Scripture giving them a very distant sense from what they naturally have and applying them to such things as they have no Relation to This defect says our Author that might be suffered in a Sermon appears intolerable in a Treatise of Controversie where all the Proofs ought to be strong and convincing But Optatus had to do with Enemies that did the same and who abused Passages of Scripture to injure the Church and give Praises to their own Sect. After having complain'd of the loss of Apollinarius's Works the most Learned of all the Christians Authors in Humanity this Loss is attributed to his Errors or rather the Zeal of the Catholicks which have had such an Horror to the Books of Hereticks that they have not even preserv'd those that regarded not their Heresie and that might have been useful to the Church Wherefore continues du Pin we have almost no Books of the Ancient Hereticks remaining Many Men believe that the Disputes with the Heterodox have been the Cause of the Catholicks inventing Solutions which have afterwards pass'd into Opinions such is the Doctrin of the Infallibility of the Church which was not regarded till towards Luther's time Some in this Rank place Original Sin which begun in the Seventh Age to be more acknowledg'd than before according to Mr. du Pin. They speak also more of Grace than they did in the preceding Ages and notwithstanding much was always attributed to Free Will It 's surprising that Titus of Bostres whose Arguments are solid and subtil had not recourse in his Treatise against the Manicheans to Original Sin which he might have made use of as a general Solution to almost all their Difficulties For we may easily apprehend why Man is inclined to evil why he suffers why he is subject to hunger to grief sickness miseries and to death it self where once we have admitted Original Sin Neither doth this Author speak of the Grace of Iesus Christ and he seems to have supposed that Man can of himself as well do good as evil The Disciples of St. Augustin will not find Dydimuss of Alexandria much more Orthodox since he maintains that Predestination is nothing else but the Choice which God hath made of those that he foresaw would believe in Jesus Christ and would Act according to it He likewise believed with his Master Origen that the Incarnation of the Son of God was beneficial to Angels as well as to Men and that it took away the Guilt of their Transgressions As to the Sentiment of the Eternity of Spirits he speaks on 't without condemning or approving it In Truth it would be absurd and impious to fix Eternity to any other Being than God if by this word was understood an Absolute Eternity or Existence by it self but if we suppose that the Souls of Men were Spirits created a long time since which have offended God and which he sends into mortal Bodies there to do Penance for their Faults this Hypothesis perhaps would be instrumental to discover many Difficulties in Divinity which have hitherto appeared Unexplicable All the World hath heard of the Catechumens of the Ancient Church that few well know what they were 1. When an Infidel presented himself to be admitted into the number of Christians they begun to instruct him in private but he was not suffered to enter into the Church nor to assist at publick Exhortations 2. Afterward when he was believed to be well undeceived of his old Errors he was permitted to go to the Church but only to hear Sermons
Innovation upon this matter for they cannot Testifie this great â—oldness without having some Matter of fact which favours them From thence we must Judg that Tradition is intricate and uncertain and condemn no body rashly See what Father Lupus says at the beginning of his Book of Appellations Adversus prophanas vocum novitates adversus quosdam temporum Novatores Do's he seem to level this against the Protestants And who wou'd believe that he refutes Mr. De Marca and Gerbais and Father Quesnel and Garnier On the other side the Epithet Innovator is little less Prodigious Mr. Du Pin in the Second Part of this Treatise refuâ—es F. Lupus He First exmains the Question of Right and then comes to that of Fact I mean that after having disputed to the utmost of his Power upon the sense of some Canons that seem to give to the Pope the Right of the last Appeal he explains the method they observed in the Ecclesiastick Judgments before and since the Ancient Councils 'T is a very Copious Subject and from whence a great number of fine things may be collected The misfortune is that Objections often prevail as much as Solutions to them who have already taken the Popes party The Third Part of this Work treats of Excommunication He pretends here that 't is a dependence upon the Keys that Iesus Christ has given to his Church and that altho' all the Faithful was the Primitive Subject of the Power of the Keys 't is only the Clergy that ought to deduce it to Act. He confesses however that in the First Ages Excomunications were made with the advice of the People and that there are some Tracts of this Practice left in the Writings of St. Cyprian But by degrees the Laicks were excluded from this Jurisdiction but not the Second Order of Ecclesiasticks for it was very rare formerly that the Bishops made a Judgment in such Affairs without their Clergy When a Man was Excommunicated by one Bishop others must not receive him into their Communion but they might call a Provincial Synod upon it and if the case was an Article of Faith it was necessary to follow the resolution of this Synod Excommunication in that time more employed the Church than it does now for lest they shou'd be mistaken they received no strangers into their Communion except they carryed a Letter of Recommendation which declared their Pastors were well satisfyed with them The Author clears all these things with good proofs and observes that to shun all Surprize without much trouble we must suppose that all the Western Churches were in Communion with those of the East when the Patriarch of Antioch was united with the Pope so also to shun the odious name of Schismatick or Heretick and to have a good opinion of all Christians it was very necessary to agree with the Church of Rome and the Church of Antioch and that it was without doubt the reason why the first of these two Churches says our Author obtained the Elogy of the Center of Unity Mr. Du Pin confesses very freely that there may be some occasion in which a Person may separate from the Communion of the Pope and not lose the quality of a good Catholick and when he examins upon whom and for what cause Excommunication is allowable he says Kings come into the Number but not after that manner that many Popes have extended their power viz. not any way that does any injury to a temporal Right or dispenses with their Subjects Breach of Fidelity contrary to their Oath to the Prince He maintains it more advantagious to Christianity to abstain from these proceedings against Crown'd heads than to make use of 'em and that the Bishops of France are always against the Excomunication of their King However he himself shews the contrary in respect to Philip the 1 st and Philip the 2 d. He extreamly blames the flinging about Prohibitions upon Towns or Kingdoms but thinks there 's no harm in Anathematizing the Dead In respect to the effects of Excommunication he wou'd not have it extend to the despoiling of a Man of his Natural Right and the Right which others can confer upon him Thus an Excommunicated Person should not be deprived of his Wife his Children his Friends and those Offices which these Relations engage him in but other men must not so much as eat with him without necessity or keep him company We should never speak of it if we read not the Order which is given us of shutting our Door against an Heretick and not to do so much as wish him a good day Mr. Du Pin Reasons Judiciously upon this and thinks it no difficulty to believe that Excommunication hath any effect upon the Soul and that a man who is otherwise disengag'd from the bonds of Sin wou'd remain perfectly just under the Anathemas of the Church The Journalists of Lipswick have mentioned a Work which treats of Excommunications It was Printed at Dijon in the Year 1683 in Twelves at the charge of Mrs. P.H.B. T.C. who composed it These Gentlemen give a very advantageous Idea of it in their Month of Ianuary 1684. The Fourth Fifth and Sixth Dissertations of Mr. Du Pin are destined to prove that the Pope is the Primate of the Church that his Judgment may be corrected and that the Council is above him We shall speak but little upon his great Controversie it shall suffice to say that he proves here the Primacy of Saint Peter only by the passages of Scripture that speak of him the first in the list of the Apostles As for these Famous Words Thou art Peter and upon this Stone Feed my Sheep I will give thee the Keys he shews that the Ancients have taken them in divers ways which cannot be adjusted to the Notions of the Court of Rome He maintains that the power of the Apostles was equal which nevertheless injured not the Primacy of St. Peter since this Apostle was only in quality of the first Do we not every day says he see Brethren which have all precisely as much right to the Possession of their Father but who are all necessarily excluded except one in the quality of the Eldest But this Argument wont be conclusive till our Author shews how the rest of the Apostles were excluded from either a Heavenly or an Earthly Patrimony when St. Peter was not for so the Parallel of the Argument intimates He examins also what some have said of the Primacy's being founded joyntly upon St. Peter and St. Paul he shews wherein consists the Prerogatives of the Pope according to his Flatterers and what the French Divines say of it He brings the the Examples of those Popes that have committed Errors He answers in particular to Mr. Schelstrate concerning the Council of Constance but says nothing to the difficulties that were published against Mr. Maimbourg's Book He says the Manuscripts upon which Mr. Schelstrate founds his Argument are not of certain Antiquity and that they come from
Understanding wherefore to enlighten the Understanding its sufficient to encline the Passions and the Will That is to say before all things we must perswade the Understanding because a Man can't will or consent where he is not convinc'd whence it follows that the Understanding inclines the Will when it is perswaded there must not be an immediate Action of the Mind upon the Will because there must be only a Predication to enlighten and convince the Understanding by the Evidence of Truth Mr. Iurieu who hath studied much the heart of Man and knew all its foldings tells us quite contrary viz. That 't is the Passions and not the Understanding which determins the Will They prevent deliberation the violent Motions which they cause leave not the Understanding time to judge Video Mcliora Proboque Deteriora sequor This is the condition of all Men. They raise up an Eternal War in themselves and after much strugling they are carry'd away to sensible Objects and Charms in spight of the Light of the Understanding Man believes a thousand things only because he wou'd believe 'em and his Passions plead for an Interest even the Air of a Mans Face changes according to the Nature of the Passions so much is Passion the Mistress of the Judgment In fine according to Mr. Iurieu the Understanding is so little Master of the Will that we ought to look upon it as a Passive Faculty which receives Ideas as they are imprest upon it 't is an Ice which receives Images and reflects 'em more or less distinctly now as it acquiesces it determines not the Will ceases not to revolt and follow the Motions of the Passions If the Understanding resists it is only in those things wherein it hath not acquir'd a habitude of Sinning without remorse and which stay upon the brink of the Precipice being at a loss how to free themselves The Understanding is almost always subject to the Will which disposes of all its Reasonings whence we may conclude that 't is not necessary to pass through the Understanding in order to penetrate the Will and as it is this which determines so 't is this by which the Holy Ghost also Acts immediately upon the Mind Thus the Joy that the Souls of the Faithful possess is not a Reason'd Motion nor does it arise from reflection 't is inward Grace which gives it birth In fine it must be an immediate Action of the Holy Ghost upon the Will to overcome its inclination to Evil and draw it back from sensible things The other Proposition we have chosen is this That the Word of God contains Moral Demonstrations capable of themselves only to produce a full and intire certainty of the truth of it That is to say the Scripture has such Evident Characters of the Divinity of its Author that they are sufficient to form this certain perswasion viz. The Scripture is Divine I know not says Mr. Iurieu that ever man yet durst advance what these Gentlemen have done without having a design to lessen the Power and Light of these Holy Characters I dare affirm that there 's not one which can't be avoided by the profane not one that will amount to a proof or to which nothing can be objected But say these Gentlemen It is true there 's nothing which the Mind of Man can't turn into Darkness nevertheless if these Characters of Scripture are not sufficiently evident to produce this certainty will it be a fault in the Wisdom of God to make use of means which are incapable of producing the Effect which he proposed And will it be a lawful excuse for those who are chain'd in the Darkness of Paganism God will only reprove the malâ—ce of their heart and the source of their incredulity since he hath hid his Word under so great obscurity that the Characters of Divinity which it bears along with it cannot make one proof They add that if by the Assistance of the Holy Spirit there are not found in Scripture sufficient proofs to produce a certainty which excludes the fear that the Contrary can't be true as Mr. Iurieu says himself then there will be an eternal restlesness For a man can't be fully assur'd that the Scripture is Divine by the Scripture it self doubtless Grace can form a confidence which excludes all doubts that the Scripture is Divine But as Grace is not so prevalent that one can't sometimes be perswaded by the prejudices and darkness of Reason instead of that of Grace So that one shall be at a loss to be so much assured of the Divinity of the Scripture that there won't rest some doubt and some fear that the contrary will be true In fine can't the Scripture be said at least to produce a certain and humane Faith without the Assistance of the Holy Spirit and can't we convince a Heathen that it is Divine by the Light of Reason only Mr. Iurieu confesses that there is nothing appears more contrary to Reason than that these Character of themselves shou'd be able to produce an intire certainty For Man is full of Errors and prejudices which blind his Understanding and hinder him from discovering the Truth Besides the subtilty of Mysteries and their disproportion with the powers of the Soul distract the Reason and cause Insurrections in it Thus he pretends we can have only that certainty of the Divinity of the Scripture that he calls Adhesion which is produced from the Importance and not Evidence of the thing For Example I believe that such a one is my Father I have no demonstration of it says he but the importance of this Truth upon which the Obedience I owe him is founded and the right to his Succession makes my Will adhere thereto Thus as Sensible Advantages recur from this great Truth the Scripture is Divine so it is the visible interest of man to believe whatsover that Commands and that his Will shou'd be absolutely determined by it In a Word the Holy Spirit which acts in us produces with these Characters a greater certainty than naturally could be produced and creates an inward sense of the sweet Efficacy of the Word Without the Operation of Grace the Scripture wou'd continue like an unfruitful Seed upon the heart for it is that which strengthens and encourages the Mind against all its doubts and diffidence The last Proposition that we shall examine is that the Word of God Preacht under Proper External Circumstances manag'd by Providence may cause an Irresistible Grace and overcome all the wickedness of Mans Heart This is the Foundation of the Controversy in Question Mr. Iurieu makes no scruple of saying that this is a Pelagian Opinion and that it wou'd be to make use of the Hereticks Arms which have disturb'd the Church God said Pelagiuâ— works in us the Will to do what is Holy and Good by Inflaming us with the Prospect and Recompence of future Glory to draw us back from Earthly Concupisence in which we are overwhelm'd Now the Scripture is
watch what is the cause of it v. 2. n. 16 q. 2 Dying persons why they fold the Sheets v. 2. n. 16 q 8 Debauchery and ruine of youth how prevented v. 2. n. 16. q 19 Dream why of things we never thought of v. 2. n. 17. q. 3 Delightful what is most so to any Man v. 2. n. 17. q. 4. Debt whether a Man may Marry then v. 2. n. 20. q. 3. Deceive the Deceiver is it a sin v. 2. n. 20. q. 10 Die of Conceit whether possible v. 2. n. 21. q. 1 Dancing-master or School-master which preferable v. 2. n. 24. q. 13. Divine Idea's the Notion of Omniformity c. v. 2. n. 26. q. 1 Devil of Mascon v. 2. n. 26. q. 3 Deity acknowledg'd and prov'd v. 2. n. 26. q. 9 Devil does he know our thoughts v. 2. n. 26. q. 11 Democritus or Heraclitus which in the right v. 2. n. 27. q. 13 Die why must in the Night your reason v. 2. n. 29. q. 1 Duelling how far lawful v. 3 n. 2. q. 1 Dream whether obliging to Marry v. 3. n. 4. q. 17 Drunken Man whether capable of Marriage v. 3. n. 5. q. 2 Discourses vain and absurd v. 3 n. 12. q. 8 Drunken man how far obnoxious to the Law v. 3. n. 14. q. 2 Despair caused by unkindress of Relations v. 3. n. 14. q. 9 Drunken man how brought to his Senses v. 3. n. 15. q. 9 Divines whether Preaching against all vice v. 3. n. 18 q. 3 Dew of Hermon how it descends on Mount Sion v. 3. n. 18. q. 6 Die than live is it not better v. 3. n. 19. q. 2 Dreams of commit a grievous sin v. 3. n 20. q. 7 Dreams do we think then v. 3. n. 21. q. 3 Devotion how hinder'd by Ignor. v. 3 n. 21. q 10 Drown'd Bodies why they float v. 3. n. 22. q. Devils can they generate v. 3. n. 24. q. 12 Defrauding whether pardon'd without restitution v 3. n. 24 q 14 Devotion what Book you advise me to v. 3. n. 25 q 4 Dan. 5.23 Why Daniel leaves out a word v. 3. n. 25. q. 9 David's heart why it smote him for Saul's garment v. 3. n. 26. q. 1. David's Sin in numbring the People where consists v. 3. n. 27. q. 6 David's speaking in Scripture is it the word of God v. 3. n. 30. q. 4 Debtor and Creditors what a brother must do v. 4. n. 1. q. 3 Dissenters are they Schismaticks v. 4. n. 2. q. 2 Discourse to cry out O God is it sins v. 4. n. 2. q. 9. Dragon is there any such creature v 4. n. 6. q. 5 Dissenters that freely communicate with the Ch. of England v. 4. n. 7. q 4 Delivery of a Gate c. Town of Lymerick c. v. 4. n. 8. q. 1 Dizziness in the Head v. 4. n. 8 q. 8 Dreaming of a Text Preach't on v. 4. n. 16. q 3. Dealing with a secret reserve whether sinful v. 4. n. 16. q. 5 Divines why they begin their Prayers so low v 4. n 19 q. 11 Death if the cause be in the Body onely v. 4. n. 25. q. 2 Death is the cause of it in the Soul or in the Body v. 4. n. 28. q. 7 Dramatique Writers who the best v. 5. n 1 q. 3 Dramatique Professor who the best v 5. n. 2 q. 1 Disciples how come they to know Moses and Elias v. 5. n 4. q. 3 Devils generating a relation of one v. 5. n. 9. q. 3. Defrauding and over-reaching our Brother v. 5. n. 10 q. 1. Different Colours in Clouds the reason for it v. 5. n. 11 q 5 ‖ DIssertation on a State of Virginity 1 Suppl p. 18 Dispute about the Grandeur of Great Britain 1 Suppl p. 21. Description of the City of Rome 2 Suppl p. 3 Dine or to sup whether better 2 Suppl p. 30 †DIssertations of Mr. Burman p. 107 Darmonseus Philosophical Conferences p. 179 Dodwell's Dissertations on St. Irenaeus p. 356 Du Pin's new Bibliotheque of Ecclesiastical Authors containing the History of their Lives the Catalogue Crisis and Chronology of their Works the sum of what they contain a Iudgment upon their Stile and Doctrine with an Enumeration of the different Editions of their Works Tom. 1. of the Authors of the 3 First Ages p. 445. Tom. 2. Of the Authors of the Fourth Age of the Church p. 391. Dury's Treatise of Church Discipline p. 454 Discourses upon the Sciences in which beside the Method of Studying it is taught how we ought to make use of Sciences for the good of the Church with Advice to such as live in Holy Orders p. 411 Discourse of the French Academy p. 420 E. * EArth its Circumference and Thickness v. 1. n. 2. q. 10 Earth whether destroy'd or refin'd v. 1. n. 3. q 4 Earthquakes their causes v. 1. n. 10. q. 5 Experiment about perpetual motion v. 1. n. 10. q. 7 Eels how produced v. 1. n. 17. q. 9 England be happy v. 1. n. 22. q. 9 Essence be really distinguish'd from Existence v. 1. n. 22. q. 13 Estates whether an ensuring office for 'em v. 1. n. 26. q. 4 Exodus 7.33 comp with Ver. 20 v. 1. n. 29. q. 7 Egyptian Magicians Miracles whether real v. 2. n. 1. q. 16 Earth or Sun which moves v. 2. n. 6. q. 9 Eye-sight how best preserved v. 2. n. 14. q. 1 Eunuchs why never troubled with the Gout v. 2. n. 20. q. 7. East-India and African Company one who has a stock v. 2. n. 24. q. 3 Eve did she lose her Beauty by the Fall v. 2. n. 26. q. 13 Eyes shut under water v. 3. n. 9. q. 8 English Nation why the Finest People and yet Ill Singers v. 3. n. 13. q. 12 Earth are its Foundations to continue for ever v. 3. n. 18. q. 5 Experiment about finding out a Thief whether lawful v. 3. n. 22. q. 1 Errors whether they will be tolerated at Iudgment v. 3. n. 24. q. 13 England the most devout why delight no more in singing Psalms v. 3. n. 29 q. 5 English what Language is it v. 3. n. 30 q 3 Empyreal Heaven had it no Begin v. 3. n. 30. q. 11 Eccho its nature v. 4. n. 17. q. 5 Experiment about artificial wind v. 4. n. 22. q. 7 English Satyrist who is the best v. 5. n. 1. q. 2 Eve what she spun v. 5. n. 5. q. 4 Egyptian Talisman their Force and Vertue v. 5. n. 7. q. 1 Epithalamium on a Wedding v. 5. n. 11. q. 7 Eyes of Beans in the Kid why grow downward some years v. 5. n. 14. q. 6 Ephes. 6.12.5 Whether these words are referr'd to all Christians v. 5. n. 17. q. 1 Evil Spirits in what sence do we wrestle with 'em v. 5. n. 17. q. 2. Evil Spirits in what sence the Rulers of darkness v. 5. n. 17. q. 3 Evil Spirits in what sence they are in High Places v. 5. n. 17. q. 4 Evil Spirits how reconcile some Phrases about ' em v.
doth it dance on Easter-day v. 1. n. 16. q. 2. Superstition the meaning of the Word v. 1. n. 16. q. 8. Sound no Substance v. 1. n. 20. q. 15. Straight Stick in Water appears crooked v. 1. n. 20. q. 19. Storks never found but in Common-wealths v. 1. n. 21. q. 2. Small-pox why so many marked with 'em v. 1. n. 21. q. 3. Solomons Temple why not reckon'd among the wonders of the World v. 1. n. 21. q. 5. Satyrs or Sermons most successful v. 1. n. 22. q. 12. Sexes whether ever chang'd v. 1. n. 23. q. 2. Sherlock whether Dean of St. Pauls v. 1. n. 24. q. 2. Saints Bodies which arose with our Saviour v. 1. n. 25. q. 4. Salvation of Cain Eli and Sampson v. 1. n. 25. q. 5. Sin of felo de se it 's Nature v. 1. n. 25. q. 6. Snail the cause of it's Shell v. 1. n. 25. q. 9. Salamander whether it lives in the Fire v. 1. n. 26. q. 1. Soul whether knows all things v. 1. n. 26. q. 11. Samuel whether he or the Devil c. v. 1. n. 27. q. 1. Sabbath how chang'd v. 1. n. 27. q. 2. Souls of good Men where immediately after death v. 1. n. 28. q. 3. Souls when separate can they assume a Body v. 1. n. 28. q. 4. Shuterkin whence it proceeds v. 1. n. 29. q. 2. Scriptures how know we'em to be the Word of God v. 1. n. 30. q. 7. Sence of the Words when we differ v. 1. n. 30. q. 8. Serpents whether they were real c. v. 2. n. 1. q. 9. Soul in what part of the Body it is v. 2. n. 1. q. 13. Sight from whence proceeds v. 2. n. 1. q. 17. Sun how it comes to shine on the Wall v. 2. n. 2. q. 5. Substance Corporeal and spiritual how act v. 2. n. 2. q. 9. Spirits by what means do they speak v. 2. n. 2. q. 9. Saul went into the Cave c. the meaning v. 2. n. 5. q. 7. Scripture why it forbids Linsy Woolsey v. 2. n. 5. q. 12. Senses which of 'em can we best spare v. 2. n. 5. q. 16. Soul immortal whether breath'd into Adam c. v. 2. n. 5. q. 17. Small Pox the Cause of ' em v. 2. n. 5. q. 18. Spell what is it and whether Lawful v. 2 n. 6. q. 2. Sleep how to make one Wakeful v. 2. n. 6. q. 4. Soul how is it in the Body v. 2. n. 7 q. 2. Souls going out of our Bodies whether c. v. 2. n. 7. q. 3. Soul seeing 't is immaterial whether c. v. 2. n. 7. q. 4. Souls when separation do they knows the affairs of earth v. 2. n. 7. q. 5. Souls separate how do they know one another v. 2. n. 7. q. 6. Souls departed have they present Ioy or Torment v. 2. n. 7. q. 7. Souls departed where go they v. 2. n. 7. q. 8. Souls has a man three viz. the Supream c. v. 2. n. 7. q. 9. Souls where remain till the last day v. 2. n. 7. q. 10. Souls what have the Philosophers said of ' em v. 2. n. 7. q 11. Soul how it's Vnion with the Body v. 2. n. 7. q. 12. Stone in a Toads-head Swan sings at Death v. 2. n. 7. q. 13. Snow whether white or black v. 2. n. 8. q. 3. Sun why looking on it causes sneezing v. 2. n. 8. q. 6. Skeleton a strange Relation of it v. 2. n. 9. q. 1. Sin whether it might be ordain'd v. 2. n. 10. q. 1. Sin whether not ordain'd v. 2. n. 10. q 2. Saviour how did he eat the Passover v. 2. n 11. q. 3. Spirits Astral what is it v. 2. n. 12. q. 3. Sensitive Plants why emit their Operations v. 2. n. 15. q. 5. Salamander whether any such Creature v. 2. n. 15. q. 9. Soul of Man whether by Tradâ—ction or Infusion v. 2. n. 16. q. 5. Smoke what becomes of it v. 2. n. 17. q. 6. Sounds why ascend v. 2. n. 17. q. 8. Sun what matter is it made of v. 2. n. 18. q. 3. Speech and Voice from whence proceeds v. 2. n. 18. q 10. Saturn whether he be Noah v. 2. n. 18. q. 12. Step if Persons can walk far in it v. 2. n. 20. q. 2. Sure to one three years and now sure to v. 2. n. 20. q. 9. Several Questions about the Soul all answer'd in one v. 2. n. 22. q. 1. Sciences whether the Practick or Theory preferable v. 2. n. 22. q. 3. Smoke and Fire a Wager Lâ—id about it v. 2. n. 23. q. 1. Solomons Bounty to the Queen of Sheba v. 2. n. 23. q. 12. Stone cast into the Waters its figures why such v. 2. n. 24. q. 8. Scripture whether retrieved by Esdras v. 2 n. 25. q. 2. Synod of Dort had they Truth on their side v. 2. n. 26. q. 2. Sermon any reason for the clamour against it v. 2. n. 26. q. 6. Soul when it leaves the Body where goes it v. 2. n. 26. q. 7. Saviour and the Thief on the Cross v. 2. n. 27. q. 5. Sodom's overthrow v. 2. n. 27. q. 6. Saviour his Humane and Divine Nature v. 2. n. 27. q. 9. Snake when cut into Pieces v. 2. n. 27. q. 16. State of the Sun Moon c. at the last day v. 2. n. 28. q. 1. Sea how comes it not to overflow the World v. 2. n. 28. q. 6. Silk-worm how it lives v. 2. n. 28. q. 7. Spiritual Substance whether distinct parts v. 2. n. 29. q. 4. Soul it 's seat v. 2. n 29. q. 5. Souldiers who has most v. 2. n. 29. q. 12. Serpent how could he speak with mans Voice v. 2. n. 29. q. 15. Scripture and prophane History why they differ v. 2. n. 30. q. 7. Superstition of abstaining from Flesh v. 2. n. 30. q. 12. Sun where does it set v. 3. n. 1. q. 4. Spider how does it Poison a fly v. 3. n. 1. q. 5. Singing Psalms why not used v. 3. n. 6. q. 4. Sea Water why Salt v. 3. n. 6. q. 7. Souls whether all equally happy v. 3. n. 8. q. 5. Soul of a Child quick in the Womb v. 3 n. 8. q. 6. Shooting at Sea why heard at a distance v. 3. n. 9. q. 6. Soul after what manner it enters into the Body v. 3. n. 9. q. 7. Shell fish why the shell apply'd to the Ear v. 3. n. 9. q. 11. Sermon of one hour why seems longer than two v. 3. n. 11. q. 8. Shoot right why they wink with one Eye v. 3. n. 12. q. 5. Self-dislike whether Wisdom v. 3. n. 12. q. 7. Sences which can we best spare v. 3. n. 14. q. 1. Self-Murther for a Mistress whether Lawful v. 3. n. 16. q. 2. Socinian Heresie when broach't v. 3. n. 18. q. 4. Spring how visible v. 3. n. 19. q 5. Stones on Salisbury Plain v. 3. n. 19. q. 6. Sky is it of any Colour v. 3. n. 22. q. 5. Sacrament