Miscellanies Christian and Judaical, Chapter 32
CAP. XXXII. Of the Language of two Testaments.
THe two Testaments are like the Apostles at Ierusalem (when the confusion of tongues at Babel was rerecompensed with multiplicitie of tongues at Sion) speaking in different languages, but speaking both to one purpose. They differ from each other onelyonly in language and time: but for matter the new is veiled in the old, and old old reueiled in the new. Isaiah in his vision,Isa. 6.2. heard the Seraphins cry Zeh elzeh, one to another, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of tsebhaoth. So the two Testaments like these two Seraphins, cry Zeh el Zeh, one to another, the old cries to the new, and the new ecchoes to the old. The old cries, Holy is the Lord that hath promised, the new answers, Holy is the Lord that hath performed. The old saies, Holy is the Father that gaue the Law, the new saith, Holy is the Sonne that preached the Gospell, and both say, holy is the Holy Ghost that penned both Law and Go…pell to make men holy. The two Cherubins in Salomons Temple stood so that with their outmost wings they touched the sides of the house,2. Chrō. 3. and their other wings touched each other. So the two Testaments, one way touch the two sides of the house, and the other way touch each other. In their extent they read from the beginning of the world to the end, from in the beginning, to come Lord Iesus. In their consent they touch each other, with He shall turne the Heart of the Fathers to the children, Mal. 4.6. and He shall turne the heart of the fathers to the children, Luke 1.17. Here the two wings ioyne in the middle. Tertullian calls the Prophet Malachy, the bound or skirt of Iudaisme and Christianity, a stake that tels that there promising ends, and performing begins, that prophecying concludes, fulfilling takes place: there is not a span betweene these two plots of holy ground, the old and new Testament, for they touch each other. What do the Papists then when they put and chop in the Apocripha for Canonicall Scripture, betweene Malachi and Matthew, Law and Gospell? What doe they, but make a wall betweene the Seraphins that they cannot heare each others crie? What do they but make a stoppe betweene the Cherubins that they cannot touch each others wing? What do they but make a ditch betwixt these grounds that they cannot reach each to others coasts? What do they but remooue the land-marke of the Scriptures, and so are guilty, of, Cursed be he that remooues his neighbours marke, Deut. 27.17. And what do they but …orce the mariage of the Testaments, and so are guilty of the breach of, that which God hath ioyned together let no man put asunder. These two Testaments are the two paps of the Church from which we suck the sincere milke of the Word. One pap is not more like to another, then are these two for substance, but for language they varie in colour. The old (as all can tell) is written in Hebrew, but some forraigne languages are also admitted into Scripture, besides the Hebrew, as forraigne nations were to be admitted also to the Church besides ye Hebrewes. A great peece of Ezra in Chalde, because takē from Chalde Chronicles. Those parts of Daniels visions that concerne al the world, are written in the Chaldee, the tongue then best known in the world, because the Chaldeans were then Lords of the world. The eleuenth verse of the tenth of Ieremie is in the same tongue, that the Iewes might learne so much of their language, as to refuse their idolatrie in their owne language. Other words of this Idiome are frequent in the Scripture: as I take two names giuen to Christ (as Bar the sonne in Psal. 2.10. and Hhoter the rod of Iesses stemme,Hhutra vsed by all the Targums …o in diuerse places. Isa. 11.) to be natiuely Chaldee words, and for that they do shew the greater mysterie: viz. that this Sonne and this Rod should belong to Chaldeans and Gentiles, as well as to Iewes or Hebrewes: Infinite it is to trace all of this nature and language. The Arabian is also admitted into Scripture, especially in the booke of Iob a man of that country: whether Philistin Phrases, and other adiacent nations Dialects, be not to be found there also, I referre to the Reader to search, and (I thinke) he may easily find: of the eloquence of some peeces aboue others, and the difficultie of some bookes aboue others, those that can euen read the English Bible can tell. I would there were more that could reade it in its owne language, and as it were talk with God there in his own tongue: that as by Gods mercy Iaphet dwells now in the tents of Sem, or the Gentiles hauehave gained the preheminence of the Iewes for religion, so they would water this graffing of theirs into this stocke, with the iuyce of that tongue, thereby to prouoke them the more to Ielousie.