Of the Divine Original Authority, Treatise 2 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
1 Generall Premiſes. 2 Opinions prejudiciall to the Authority of the Originals in the Prolegomena, enumerated. 4 The juſt conſequences of thoſe Premiſes. 5 Others ingaged in theſe opinions: of Capellus. 6 Of Origen, Cimenius, Arias Montanus Editions of the Bible.
Sect. 1. HAving now declared in what ſenſe, and with what Allowance as to various lections, I maintaine the Aſſertion laid down in the foregoing Treatiſe, concerning the providentiall preſervation of the whole Book of God, ſo that we may have full Aſſurance, that we enjoy the whole Revelation of his will, in the copies abiding amongſt us, I ſhall now proceed to weigh what may be objected further, (beyond what hath already been inſiſted on) againſt the Truth of it, from the Prolegomena and Appendix to the Biblia Polyglotta, at the entrance of our diſcourſe propoſed to conſideration.
Sect. 2. 1. To ſpeak ſomewhat of them in Generall, I muſt crave leave to ſay, and it being but the Repreſentation of mens avowed Judgments, I hope I may ſay without offence, that together with many high and honourable expreſſions concerning the Originalls, ſetting aſide the incredible figment, of the Jewes corrupting the Bible out of hatred to the Chriſtians, which being firſt ſuppoſed by Juſtin Martyr (though he ſpeak of the Septuagint only) hath ſcarce found one or two ſince to own it, but is rejected by the Univerſality of learned men, antient and Moderne, unleſſe ſome few Papiſts mad upon their Idols, and the Theſis preferring in generall this or that Tranſlation above the Originall, there is no opinion that I know of, that was ever ventilated among Chriſtians, tending to the depreſſion of the worth, or impairing the eſteeme of the Hebrew copies, which is not directly, or by juſt conſequence owned in theſe Prolegomena. Thence it is contended that the Preſent Hebrew Character is not that uſed by God himſelfe, and in the old Church before the captivity of Babylon, but it is the Chaldean, the other being left to the Samaritans; That the Points, or vowels and accents are a late invention of the Tiberian Maſſorites, long after ſundry Tranſlations were extant in the world; That the Keri Uketif are criticall notes, conſiſting partly of various lections gathered by the late Maſsorites and Rabbins; That conſidering how oft times in likelyhood Tranſlators read the Text before the invention of the Points and accents, the Preſent Reading may be corrected and amended by them, and that becauſe the old Tranſlators had other copies, or differing copies from them which we now enjoy. That where groſſe faults are crept into the Hebrew Text, men may by their own conjectures find out various lections, whereby they may be amended; and to this purpoſe an inſtance of ſuch various lections, or rather corrections of the Originall is in the Appendix exhibited unto us out of Grotius. That the Books of the Scriptures have had the fate of other Books; by paſſing through the hands of many Tranſcribers, they have upon them the marks of their negligence, ignorance and ſloth.
Sect. 3. Now truly I cannot but wiſh that ſome other way had been found out to give eſteem and reputation to this noble collection of Tranſlations, then by eſpouſing theſe opinions, ſo prejudiciall to the Truth and Authority of the Originalls. And it may be juſtly feared, that where one will releive himſelfe againſt the Uncertainty of the Originalls, by the conſiderations of the various Tranſlations here exhibited unto us, being ſuch, as upon triall they will be found to be, many will be ready to queſtion the foundation of all.
Sect. 4. It is true, the Learned Prefacer ownes not thoſe wretched conſequences, that ſome have laboured to draw from theſe Premiſes; yet it muſt be acknowledged alſo, that ſufficient ſecurity againſt the lawfull deriving thoſe conſequences from theſe Premiſes, is not tendred unto us; He ſaies not, that, becauſe this is the ſtate of the Hebrew Language and Bible, therefore all things in it are dubious and uncertaine, eaſy to be turned unto various ſenſes, not fit to be a Rule for the Triall of other Tranſlations, though he knows full well who thinks this a juſt conſequence from the opinion of the novelty of the vowells; and himſelfe grants that all our knowledge of the Hebrew is taken from the Tranſlation of the 70, as he is quoted to that purpoſe by Morinus; Praefat. ad opuſe: Hebrae: Samarit. He concludes not, that on theſe accounts we muſt rely upon as infallible living Judge, and the Tranſlation that he ſhall commend unto us; though he knows full well who do ſo; & himſelfe gives it a for rule, that at the correction of the Originall, we have the conſent of the guides of the Church: I could deſire then I ſay, that ſufficient ſecurity may be tendred us againſt theſe inferences, before the premiſes be embraced; ſeeing great and wiſe men, as we ſhall further ſee anon, do ſuppoſe them naturally and neceſſarily to flow from them.
Sect. 5. It is confeſſed that ſome learned men, even among the Proteſtants, have heretofore vented theſe or ſome of theſe paradoxes: eſpecially Capellus in his arcanum punctationis revelatum, Critica ſacra, and other Treatiſes: in the defence whereof, as I heare, he ſtill laboureth, being unwilling to ſuffer loſſe in the fruit of ſo great pains. What will become of his reply unto Buxtorfius in the defence of his Critica, I know not: reports are that it is finiſhed; And it is thought he muſt once more fly to the Papiſts by the help of his Son, a great zealot amongſt them, as he did with his Critica to get it publiſhed. The generality of learned men among Proteſtants are not yet infected with this leaven. Nor indeed do I find his boldneſſe in conjecturing approved in theſe Prolegomena. But let it be free for men to make known their judgments in the ſeveralls mentioned. It hath been ſo, and may it abide ſo ſtill. Had not this great and uſefull VVork been prefaced with the ſtating of them, it had not been of publick Concernment (as now it ſeems to be) to have taken notice of them.
Sect. 6. Beſides it is not known whither this inconvenience will grow. Origen in his octupla, as was declared, fixed the Hebrew originall as the Rule and meaſure of all Tranſlations. In the reviving of that kind of work by Zimenius in the Complutenſian Bibles, its Station is left unto it. Arias Montanus who followed in their ſteps (concerning whoſe performances under his maſter the King of Spaine) I may ſay for ſundry Excellencies, nil oriturum alias, nil ortum tale) was religiouſly carefull to maintaine the purity of the Originalls, publiſhing the Hebrew verity (as it is called by Hierome, Auſtin, and others of the Ancients) as the rule of Examining by it all tranſlations whatever;Morln. Exerci: de Heb. Text. ſinc. lib. 1. Ex. 1. cap. 4. for which he is ſince accuſed of Ignorance by a petulant Jeſuite, that never deſerved to carry his books after him. Michael le Jay hath given a turne to this progreſse, and in plaine termes exalts a corrupt Tranſlation above the Originalls; and that upon the principle under conſideration, as is abundantly manifeſt from Morinus. And if this Change of judgment which hath been long inſinuating it ſelfe, by the curioſity and boldneſſe of Criticks, ſhould break in alſo upon the Proteſtant World, and be avowed in publick works, it is eaſy to conjecture what the End will be. We went from Rome under the conduct of the purity of the Originalls, I wiſh none have a mind to returne thither againe, under the pretence of their corruption.