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Letter from the Rev. Arthur Bedford to Dr. Charlet. 363

a magnificent entertainment. There Vitellius made an alliance with the new king of Arabia, and immediately fent an account of what he had done to the new Emperor, and finding by his answer that Herod had contrived to inform him of every particular before, he hated Herod as long as (To be continued.)

he lived.

LETTER from the REV. ARTHUR BEDFORD, M. A. to DR. CHARLET, Mafter of Univerfity College, Oxford.

Newton St. Loe, Dec. 11, 1719.

'I

"REVEREND SIR,

INTENDED to have given you fome account of the nature and usefulness of the Chaldee and Syriack languages; but, fince all that I can fay, and more than can be comprehended in a letter, is contained in Mr. Ockley's Introduction to the Oriental Languages, in the Appendix. to the Polyglott Bible, and in the Appendix to Bishop Beveridge's Syriack Grammar, I must desire to be excused, and refer you thither.

"I cannot but highly approve of the defign of founding a profefforship in Oxford, for the Syriack language; and have reafon to hope, what I heartily wifh, that the pious and charitable benefactor, who promotes the study of that language which our bleffed Saviour fpoke when he was on earth, will hear him fay, Come ye blessed,' at his return from heaven.

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The manner how fuch a design may be made most ufeful, can be better concerted among those who are skilled in those ftudies, in fo famous an Univerfity as Oxford is. But fince you were pleafed to defire an account thereof from me, I fhall with fubmiffion to their judgment, give you my thoughts thereof.

"I believe that it would be better to fettle a profeffor of the Chaldee and Syriack language, than of the Syriack alone. "For firft: the Chaldee and Syriack differing little more than the Ionick and Dorick dialects among the Greeks, may eafily be carried on by the fame profeffor; and he who is mafter of the one, may alfo, in a few months time, be mafter of the other.

"Secondly:

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Secondly there being very few books extant in the Syriack language, except the verfion of the Bible, I cannot fuppofe that there would be employment enough for a profeffor in that fingle ftudy.

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Thirdly I find a canon in the council of Vienne, under Pope Clement V. which requires, that there fhould be a profeffor of Hebrew, Chaldee, and Arabick, in the University of Oxford; and fhould this be féttled in fuch a manner, it anfwers exactly to the defign of that council; and if the Syriack language is added to it, then the four moft ufeful of the oriental languages will be promoted by profeffors for that purpose.

Fourthly the Chaldee is abfolutely neceffary, not only for the understanding the Paraphrafe on the Bible, but alfo of the Jewish commentators, the Maforites and the Talmud; fo that without it, a ftudent cannot make a much greater proficiency in the Jewish learning than what is,contained in the Hebrew Bible.

"Fifthly A Chaldee lecture will, in my opinion, encourage the oriental ftudies more than the Syriack alone, The natural method is, to begin with the Hebrew Bible. Now the Bible cannot be read over without fome understanding of the Chaldee; because a great part of Daniel and Ezra, and a verfe in Jeremiah, is written in that language, This done, a ftudent will be capable of profiting by fach a lecture. The affinity of thefe two languages will be an en- 1 couragement to proceed to the third. And every one, who reads the Chaldee in the Hebrew Bible, will be in hopes of fuch a profefforfhip; which may be a greater encouragement to future industry.

"Laftly: The encouragement of the Chaldee language may be the best means for the converfion of the Jews. The Jews are all skilled in the Hebrew and Chaldee; but they know nothing of the Syriack; and the beft arguments against them may be taken from the Chaldee Paraphrafe, for which they have a great efteem. Thus may our divines be trained up to confute them from their own authors, and to baffle them with their own weapons. We think it plain, from Scripture, that a time will come when the Jews fhall be converted to the Chriftian faith; and I hope the time is near. Now the fame God, who ordains the end, directs to means; and probably fuch a pious benefactor may be an inftrument for fuch a glorious purpose, and may accordingly hope for the reward (Dan. xii. 3.) of those who turn

many

many to righteousness, which is, to fhine as the stars for ever and ever.

"As for the times in which fuch lectures should be read, if I might give my advice, it fhould be once a week both in term and vacation throughout the year, the holidays, Chriftmas, Lent, Eafler and Whitfuntide, excepted; and that the lectures fhould be alternately for, each month in the year, one month for Chaldee and another for Syriack. Thus all who come to keep the Eafter and Act terms, might hear lectures for both languages. And as the Hebrew lectures are appointed to be read in term time, and the Arabick in the vacation, fo there might be two lectures at least weekly in the oriental ftudies throughout the year, excepting the times before-mentioned.

I am, reverend Sir,

your most humble.

and affectionate Servant,

- ARTHUR BEDFORD."

ARCHBISHOP LAUD'S DEVOTIONS,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCHMAN'S

A

SIR,

MAGAZINE.

S the last of Archbishop Laud's Devotions, I now fend you what he has entitled Prayers upon Sundry Pub lic Occafions.

For the high Court of Parliament 1625. In a fast for that great plague.

AFTER using our prefent form for the fame occafion, to the words "our Sovereign and his kingdom," (or as we now more properly fay, dominions,) he fays, "Lord regard their humility and devotion. They are come to thy house in obedience, upon the mercies and merits of Chrift, that thou wilt not deny the grace and favor they beg. O Lord, bless them with the neceffary knowledge, to fpeed and bring

great

great defigns to action; and make his Majefty's and their Counfels a happiness and bleffing. Thefe and all other neceffaries, for them, for us, &c.

For the Navy.

O GOD and Father, Lord of Hofts, the strength of Na tions is from thee. No victory can wait upon defigns, counfels, or armies, if thou teach not. Thou art the hope of all on the Earth or Sea: and now we need thy help by Sea and Land; for Chrift's mercy deny us neither: Be with our armies and our allies by Land and Sea. Be not from either of them, till they return with honor and peace. Turn our Enemies' swords into their own bofom; for we fought Peace, and they made ready for battle. We are truly forry for our Sins, forgive them; we will truft on thee, to bless the actions of this ftate, for thy glory, the honor of our gracious King Charles, and the peace and welfare of this Church and State. Grant this for Chrift's fake. Amen.

In time of peftilence and unfeasonable weather. 1625. MOST Gracious God, pardon our grievous tranfgreffions: take off thy punishment and forgive our Sins. We may not think thou wilt forgive our Sins, until our humiliation and repentance afk forgiveness. We have been flow: now thy mercy is apparelled in Juftice, to force us to thee. Lord we believe, encrease our faith, devotion, repentance; and all Chriftian virtues. Thy Vials of difpleasure drop upon us, and we fmart under one, while thou threatenedit the reft. The peftilence spreads, as if feeking whom it fhould devour: making families and cities defolate we hear the found of war, and the fword calling for such as it would devour. The Heavens are black, and the Clouds drop leannefs famine will fwallow what the Peftilence and Sword leave, unless thou fend more seasonable weather. Our Sins have deserved this, and more. We have no whither to go, but thy mercy, and no way to that but the all-fufficient merit of thy Son, our Bleffed Saviour: for his fake look upon us, command thine angel to ftay his hand. In death we cannot praife, or give thee thanks. Go with our armies, our deliverance is from thee. Take not away our plenty. We need thy mercies, and they are together in Chrift, in whom and for whom, we beg, &c.

In danger of Enemies. 1626.

O GOD and Father, be merciful to us, and near to help in those needs our Sins threaten to bring. Our Enemies

are

are ftrengthened by our rebellions against thee; and we deferve the threatening. Thou haft mercy, and to be feared. Shew us mercy, and inake us fo fear thee, that we may never fear or feel them. When thou wilt correct us, let us fall into thy hands and not man's, for Jefus Chrift's fake. Amen.

O God and Father, we deserve all thy Law threatens. Our contempt of worship is great; we hear, but do not obey. Forgive all our Sins. Give us light, readiness, obedience, and discretion: true, ferious, and loyal endeavors for the peace and profperity of Jerufalem, the UNITY and glory of THIS CHURCH AND STATE, to love and profper in it, and be full of grace here, and glory hereafter, through Chrift, &c.

Thanksgiving for ceafing the Plague. 1626.

O MERCIFUL God, we praise thee for the wonderful ceafing of the plague, in the chief City, and other places. Shew us further mercy, and look on all this land with compaffion. Keep the deftroying angel from, not to enter free places, or farther wafte thofe vifited. Comfort the Sick, Preferve the Sound, receive them that die, to mercy; that living and dying, they and we may be thy faithful Servants, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In danger of Enemies. 1626.

O GOD, we have felt thy mercies; no nation more: and committed Sins, few nations greater. Enter not into Judgment, but for Chrift's fake pacify thine anger, and fave us from our Enemies. Our crying Sins have called them. Add to thy mercy, and reftrain them, bridle their mouths, and put thy bit between their teeth. Fruftrate their defigns, AND LET THEM FIND NO WAY IN OUR SEAS, nor any path in OUR floods, fcatter them with thy tempefts, and forms; that WE being delivered by thy hand, may blefs, honor, and ferve thee all our days, through Chrift, &c. 1626, 1628. O Lord, thou Governor of the Earth, look down in mercy upon THIS REALM, and upon all other REFORMED Churches. Deliver us and them from threatened deftruction. Protect our Sovereign, direct his counfels, go with his armies, be to him and us a wall and tower of defence, that being safe in mercy, we may ferve thee in thy Church, and ever praise thee, through Jefus Chrift.

For

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