if this change of judgment which hath been long insinuating itself, by the curiosity and boldness of critics, should break in also upon the Protestant world, and be avowed in public works, it is easy to conjecture what the end will be. We went from Rome under the conduct of the purity of the originals, I wish none have a mind to return thither again, under the pretence of their corruption.

CHAP. V.

The original of the points proposed to consideration in particular. The importance of the points to the right understanding of the Scripture; the testimony of Morinus, Junius, Johannes Isaac, Cevallerius, and others. The use made by the Papists of the opinion of the novelty of the points. The importance of the points farther manifested. The extreme danger of making the Hebrew punctuation arbitrary. That danger evinced by instance. No relief against that danger, on the grounds of the opinion considered. The authors of the Hebrew punctuation according to the Prolegomena: who and what. Morinus's folly. The improbability of this pretence. The state of the Jews, the supposed inventors of the points after the destruction of the temple. Two attempts made by them to restore their religion. The former under Barchochab, with its issue. The second under R. Judah, with its issue. The rise and foundation of the Talmuds. The state of the Jews upon and after the writing of the Talmuds. Their · ́rancour against Christ. Who the Tiberian Massorites were, that are the supposed authors of the Hebrew punctuation: their description. That figment rejected. The late testimony of Dr. Lightfoot to this purpose. The rise of the opinion of the novelty of the points. Of Elias Levita. The value of his testimony in this case. Of the validity of the testimony of the Jewish Rabbins. Some considerations about the antiquity of the points; the first from the nature of the punctuation itself, in reference unto grammatical rules. From the Chaldee paraphrase, and integrity of the Scripture as now pointed.

THIS being, in my apprehension, the state of things amongst us, I hope I may, without offence, proceed to the consideration of the particulars before mentioned, from whence it is feared that objections may arise against the purity and selfevidencing power of the Scriptures, pleaded for in the foregoing treatise. That which in the first place was mentioned, is the assertion of the points or vowels, and accents, to be a novel invention of some Rabbins of Tiberias, in Palestina. This the learned author of the prolegomena defends with Capellus's arguments, and such other additions as he was

pleased to make use of. To clear up the concernments of our truth in this particular, it will be necessary to consider; 1. What influence into the right understanding of the text these points have, and necessarily must have. 2. What is their original, or who their invention is ascribed unto in these prolegomena. As to the assertive part of this controversy, or the vindication of their true sacred original, some other occasion may call for additions to what is now (by the way) insisted on. And as I shall not oppose them who maintain that they are coavous with the letters, which are not a few of the most learned Jews and Christians; so I no ways doubt, but that as we now enjoy them, we shall yet manifest that

the men of the אנשי כנסתה גדולה they were completed by

great synagogue, Ezra and his companions, guided therein by the infallible direction of the Spirit of God.

That we may not seem ȧepoßartiv, or to contend de lana caprina, the importance of these points as to the right understanding of the word of God, is first to be considered, and that from testimony and the nature of the thing itself. Morinus in his preface to his Hebrew Lexicon, tells us that without the points, no certain truth can be learned from the Scriptures in that language, seeing all things may be read diverse ways, so that there will be more confusion in that one tongue, than was amongst all those at Babylon. Nulla igitur certa doctrina poterit tradi de hac lingua, cum omnia possint diversimodo legi, ut futura sit major confusio unicæ hujus linguæ, quam illa Babylonis.' Morinus plainly affirms that it is so indeed: instancing in the word 77, which as it may be variously pointed, hath at least eight several significations, and some of them as distant from one another, as heaven and earth. And to make evident the uncertainty of the language on this account, he gives the like instance in c,r,s, in Latin: Junius, in the close of his animadversions on Bellar. de verbo Dei. lib. 2. cap. 2. commends that saying of Johannes Isaac against Lindanus, he that reads the Scriptures without points, is like a man that rides a horse axáλivos, without a bridle; he may be carried he knows not whither. Radulphus Cevallerius goes farther; Rudiment. ling. Heb. cap. 4. Quod superest de vocalium et accentuum antiquitate, eorum- sententiæ subscribo, qui linguam Hebræam tanquam omnium aliarum

aρxéruπov absolutissimum plane ab initio scriptam confirmant: quandoquidem qui contra sentiunt, non modo authoritatem sacræ Scripturæ dubiam efficiunt, sed radicitus (meo quidem judicio) convellunt, quod absque, vocalibus et distinctionum notis, nihil certi firmique, habeat.'—' As for the antiquity of the vowels and accents,' saith he, '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 judgment wholly pluck it up by the roots; for without the vowels and notes of distinction, it hath nothing firm and certain.'

In this man's judgment (which also is my own), it is evident to all, how obnoxious to the opinion now opposed, the truth is that I am contending for.

с

To these also may be added the great Buxtorfs, fathera and son; Gerard, Glassius,a Voetius, Flac. Ilyric. Polan. Whitaker, Hassret,s Wolthius.h

f

It is well known what use the Papists make of this conceit. Bellarmine maintains that there are errors crept into the original by this addition of the points. De Verb. Dei, lib. 2. cap. 2. Hisce duabus sententiis refutatis restat tertia quam ego verissimam puto, quæ est, Scripturas Hebraicas non esse in universum depravatas opera et malitia Judæorum, nec tamen omnino esse integras et puras, sed habere suos errores quosdam, qui partim irrepserint negligentia et ignorantia librariorum, &c. partim ignorantia Rabbinorum qui puncta addiderunt: itaque possumus si volumus puncta detrahere, et aliter legere.'-' These two opinions being confuted, the third remaineth, which I suppose to be most true, which is, that the Hebrew Scriptures are not universally corrupted by the malicious work of the Jews, nor yet are wholly pure or entire, but that they have errors, which have crept in partly by the negligence and ignorance of the transcribers, partly by the ignorance of the Rabbins who added the points: whence we may if we please reject the points and read otherwise.'

a Buxtorf. Tiberias.

b De Antiquitate punct.
d De Text. Heb. puri.
f Clav. Sa. p. 2. trac. 6.
h Disputat. Jenæ.

Exeg. loc. com. Tom. 1. de Sa. Sc. eLoc com. quousque se extendat. Author. SSa. De Templ. Ezec.

In the voluminous opposition to the truth made by that learned man, I know nothing more perniciously spoken: nor do yet know how his inference can be avoided, on the hypothesis in question. To what purpose this insinuation is made by him is well known, and his companions in design exactly declare it. That their Hebrew text be corrected by the Vulgar Latin, is the express desire of Gregory de Valentia; tom. 1. disput. 5. qu. 3. and that because the church hath approved that translation, it being corrected (says Huntly) by Jerome before the invention of points. But this is put out of doubt by Morinus, who from hence argues the Hebrew tongue to be a very nose of wax, to be turned by men which way they please: and to be so given of God on purpose, that men might subject their consciences to their infallible church Exercit. lib. 1. Exer. 1. c. 2. Great hath been the endeavour of this sort of men, wherein they have left no stone unturned to decry the originals. Some of them cry out that the Old Testament is corrupted by the Jews, as Leo Castrius, Gordonius Huntlæus, Melchior Canus,' Petrus Galatinus," Morinus," Salmeron, Pintus, Mersennus; Animad. in Problem. Georgii Venet, &c. pag. 233. that many corruptions have crept into it by negligence, and the carelessness of scribes, so Bellarmine," Genebrard, Sixtus Sinensis, with most of the rest of them; in these things indeed they have been opposed by the most learned of their own side; as Arias Montanus, Johannes Isaac, Pineda," Masius, Ferarius, Andradius, and sundry others, who speak honourably of the originals; but in nothing do they so pride themselves, as in this conceit of the novelty of the Hebrew punctuation; whereby they hope, with Abimelech's servants, utterly to stop the wells or fountains from whence we should draw our soul's refreshment.

X

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This may serve for a short view of the opinions of the parties at variance, and their several interests in these opinions. The importance of the points is on all hands acknowledged, whether aiming at the honour, or dishonour of

the originals. Vowels are the life of words; consonants without them are dead and immoveable; by them are they carried to any sense, and may be to diverse. It is true that men who have come to acquaintance with the Scriptures, by the help of the vowels and accents, being in possession of an habitual notion and apprehension of that sense and meaning, which ariseth from them, may possibly think that it were a facile thing to find out, and fix upon the same sense, by the help of the matres lectionis, and the consideration of antecedents and consequents with such like assistances. But let them be all taken out of the way (as I shall manifest it is fit they should be, if they have the original assigned to them by the prolegomena), and let men lay aside that advantage they have received from them, and it will quickly. appear, into what devious ways all sorts of such persons will run. Scarce a chapter, it may be a verse, or a word, in a short time would be left free from perplexing contradicting conjectures. The words are altogether innumerable whose significations may be varied, by an arbitrary supplying of the points. And when the regulation of the punctuation, shall be left to every single person's conjectures, upon antecedents and consequents (for who shall give a rule to the rest), what end shall we have of fruitless contests? What various, what pernicious senses shall we have to contend about? Suppose that men, sober, modest, humble, pious, might be preserved from such miscarriages, and be brought to some agreement about these things (which yet in these days upon many accounts is not to be looked for; yea, from the nature of the thing itself seems impossible), yet this gives us but a human fallible persuasion, that the readings fixed. on by them, is according to the mind of God; but to expect such an agreement is fond and foolish. Besides, who shall secure us against the luxuriant atheistical wits and spirits of these days, who are bold upon all advantages, ȧkívητα KIVεīν, and to break in upon every thing that is holy and sacred; that they will not by their huckstering, utterly corrupt the word of God? How easy is it to foresee the dangerous consequents of contending for various readings, though not false nor pernicious, by men pertinaciously adhering to their own conjectures? The word of God, as to its literal sense, or reading of the words of it, hath hitherto been