1 32 ANIMADVERSIONS ON A TREATISE
to be spoken unto them to whom that dialect was vulgar. And when, after the captivity, the people had learned the Chaldee language, some parts of some books then written are therein expressed ; to show that it is not this or that language which, on its own account, is to confine the compass of holy writ, but that that or those are to be used which the people who are concerned in it do understand. But what lan- guage soever it was in, "it was kept privately in the ark or tabernacle, not touched, not looked upon by the people, but brought forth at times to the priest/' ^fl rav toTov as 'i'Trog [(pvysv spx.og odovrojv ;] — What book was kejot in the ark? the law, prophets, and hagiography? Who told you so? A copy of the law, indeed, or Pentateuch, was by God's command put in the side of the ark, Deut. xxxi. 26. That the pro- phets or hagiography were ever placed there is a great mistake of our author ; but not so great as that that follows, — that the book, placed in the side of the ark, "was brought forth for the priest to read in on the Sabbath-days;" when, as all men know, the ark was placed in the "sanctum sanctorum" of the tabernacle and temple, which only the high priest entered, and that once a-year, and that without liberty of bringing any thing out which was in it, for any use whatever. And his mistake is grossest of all, in imagining that they had no other copies of the law or Scripture but what was so laid up in the side of the ark, the whole people being commanded to study in it con- tinually, and the king, in special, to write out a copy of it with his own hand, Deut. xvii. 1 8, out of an authentic copy ; yea, they were to take sentences out of it, to write them on their fringes, and posts of their doors and houses, and on their gates ; all to bind them to a constant use of them. So that this instance, on very many accounts, was unhappily stumbled on by our author, who, as it seems, knows very little of these things. He was then evidently in haste, or wanted better provision, when, on this vain surmise, he proceeds to the encomiums of his Catholic mother's indulgence to her child- ren, in leaving of the Scripture in the hands of all that understand Greek and Latin (how little a portion of her family!) and to a de- clamation against the preaching and disputing of men about it, with a commendation of that reverential ignorance which will arise in men from wliom the means of their better instruction is kept at a distance.
Another discourse we have annexed, to prove that " the Bible cannot be well translated, and that it loseth much of its grace and sweetness, arising from a peculiarity of spirit in its writers, by any translation whatever." I do, for my part, acknowledge that no translation is able in all things universally to exhibit that fulness of sense and secret virtue, to intimate the truth it expresseth to the mind of a believer, which is in many passages of Scripture in its ori-
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giual languages ; but how this will further the Romanists' pretensions, who have enthroned a translation for the use of their whole church, and that none of the best neither, but in many things corrupt and barbarous, I know not. Those who look on the tongues wherein the Scripture was originally written as their fountains, if at any time they find the streams not so clear, or not to give so sweet a relish as they expected, are at liberty, if able, to repair to the foimtains them- selves; but those who reject the fountains, and betake themselves to one only stream, for aught I know, must abide by their own in- conveniences without complaining. To say the Bible cannot be well translated, and yet to make use, principally at least, of a translation, with an undervaluing of the originals, argues no great consistency of judgment, or a prevalency of interest. That which our author in this matter sets off with a handsome flourish of words, and some very unhandsome similitudes, considering what he treats of, he sums up, p. 283, in these words : — " By all this I would say thus much. The Bible translated x)ut of its own sacred phrase into a profane and com- mon one, loseth both its propriety and amplitude of meaning, and is likewise divested of its peculiar majesty, holiness, and spmt ; which is reason enough, if there were no other, why it shotild be kept inviolate in its own style and speech." So doth our author advance his wisdom and judgment above the wisdom and judgment of all churches and nations tliat ever embraced the faith of Christ for a thousand years; all which, notwithstanding what there is of truth in any of his insinua- tions, judged it their duty to translate the Scripture into their mother tongues ; very many of which translations are extant even to this day. Besides, he concludes with us in general ambiguous terms ; as all along in other things his practice hath been.