THE LATIN SERVICE. 475
the Pentateuch, which was read in their synagogues on the Sabbath- days, jx yiviZiv ap-x^aiMv, as James tells us, Acts xv. 21 ; only, whereas their law was particularly sought after to be destroyed by Antiochus Epiphanes, they supplied the room of it with the other parts of the Scripture divided into cha]:)ters, answerable unto the sections of the law. Nor, (2.) Is that brought out to or hy a priest, but to any rabbi that presides in their synagogue worship; for they have no priest amongst them, nor certain distinction of tribes : so that if you your- self have been in any synagogue or convention of the Jews, it is evi- dent that you understood little of what you saw them do. (3.) For their prostration at the bringing out of the book, which you seem to commend as a solemn adoration, it is downright idolatrous; for in it they openly worship the material roll or book that they keep.
But what is it that you would from hence conclude? Is it that which you attempted in your "Fiat," — namely, that the people amongst the Jews had not the Bible in their own language, and in common use among them? You may as easily prove that the sun shines not at noon-day. The Scripture was committed unto them in their owm mother- tongue, and they were commanded of God to read and study, it continually, the psalmist pronouncing them blessed Avho did ac- cordingly ; and the present Jews make the same duty of indispensable necessity imto every one amongst them after he comes to be " iilius pro3cepti," or liable to the keeping of any command of God. The rules they give for all sorts of persons, high and low, rich and poor, young and old, sick and in health, for the performance of this duty, are known to all who have any acquaintance with their present prin- ciples, practices, state, and condition; and you shall scarcely meet with a child amongst them of nine years old who is not exercised to the reading of the Bible in Hebrew; — and yet, though they all gene- rally learn the Hebrew tongue for this purpose in their infancy, lest they should neglect it, or through trouble be kept from it, they have translated the whole Old Testament into all the languages of the nations amongst whom in any numbers they are scattered. The Arabic translation of the Mauritanian Jews, the Spanish of the Spaniards and Portugl^ese, I can show you if you jalease. Upon the whole matter, I wish you knew how great the work is wherein you are engaged, and how contemptible the engines are v/hereby you hope to effect it. But such positions and such confirmations are very well suited. And this is the sum of what you plead afresh in vindication of your Latin service, and keeping the Scripture from the use of the people. If you suppose yourself armed hereby against the express institution of Christ by his apostles, the eccamjjle of God's dealing with liis people of old, the nature of the things themselves, and imiversal 'practice of the primitive church, I really pity you.
476 A VINDICATION OF THE ANIMADVERSIONS ON FIAT LUX.
and shall continue to pray for you, that you may not any longer bring upon yourself the blood of souls.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Communion.
The defence of your paragraph about communion in one kind is totally deserted by you. I know no other cause of your so doing but a sense of your incompetency for its defence, seeing you expend words enough about things of less importance. But you please your- self with the commendation of what you had written on this subject in your " Fiat," as full of " Christian reason, convincing reason and sobriety, and how it would have prevailed upon your own judgment had you been otherwise minded." You seem to dwell far from neighbours, and to be a very easy man to be entreated unto what you have a mind unto. But you might not have done amiss to have waited a little for the praise of others; this out of your own mouth is not very comely. And I shall only take leave once more to in- form you, that an opposition to the institution of Christ, the com- mand of the apostle, the practice of the primitive church, with the faith and consolation of believers, such as is your paragraph about communion in one kind, whatever overiveening thoughts you may have of the product of your own fancy, cannot, indeed, have any one grain in it of sobriety or Christian reason.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Heroes — Of the ass's head, whose worship was objected to Jews and Christians.
Your last endeavour consists in an exception to somewhat aflfirmed in the 19th chapter of the "Animadversions," directed unto your paragraph about saints and heroes; and I am sorry that I must close with the consideration of it, because I would willingly have taken my leave of you upon better terms than your discovirse will allow me to do. But I shall as speedily represent you unto yourself as I am able, and then give you my " salve seternumque vale."
ANCIENT WORSHIP OF JEWS AND CHRISTIANS. 477